Rephonic
Artwork for Once Upon a Project
Pinnacle Sky House
Hip Hop Architecture
Design For All
Park City
Shaw Contract
Creative Wellness
Sustainability
Detroit, United States
Interior Design
Textiles
Neocon
Healthcare
Parkinson's Disease
Kirk Gibson Foundation
Marvin Modern Collection
Mountain Modern Design
Upwall Design Architects
Midway Construction Company
Gensler
Wellness Design

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes37Founded4 years ago
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Artwork for Once Upon a Project

Latest Episodes

What does equity look like in the hybrid workplace? In this episode, AJ Paron speaks with Alivia Stalnaker and Alexis Kim of SmithGroup about reimagining AlixPartners’ Chicago office for a post-pandemic reality shaped by flexibility, wellbeing, and c... more

What if the workplace felt more like a hotel, a community hub, or even home? In this episode, we unpack the design strategy behind Sanofi’s headquarters; an environment built on choice, inclusivity, and connection. Whitney Eveler discusses how materi... more

When design begins with the full spectrum of human experience, it has the power to create spaces where everyone can thrive. Recorded live at NeoCon, AJ welcomes Shannon Crider Langley, Frances Phillips, and artist Caroline Zimbalist for a conversatio... more

Michael Ford, “The Hip Hop Architect,” explores his collaboration with Momentum, blending influences from music, architecture, and community into expressive textile and wallcovering design.

This episode is presented by Momentum and recorded in the N... more

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Recent Guests

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
Michael Schur
Global Wellness Leader, Gensler Chicago
Gensler
Episode: Building Hope in Motion
Eric Corey Freed
Award-winning architect, author, and sustainability provocateur at CannonDesign
CannonDesign
Episode: Building a Non-Toxic Hospital
Shannon Crider Langley
Director of Marketing for Shaw Contract, Workplace and Retail Segment Studios
Shaw Contract
Episode: Unlocking Creative Wellness: The Ongoing Project
Kaley Decker
Workplace Wellness Consultant, Intuitive Life Coach
Shaw Contract collaboration
Episode: Unlocking Creative Wellness: The Ongoing Project
Ashley Olson
Director of Design for Workplace and Hospitality for Shaw Contract
Shaw Contract
Episode: Unlocking Creative Wellness: The Ongoing Project

Host

AJ Paron
Host of the show, EVP and Design Futurist at SANDOW Design Group (via SURROUND network)

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#164
United States/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#160
United Kingdom/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#237
Canada/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#51
New Zealand/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#111
Ireland/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Building a Non-Toxic Hospital
Q: How do you handle resistance from facilities teams who worry about cost and risk?
By meeting them where they are, exploring practical, value-driven alternatives, and showing tangible outcomes and long-term savings, such as energy efficiency or health benefits that matter to patients and staff.
Building a Non-Toxic Hospital
Q: What is your approach to pushing clients to rethink what's possible in healthcare design?
The approach starts with asking bold questions, mapping assumptions, and using workshops to surface fears and incentives, then prototyping and testing solutions with real stakeholders to move from fear-based decisions to outcome-based ones.
Building Hope in Motion
Q: How did the partnership with the Kirk Gibson Foundation come about and what was the initial vision for the space?
The partnership grew through a personal connection and shared vision to create a free, community-based wellness center focused on movement, cognitive health, and family support rather than traditional clinical care; the goal was to co-author a space that expands the patient's world and serves both people with Parkinson's and their caregivers.
Design Blueprint for Liquid Architecture
Q: How does a DJ's sampling compare to a designer building a palette?
Both activities rely on pulling precedents, reinterpreting fragments, and creating new rhythms; designers sample from architectural history while hip hop artists sample musical history to produce something that resonates and feels new.
Design Blueprint for Liquid Architecture
Q: Did you approach this project as an architect or a storyteller?
The guest describes balancing both roles, noting a continuous interest in connecting with people and culture while narrating the process behind the pieces, resulting in a design language that honors hip hop's storytelling tradition.

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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?

The series centers on human-centered design across interiors, architecture, and workplace strategy, featuring conversations with designers, architects, and brand leaders who explore the stories behind notable projects. Episodes span topics like creating belonging in modern workplaces, inclusive Design For All initiatives, the infusion of culture and music into materiality, wellness-driven design in healthcare and offices, and sustainable, biomaterial-informed practices. Notable threads include co-design with clients and communities, the practical challenges of translating concept to space, and the way wellness, accessibility, and sustainability shape everyday environments. The show often mixes project case studies with practical takeaways f... more

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1. Work Better
2. 99% Invisible
3. The Daily
4. The Moth
5. Good Hang with Amy Poehler

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Once Upon a Project launched 4 years ago and published 37 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. Whitney Eveler
2. Caroline Zimbalist
3. Michael Ford
4. Lily Diego
5. Michael Schur
6. Eric Corey Freed
7. Shannon Crider Langley
8. Kaley Decker

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