I Hear Design: the i+s podcast

In this In Case You Missed It episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an interiors+sources article by Janelle Penny on Relish Food Hall + Pickleball, an 88,000-square-foot adaptive reuse project in Louisville, Colorado, designed by Swan Dive Design Studio. Once a former Sam’s Club (and briefly used as a community center after the 2021 Marshall Fire), the building has been reimagined as a year-round destination with 19 indoor pickleball courts, two outdoor courts, eight locally driven food concepts, a coffee shop, full bar, event spaces, conference areas, outdoor patio and game lawn. The episode looks at how Swan Dive used zoning, circulation, acoustical separation, playful material references, and strategic indoor-outdoor connections to make a massive big-box space feel welcoming, human-scaled, and community-centered. It’s a story about adaptive reuse, design constraints, bold client trust and the growing role of experiential destinations in giving underused retail buildings a second life.

Textiles are no longer just a finishing touch—they’re a high-performance design solution. In this episode of Product Talk, Lauren Brant explores how textiles are shaping acoustics, wellness, and sustainability while influencing how people feel and interact within a space. From antimicrobial and acoustic fabrics to the rise of tactility and wellness-driven trends like “soft-clubbing,” this episode breaks down why materials matter more than ever. Plus, a look at evolving sustainability standards, certifications, and smarter sampling practices. Key Moments in This Episode 00:00 – Introduction: Why textiles deserve a second look Rethinking textiles as essential to performance, wellness, and storytelling—not just aesthetics. 01:30 – Soft is doing hard work How textiles are replacing traditional building systems with acoustic, antimicrobial, and performance-driven solutions. 04:30 – The rise of tactility and wellness Why touch, comfort, and emotional response are shaping material specification. 06:00 – What is “soft-clubbing”? A cultural shift toward wellness-driven social spaces and how it’s influencing interior design. 08:00 – Behavioral design through textiles How materials like bouclé, wool, and linen impact how people feel, stay, and remember a space. 10:00 – Sustainability to accountability Why “eco-friendly” isn’t enough anymore—and what designers should be asking instead. 11:30 – Understanding textile certifications Breaking down OEKO-TEX® and GOTS and what they actually verify. 13:30 – Rethinking material sampling How platforms and take-back programs are reducing waste and supporting circularity. 15:00 – Craft vs. technology The balance between high-performance textiles and handcrafted, human-centered design. 16:30 – Design takeaways for specifiers Key strategies for evaluating textiles as functional, sensory, and storytelling tools. 18:00 – Outro: Spec smarter Final thoughts on why textiles are now doing the heavy lifting—technically, emotionally, and environmentally.