Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact
Welcome to Workspace Design Lab, the channel for architects, interior designers, and workplace leaders who want to master modern office design, ergonomic furniture solutions, and sustainable workspace strategies.
Each episode explores:
• Ergonomic office design principles that boost health and productivity
• Modern office interiors and hybrid workplace layouts
• Sustainable, modular, and parametric furniture systems
• Human-centered design strategies that elevate employee experience
If you’re designing, specifying, or managing workspaces, this channel gives you practical insights, expert interviews, and inspiring stories to help you create offices that truly work.
Subscribe to learn how to design ergonomic offices, specify sustainable solutions, and shape the future of work.
Learn more here: https://sholink.to/novalink
Episodes
17 episodes
Why RTO Mandates Backfire When the Office Contradicts Culture | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 16
What makes people want to come back to the office?In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, Sylvanna VanderPark sits down with Collin Burry, Design Director and Principal at Gensler. With more than 27 years at one of the world's leading d...
Hybrid as Mirror: Why Mandates Fail (And How to Make the Office a Destination) | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 15
What if hybrid work is not the problem, but the mirror showing leaders what was already broken?In this episode of Workspace Design Lab Episode 15, Sylvanna VanderPark speaks with Sam Sahni, Founder and Principal of Work Transformers, ab...
Why Adjustable Furniture Fails Without Proper User Education | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 14
What if the biggest ergonomic risk in today’s workplace is sitting on your laptop?In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl VanderPark speaks with Dr. Nikki Williamson Weiner, OTD, OTR/L, AOEAS, CEAS-II, President and Lead Ergon...
8 Things to Evaluate Before Buying Mission Critical Desks | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 13
What should you really evaluate before buying mission critical desks for control rooms, trading floors, and other high performance environments? In this solo episode of Workspace Design Lab, Syl VanderPark shares a practical framewo...
Why Your Office Is Designed Wrong (And Data Proves It) | Stephen Smith, Reworc | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 12
What if the biggest mistake in workplace design is starting with the building instead of the people? In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, Sylvanna VanderPark sits down with Stephen Smith, VP of People Analytics at Reworc, to e...
Why Cash Flow MATTERS in the Workspace Industry ft. Maria and Tony VanderPark | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 11
What happens when a family business refuses to rely on banks, debt, or outside financing, and builds everything on discipline, cash flow, and trust?In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl VanderPark sits down with Maria Vander...
How Office Layouts Shape Productivity | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 10
Are modern offices actually designed for how we work today, or are we still operating inside outdated ideas?In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Sylvanna VanderPark explores the evolution of workspace design, from ancient Roman...
What Separates Good from GREAT Workplaces | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 9
Can workplace design actually save lives?In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Sylvanna VanderPark welcomes Kay Sargent, Senior Principal and Director of Thought Leadership at HOK. With four decades of design experience,...
How Podcasting Builds Trust for Design and Workplace Brands | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 8
What happens when your worst gig becomes the spark that launches a global podcast business?In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, Syl Vander Park sits down with David O Gara, founder of APodcastGeek, to explore how a career in radio, ...
Creating Thriving Workplaces for Better Performance | Workspace Design Lab Ep.7
What’s the real reason your office isn’t working? It might not be the space, it might be the strategy.In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl Vander Park is joined by Kati Barklund, Senior Manager of Workplace Strategy and Glo...
Ergonomics from Classroom to Office | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 6
🧠 Can toys make us better designers?In this solo episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl Vander Park takes a thoughtful dive into how everyday objects, like fidget toys and lap pads, are changing the way we think about workplace comfo...
Designing Workspaces for Human Performance | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 5
Is your office furniture silently sabotaging productivity?In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl Vander Park is joined by Jane Sleeth, founder of Optimal Performance Consultants, to explore how workplace design impacts everyt...
Gensler Veteran on Mission-Critical Design | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 4
What happens when technical excellence meets human-centered design? In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, Syl Vander Park sits down with Michael Rane Downey, retired architect from Gensler San Francisco, to explore the design pro...
Designing Workplaces That Stand the Test of Time | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 3
What does it take to design workspaces that truly endure? In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Sylvanna VanderPark sits down with Marilyn Simeone, a seasoned leader in corporate real estate and workplace strategy. With over...
Trading Desks to Operations: A 32-Year Furniture Industry Journey | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 2
On this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl sits down with Darryl McCracken, Operations Manager at NovaLink. With over 30 years of experience, Darryl shares the evolution of modular furniture, how industrial design shaped his approach to ...
Why REAL-TIME Adjustment Changes Everything | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 1
In this premiere episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl Vander Park sits down with her father, Tony Vander Park, President and Design Director at NovaLink. Together, they explore the origin and evolution of Series 7.8, a parametric console w...