Sarah Dabbs, Operations Director, SpaceInvader joined the B Corp panel
Sustainable interior design depends on decisions made across a project team. Designers can champion reuse and specify materials more responsibly, but putting those intentions into practice requires collaboration between clients, landlords, manufacturers, contractors, developers and occupiers.
This was a key message SpaceInvader brought to a recent B Corp panel discussion hosted by Modus at Material Source in Manchester. Marking 20 years of B Lab and B Corp certification, the event brought built environment professionals together to discuss the challenges ahead and the opportunities for collective action.
Our Studio Operations Director, Sarah Dabbs, joined speakers from Hawkins\Brown, The Furniture Practice, TSK Group and Modus, sharing our perspective as an interior design studio and a recently certified B Corporation.
For Sarah, one of the clearest opportunities lies at the beginning of a project, when the brief, ambitions and expectations are being established. Agreeing priorities around reuse, responsible specification and long-term adaptability at this stage gives the team a shared direction and a basis for the decisions that follow.
Each organisation brings different responsibilities and influence. A designer can identify opportunities to retain furniture or materials, for example, but taking those opportunities forward may depend on client approval, landlord requirements, product availability and coordination with contractors. Early conversations help establish what is achievable and who needs to be involved.
As Sarah reflected:
“The real benefit of B Corp is that community piece, and that people see that collectively working together makes us all better.”
That collaboration also needs to extend beyond businesses already engaged in the conversation. To reach a wider audience, we need to demonstrate how sustainability, inclusion and wellbeing relate to the challenges clients are trying to address.
In workplace design, that means explaining how design decisions can support people and culture, make better use of space and contribute to longer-term value. Connecting these considerations to the business brief gives clients a clearer understanding of their relevance and the choices available.
For SpaceInvader, becoming a certified B Corporation in January 2026 has brought a renewed focus on how we measure progress and put commitments into practice. We are reviewing existing approaches, establishing baselines and building our understanding of evolving expectations. Governance matters within that process because it helps ensure our purpose is reflected in how decisions are made.
The discussion at Material Source reinforced the importance of shared learning alongside individual accountability. Reducing the environmental impact of the built environment requires action across organisations, with a willingness to ask questions, share experience and agree priorities early.
Thank you to Modus for bringing the panel together and to Material Source for hosting.
Learn more about SpaceInvader’s B Corp journey and our approach to responsible design.
Photography: Fiona Finchett.