Rephonic
Artwork for Once Upon a Project
Design For All
Pinnacle Sky House
Shaw Contract
Wellness
Hip Hop Architecture
Roivant
Equitable Workplace
Park City
Creative Wellness
Sustainability
Urban Planning
Asia Pacific Sustainability
Biophilic Design
Detroit, United States
Interior Design
Textiles
Neocon
Hybrid Work
New York
Healthcare

As interior designers, we’re accustomed to celebrating the end of a project. But what about the people and process behind those designs? Once Upon a Project delves into the stories of creating the spaces that we inhabit with the designers who dreamed them up. Join AJ Paron, EVP and Design Futurist of SANDOW Design Group, in unraveling what it takes to bring interior design projects to fruition—fro... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes44Founded4 years ago
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Artwork for Once Upon a Project

Latest Episodes

What do you design when the view is already the spectacle? AJ Paron speaks with Olivia Reid and Lionel Ohayon of Journey about reimagining the experience at Edge in Hudson Yards, where the challenge was not simply attracting visitors, but giving them... more

How do you modernize a historic institution without losing the traditions that give it meaning? AJ Paron speaks with designer Dan Mazzarini of Mazzarini & Co. about rethinking spaces at the Harvard Club of New York for a new generation of members. Wh... more

What happens when you don’t just design a building, but rethink how people experience an entire place? AJ Paron speaks with Bill Mandara of Mancini Duffy about TSX Broadway, the ambitious Times Square project that brings architecture, entertainment, ... more

How do you bring a historic hotel back to life without losing the character that made it special in the first place? AJ Paron speaks with Valentina Castellon of DLR Group about the transformation of The Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, where a 130-year h... more

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Recent Guests

Sommer Schauer
Principal and Design Director, Perkins and Will, New York Office
Perkins and Will
Episode: Designing the Office as a Destination
Jill Giorgis
Client lead at Northwestern Medicine
Northwestern Medicine
Episode: Redesigning the Physician Office Experience
Mark Hirons
Led architectural design from CannonDesign
CannonDesign
Episode: Redesigning the Physician Office Experience
Alexis Kim
SmithGroup, Detroit office (guest)
SmithGroup
Episode: Designing an Equitable Workplace for Hybrid Work
Alivia Stalnaker
SmithGroup, Detroit office (guest)
SmithGroup
Episode: Designing an Equitable Workplace for Hybrid Work
Whitney Eveler
Design Director at Gensler, Boston Office
Gensler
Episode: Designing for Belonging
Caroline Zimbalist
Biomaterials artist and designer
Shaw Contract collaboration partner
Episode: Design for All (Live at NeoCon 2026)
Michael Ford
Architect, educator, and cultural force known as The Hip Hop Architect
Momentum collaboration; Hip Hop by Design
Episode: Design Blueprint for Liquid Architecture
Lily Diego
Creative Director, Gensler Detroit
Gensler
Episode: Building Hope in Motion

Host

AJ Paron
EVP and Design Futurist at SANDOW Design Group

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 29 ratings
  • Compelling

    AJ Paron invites us into spaces we could only dream about accessing. The curtain is lifted and we learn about the decision making process for every design detail. The host asks the very questions I wanted answered. Highly recommend whether you are inside or outside the industry.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Brandon Fong is the real deal.
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host's questions address the details curious listeners want explained.
Listeners value hearing how individual design decisions are made.
The host makes design spaces feel accessible by drawing out the stories behind them.
The conversations appeal to people both inside and outside the design industry.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#162
United States/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#201
France/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#106
Saudi Arabia/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#136
New Zealand/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Designing the Office as a Destination
Q: What was the central challenge of designing a workplace where occupancy changes dramatically throughout the year, and how did you address that in the space?
The central challenge was to create a lively, energy-rich environment for up to 250 people during peak times while avoiding a ghost-town feel during quieter periods. This was addressed by concentrating energy in a flexible hub with a strong hospitality-forward program, providing a range of spaces and movable furniture to reconfigure for different scales and activities, ensuring visibility and interaction across floors.
Designing the Office as a Destination
Q: Tell us about Roivant, who are they, what kind of company are we talking about, and what made this project different from traditional office spaces they've done before?
Roivant is a biopharmaceutical company focused on accelerating medicines that matter. The project was different because it was their first purpose-built space, crafted specifically for their needs rather than adapting existing spaces for their work, which required designing for a now-typical hybrid, globally distributed team and a highly variable in-person presence.
Design Groundwork for Healing Spaces
Q: What did the Wellbeing Center pilot aim to achieve beyond medical treatment?
The pilot sought to create a holistic ecosystem where patients, caregivers, and clinicians share a space that supports social belonging, mental well-being, and practical needs like housing and food, reducing loneliness and improving overall health.
Design Groundwork for Healing Spaces
Q: Why bring lived experience into the project, and how does it affect the design process?
Having the lived experience of those affected is critical; it builds trust and ensures the project tackles real needs rather than assumed problems, with the pace set by the those living the experience.
Design Groundwork for Healing Spaces
Q: Tell us about Experience Happiness and the Happiness Practice.
Experience Happiness focuses on eradicating burnout by cultivating inside-out authentic happiness; it emphasizes shifting from a 'human doing' to a 'human being' and outlines five principles that rewire neural pathways to sustain well-being.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Once Upon a Project

What is Once Upon a Project about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Conversations with interior designers, architects, clients, and other creative professionals reveal the decisions and collaborations behind notable built environments. Each episode typically follows a project from its original goals through design choices, practical challenges, and the experience of the people who use the space. Workplace design is a recurring focus, alongside healthcare, wellness, sustainability, biomaterials, and the cultural influences that shape materials and interiors.

AJ Paron, an executive and design futurist at SANDOW Design Group, hosts the discussions, which pair practitioner expertise with client perspectives and project-specific stories. The emphasis is on the process behind finished spaces, including how desig... more

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1. 99% Invisible
2. Giggly Squad
3. Stuff You Should Know
4. The Design Drop

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Once Upon a Project launched 4 years ago and published 44 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Once Upon a Project?

Recent guests on Once Upon a Project include:

1. Sommer Schauer
2. Jill Giorgis
3. Mark Hirons
4. Alexis Kim
5. Alivia Stalnaker
6. Whitney Eveler
7. Caroline Zimbalist
8. Michael Ford

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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