Designing Spaces with Purpose: Connection, Comfort, and Calm

*Transcript edited lightly for clarity while preserving the original conversation.

[00:00:00.000] — Rebecca Stewart

Welcome to Retrofitting Our Reality, a podcast brought to you by Artus Air. Artus Air is a climate tech company that’s changing the way we heat and cool our buildings. I’m Rebecca Stewart, CEO and Co-Founder of Artus Air, and it’s people like my guest today who give me unwavering belief that we can do better for our spaces with less.

Ruth joins me today in Hilson Moran’s award-winning Living Lab, a home for innovation, collaboration and a test bed for the new in our industry.

Welcome, Ruth. I’m really excited to have you on today and thank you for coming. You and I have known each other since we were eight years old, but I’ve actually never really understood what it is you do. Preparing for this podcast made it so clear that you design the spaces where we live out our lives. That’s important work, and you do it with more consideration and less waste.

Please introduce yourself, the projects you’ve worked on, and what’s driving you at Westworks Interiors.

[00:01:15.450] — Ruth Wainwright

I’m Ruth Wainwright, Co-Founder of Westworks Interiors. Thank you for having me. It’s really nice to chat with you.

Our strapline is: we create comfort, connection and joy in unfamiliar places. Everything we do is purposeful. People often think interiors are just about aesthetics, but every space we inhabit influences how we think and how we live. Interiors are psychological and important.

A project we’re really proud of is the voco Zeal Exeter Hotel, a co-brand with IHG. It’s Europe’s first net zero carbon hotel.

[00:02:09.680] — Rebecca Stewart

Congratulations.

[00:02:10.700] — Ruth Wainwright

Thank you. It’s such a great project and we’re so proud of it. Our specialisms are hospitality, workplace, and large-scale residential: PBSA (purpose-built student accommodation), co-living, build-to-rent, and workplace design — whether co-working or private offices.

[00:02:33.540] — Rebecca Stewart

So quite a cross-section of spaces we all know and love. Tell me, what do you look for in a project? What drives your work at Westworks Interiors?

[00:02:45.600] — Ruth Wainwright

Increasingly, we choose projects with a purpose behind them. Many clients now understand their organisational purpose and what they’re trying to achieve, and that helps us align.

[00:03:08.250] — Rebecca Stewart

It helps us too. We work so hard, and when your values align with the client’s goals, it makes such a difference.

[00:03:20.940] — Ruth Wainwright

Exactly. Projects can go on for years, and if your heart isn’t in it, it feels pointless.

[00:03:34.380] — Rebecca Stewart

Have you had a client who’s given you that real sense of purpose and kept it alive through a long project?

[00:03:46.400] — Ruth Wainwright

Yes — the Zeal Hotel project. From hearing about it to completion was about five years. Our client had this vision 15 to 20 years ago and really pushed boundaries to make it happen.

[00:04:27.560] — Rebecca Stewart

Did it work?

[00:04:29.580] — Ruth Wainwright

It did. It’s Europe’s first net zero carbon hotel, which is a huge achievement.

[00:04:35.780] — Rebecca Stewart

What was it like the first time you walked into the finished building?

[00:04:43.780] — Ruth Wainwright

We visited site a lot, but the first time it really hit me was when the Troldtekt acoustic boards went up. They look a bit like Weetabix but they’re sustainable and perform beautifully acoustically. When I walked in and most of the construction kit was cleared, I just thought, “Wow, this is awesome.”

It felt comfortable and calm. We created the brand strategy early on — mindfully modern: conscious comfort and calm. Guests have said it feels really calming, which is the best feedback.

[00:05:44.780] — Rebecca Stewart

How do you choose the elements that create that feeling? Lighting, texture, colour palette?

[00:06:00.220] — Ruth Wainwright

You design for the senses — touch, sight, hearing, smell, and flow. We start by understanding the brand, then create palettes and mood boards. Once agreed, it’s about bringing it to life. The skill is knowing which textures, colours and materials will work, and staying on top of sustainable innovations.

For example, we specified Corques liquid linoleum by Duracryl — a bio-based poured floor that’s seamless, sustainable and quiet underfoot. We took our client around sustainable showrooms. They chose an Andreu World sofa with a no-glue construction upholstered in hemp fabric from Camira. It’s beautiful and comfortable, and it emotionally resonates.

You can spend a lot of money and still miss the mark, so one of our values is restraint — strip back, specify less, and choose materials with intent. It’s good for carbon, and for design clarity.

[00:09:57.220] — Rebecca Stewart

I’m looking above your head — there’s a cardboard duct in the Living Lab. It’s recyclable at end of life and looks great. So things like that show how sustainable can also be stylish.

[00:10:24.060] — Ruth Wainwright

Exactly. You can make sustainable materials look refined and luxurious if you design with intent and start early with a purposeful client. It’s not about throwing everything at it.

[00:10:59.320] — Rebecca Stewart

That’s hotels. What about student accommodation and co-living? The demographics are different and people dwell longer. What are you trying to achieve there?

[00:11:36.880] — Ruth Wainwright

The purpose there is connection. In PBSA, young adults may be away from home for the first time, sometimes from abroad. It can be scary. Developers and operators have a responsibility to create safe, connected environments.

[00:12:31.900] — Rebecca Stewart

We all need that. We gather as tribes, and those spaces help people find their tribe.

[00:12:45.320] — Ruth Wainwright

Exactly. We start by understanding the demographic and goals, then design flows and adjacencies that encourage interaction. Humans often gravitate toward smaller, more intimate spaces around a central hub. That’s how connection forms.

[00:14:16.260] — Ruth Wainwright

There’s an epidemic of loneliness, especially in the digital age. We used to gather in churches or stadiums — big, shared experiences that make us feel tribal. Design can help us recreate that sense of community. That’s something I really care about.

[00:17:19.120] — Ruth Wainwright

We use data and feedback from operators and residents. For instance, parents often think studio flats are best, but they can be isolating. Cluster flats — bedrooms with shared kitchens and living areas — help build connection. Post-occupancy feedback helps us improve layouts next time.

[00:19:23.830] — Rebecca Stewart

You can tell when something’s not working — like a coffee point no one uses because the flow is wrong.

[00:19:46.000] — Ruth Wainwright

Exactly. We all love serendipitous moments — bumping into someone unexpectedly. You can design for that. Kitchens are obvious spots. Interestingly, Zip or Billi instant taps remove that pause a kettle gives you. Waiting for a kettle lets people chat. Sometimes keeping the kettle is the best design choice.
We also plan quiet and loud zones and circulation routes to encourage natural encounters.

[00:21:01.140] — Rebecca Stewart

Work is changing fast — post-COVID, digital, hybrid. How do you design for that?

[00:21:20.800] — Ruth Wainwright

We design for where we are, while staying aware of where we’re going. There’s a generational shift toward autonomy and personal values. Workplaces must reflect those values for attraction and retention, supporting both digital and physical communities.

[00:23:42.460] — Ruth Wainwright

Many companies want non-office offices — collaboration spaces. We work with Gather Round in Bristol, whose strapline is by creatives for creatives. Their spaces have a central gathering zone with studios and podcast rooms around it. The palette is simple, so people can personalise and feel ownership.

[00:26:20.440] — Ruth Wainwright

For robust, sustainable finishes we often use Marmoleum by Forbo. It’s durable, easy to clean, sustainable, and can be acoustically rated, like Marmoleum Decibel. We even used it in parts of the hotel.

[00:27:30.860] — Ruth Wainwright

In retrofit projects, we keep existing materials like brick visible — texture and place matter. Then lighting adds mood. In hotels, warm pools of light create intimacy; in offices, smart LED systems adjust throughout the day.

[00:29:11.920] — Ruth Wainwright

Collaboration across disciplines is essential — architect, interiors, contractor, MEP. We coordinate using Revit and Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro, so we can all work in the same model. Exposed ceilings are tricky: MEP has to function and look good. Relationships and understanding each other’s roles are key.

[00:31:25.000] — Rebecca Stewart

Are the “spaces in between” where you get most creative?

[00:31:55.580] — Ruth Wainwright

Yes. The third place concept — spaces between home and work — is more important than ever. Sectors are converging: co-working in hotel lobbies, hospitality influences in offices. People want places that flex with how they live and work. Technology lets us connect anywhere, so design must support that.

[00:33:52.280] — Rebecca Stewart

You’ve given me a lot to think about in the spaces between home and office — how they make us feel comfortable or anxious.

[00:34:22.360] — Rebecca Stewart

What one word describes the future of our industry?

[00:34:22.360] — Ruth Wainwright

Curiosity. We always stay curious about how people live, work and connect. Nothing’s fixed. You can’t keep building the same offices or hotels. Everything’s evolving — even things like robot deliveries in student housing are shaping how we design building flow. Curiosity keeps us open to change.

[00:35:15.100] — Rebecca Stewart

What do your family think you do?

[00:35:22.780] — Ruth Wainwright

My husband’s an architect, so he knows. My sons, 13 and 11, say, “You design interiors, Mum.” When I asked what that means, one said, “People wouldn’t have interiors if you didn’t design them.” Otherwise, it would just be empty space and we’d sit on the floor.

[00:36:21.750] — Rebecca Stewart

That’s brilliant. Thanks so much for coming.

[00:36:22.940] — Ruth Wainwright

Thank you for having me. It’s been really fun.

[00:36:25.340] — Rebecca Stewart

Thank you for listening to Retrofitting Our Reality. Please follow Artus Air and Westworks Interiors, and check out the brands we discussed today. Join us again for the next episode.