The premise that design is capable of transforming lives for the better will be explored in depth at the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) annual conference in London this summer.
“Design can be harnessed to solve our problems and make the world a better place,” said Sue Timney, president of the BIID. “At this year’s conference we’ll look at how health centers and hospices, leisure and workspaces, retail and residential interiors can all be improved through intelligent and creative design. As the professional body for interior designers, it’s our responsibility to tell this story, and help designers and their clients realize just what design can achieve.”
The conference, “Life-Changing Design: Transforming the Human Experience,” will tackle these issues with the help of a prestigious line-up of speakers who will dissect the nature of good design and assess the impact it can have.
Lee Penson and Charles Jencks
Confirmed speakers include Lee Penson from the architecture and interior design studio Penson Group, and Charles Jencks, a trustee and co-founder of Maggie's Centers.
Penson will be talking about his practice’s involvement in the new Google HQ development, and Jencks will explain how Maggie’s Centers have created uplifting environments for cancer care, designed by some of the world’s most renowned architects. More speakers will be announced in the coming months.
Last year’s conference attracted an audience of more than 220 interior designers, media and speakers such as Thomas Heatherwick, Ab Rogers, Jason Bruges and Deyan Sudjic.
The annual conference also provides the opportunity to present the Institute's Honorary Fellowships which recognize those who have had a profound impact on the development and success of the interior design profession.
In 2013, Angela Brady (President of RIBA), Sir James Dyson, Heatherwick and Sudjic (Director of the Design Museum) joined Sir Paul Smith, Zandra Rhodes, Dr. Paul Thompson (Rector of the Royal College of Art), Andreas Von Einsiedel (celebrated interiors photographer) and Graham Watts (Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Council) were named BIID Honorary Fellows.
