084 FOCUS
Right Shaw Contract’s work on the JLL ofices in London uses different styles of carpet to effect the perception of the ofice space
Q&A
Samantha Dawe
Shaw Contract
Samantha Dawe is a director at Shaw Contract, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer for commercial interiors. She has had a long career in PR and marketing starting at the BBC before moving into the architecture and design world
How have floor coverings in office spaces changed as a result of the pandemic?
Health and well-being have become a core focus in flooring as a result of the pandemic. We see that though as part of a broader, sustainable approach to workplace design or any interior space, particularly in terms of embracing occupant comfort. When designing flooring now, people are more mindful of things such as provisioning for flexibility and supporting a diverse workforce. Tere’s much more recognition that we’re all individuals and we all respond to our environments differently. From that has come a broader awareness of things like neurodiversity. All of these elements are now influencing interior design responses.
As an organisation, you have declared a leadership position on sustainability through your annual sustain[HUMAN]ability Leadership Recognition Program. Since the start of Covid, sustainability has played second fiddle to safety. How are you using flooring to drive organisations to bring it back to the fore? And are they receptive to this?
Safety can mean various things. Let’s take indoor air quality as an example. For us, this has always been a key consideration. We have a deep and comprehensive understanding of material health and material ingredients. We are careful about what goes into our products and regularly review and measure their performance. Tis is something we’ve considered since we signed up to being the first flooring manufacturer with a cradle-to-cradle manufacturing approach. Tere’s more awareness on issues such as what goes into material finishes. People look at it through a sharper lens. We spend over 90% of our time indoors, and flooring finishes are becoming increasingly important when addressing these issues, along with creating workplace interiors that inspire and support collaboration.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve come across in flooring manufacture and design? Tere are two strands to this. Firstly, if you take a cradle-to- cradle approach, it’s up to a manufacturer to continually innovate. You are constantly reviewing processes in line with cradle-to-cradle thinking and are regularly assessed on how you take those steps forward. Te other part is that
design itself is responsive and dynamic process. We hosted an IFI (International Federation of Interior Architects) panel debate on the Metaverse versus Natureverse – the technological and the physical, and how we balance the two. Together they can bring a great range of positives but fundamentally, it’s all about designing for people.
Your ColourConnect CPD programme explores colour’s impact on our built spaces and the interactions that take place in them. What are the key colour trends in flooring?
Trough our ColourConnect programme, we considered global factors and how they’re influencing design trends. We distilled the research down into four
key palettes which still resonate post-pandemic. Te first is ‘Self’ which is about reflection and reconnecting, providing an environment and a palette which is about finding purpose and simplifying our lives. Tis palette encompasses softer, pastel shades. ‘Earth’ explores the relationship with the natural world and considers the challenges of design for a rapidly changing planet. Tese feature colours such as terracotta, viridian, greens, and softer orange and pink tones. ‘Creativity’ is all about expressing ourselves and creating dialogue and energy using colour. Te final palette is ‘Community’, which is about connecting us locally and globally. It’s a palette looking to bridge divides, and challenging us to be empathetic, resilient and inclusive.
Tell me about the project you’re most proud of and why? JLL’s offices at 20 Water Street in London embraces the idea of creating a workspace that is inclusive and forward thinking, and that prioritises new ways of working. It combines three different carpet tile collections that we manufacture in Scotland, using different styles to create different zones and moods within the floor plate. It’s an approach that we talk a lot about, so we are always excited when we see designers interpreting and working with that opportunity.
What keeps you awake at night?
If we are to move to a circular economy and net zero then we’ve all got to work together. Te research we’ve undertaken shows communication and collaboration is
JONATHAN BANKS
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