John Williams Featured in North West Business Insider Designing Smart, Human-Centred Workplaces

Overbury’s Manchester HQ, designed by SpaceInvader

“Data alone doesn’t make a smart building, design intelligence does.”

That’s the key message from our Director & Founder, John Williams, featured in the August 2025 issue of North West Business Insider. The magazine’s Smart Spaces feature explores how workplaces across the region are evolving through intelligent, tech-enabled design, and how SpaceInvader is helping to lead that change.

Today’s workplaces need to do more than provide desks and meeting rooms. With hybrid working now a permanent part of many organisations’ operations, the most effective spaces are those that adapt to people’s needs, improve efficiency, and enhance wellbeing.

In the North West Business Insider feature (pp. 58–60), John explains that while technology is vital, it’s the design thinking behind it that creates real value:

“Smart building technology allows desk space and meeting rooms to be booked efficiently … but intelligence, human or AI, is still needed to interpret that data and make design decisions.” – John Williams

This means using technology not just for convenience, but to reduce energy use, optimise space, and improve the everyday experience for those who work there.

SpaceInvader has been integrating smart building systems into recent high-profile projects, including:

Overbury’s award-winning Manchester HQ – where lighting, climate control, and booking systems work seamlessly to support flexible, collaborative working.

Stopford House for Stockport Council – a workplace transformation that uses data-led design to improve efficiency while supporting diverse working styles.

These spaces demonstrate how tech-enabled interiors can deliver on sustainability, operational savings, and employee engagement.

The smart building tools now available, from occupancy sensors to automated climate systems, can provide invaluable data. But as John points out, that’s only the starting point. The real impact comes when designers apply insight to adapt layouts, introduce flexibility, and create spaces that evolve with their users.

For example, incorporating moveable furniture and modular layouts allows organisations to quickly reconfigure underused areas for new purposes, ensuring every square foot works harder.

As the demand for flexible, sustainable workplaces grows, SpaceInvader will continue to combine human-centred design with cutting-edge technology to deliver spaces that are not only functional, but future-ready.

We’re pleased to be part of North West Business Insider’s discussion on the future of workplace design.

Read the full feature in the August 2025 issue of North West Business Insider.