Real people. Real insights. Real stories. Real estate.
“Sometimes in our industry it all feels a bit doom and gloom…. Retrofitting Our Reality, a podcast brought to you by Artus Air, showcases stories of positive change from across our industry, bringing you the innovators who are doing things differently to do things better.”
Rebecca Stewart, chief executive, Artus Air
Throughout these special episodes, Stewart speaks to developers, designers, and engineers who are challenging the status quo, creating outstanding spaces that prioritise human wellbeing and connection whilst hitting lower carbon and lower energy goals.
Grounded in proof (not promises), discussions focus on first hand project experience and lessons learned; sharing what has been done that we can replicate again or what to avoid, rather than what we need to do next.
Episode 1 – ‘Designing spaces with purpose’
From the interior architects who brought you Europe’s first net-zero carbon hotel, Ruth Wainwright, co-founder of Westworks Interiors, joins Stewart to explore how interior architecture can drive human connection in the places we live, work and gather whilst remaining kind to the planet.
“We strive to create comfort, connection and joy in unfamiliar places,” Wainwright says. “Every space we’re in influences how we think and how we live. Interiors aren’t superficial, they’re deeply psychological.”
“There’s a real epidemic of loneliness,” Wainwright reflects. “If we can create environments that help people connect again, whether that’s students in shared housing or colleagues in hybrid offices, that’s when design becomes something deeply human.”
>> Watch the first episode now <<
Balancing comfort, carbon and cost
Using voco Zeal Exeter, part of the IHG group, a net-zero first for Europe, Wainwright explores what that sustainability meets luxury looks like in practice when working within real life constraints like budget and embodied carbon.
From bio-based materials to mindful lighting and acoustics, the project demonstrates that sustainability and sensory comfort can coexist.
For Wainwright, great design starts with empathy and restraint: specifying less, designing for the senses and creating spaces where people feel they belong. It’s an approach that resonates far beyond interiors, reminding the wider industry that sustainable design succeeds when there’s early collaboration within the design team.
Coming next
Episode 2 features Florence Lam, Arup fellow and global lighting design leader, who has illuminated many paths to positive change throughout her career.
Most notably, her instrumental role in the LED lighting journey, from concept to mass adoption and beyond. Lam explores this journey with Stewart and the opportunities lighting can bring to creating safe spaces in which people want to dwell.
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About Rebecca Stewart
Rebecca Stewart has more than 28 years of experience designing and taking new products to market. From Aston Martin to Arup to Artus Air, Rebecca has consistently led ventures that blend innovation, sustainability and human experience, shaping spaces and products that are not only memorable but meaningful while being kind to the planet.
