Beyond Four Walls: Luxury Through Biophilic Design - Grame Labe - Defining Hospitality - Ep #220

What happens when luxury design meets the wild?

Award-winning designer, Graeme Labe, Managing Partner and Chief Design Officer at Luxury Frontiers, shares how he’s redefining hospitality by crafting experiences that connect people deeply to nature, while championing sustainability and community. Graeme shares his journey from traditional hospitality design to founding Luxury Frontiers, which focuses on creating unique, luxurious experiences in remote locations. The conversation covers topics such as the importance of experiential hospitality, the challenges of working in remote environments, and the role of sustainability and community engagement in their projects. Graeme also discusses the innovation culture within his team, their participation in the Radical Innovation Award, and the significance of site-specific design.

Takeaways: 

• Focus on creating unique, immersive experiences that connect guests to their environment, rather than just providing traditional luxury.
• Design experiences that gently push guests out of their comfort zones, allowing them to grow while still feeling safe and cared for.
• Integrate sustainability into every aspect of your projects: from site selection and building materials to community engagement and ongoing operations.
• Foster a culture of innovation within your team. Set up internal labs or competitions to encourage experimentation with new materials and ideas.
• Use natural materials and let the surrounding environment take center stage in your designs. Break down barriers between indoors and outdoors to enhance biophilic experiences.
• Thoughtfully integrate technology to improve comfort and accessibility, but also create opportunities for guests to disconnect and fully immerse themselves in the experience.
• Treat logistical, regulatory, and environmental constraints as opportunities to innovate and improve your designs.

Quote of the Show:

“ It’s those moments that take you out of your comfort zone, when you’re truly immersed in a place, that change your life. That’s the kind of experience we try to design for.” - Graeme Labe

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graeme-labe-a0332b19/ 
• Website: https://www.luxury-frontiers.com/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxury_frontiers/ 

Shout Outs:

• 1:16 - Radical Innovation https://www.radicalinnovation.io/ 
• 1:53 - AHEAD Awards https://www.aheadawards.com/ 
• 5:26 - The Lion King https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King 
• 7:08 - Orient Express Hotels https://www.orient-express.com/hotels 
• 9:47 - Volkswagen https://www.vw.com/en.html 
• 9:48 - Coleman https://www.coleman.com/ 
• 22:16 - Luca Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/luca-franco-5507b311/ 
• 28:18 - Blue Sky Award https://www.blueskyawards.com/en/ 
• 30:41 - Anomien Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/anomien-smith-73917715/ 
• 35:02 - The Crown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crown_(TV_series) 
• 35:05 - King George https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_III 
• 35:09 - Queen Elizabeth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II 
• 41:34 - Hirsch Bedner https://hba.com/ 
• 41:45 - Michael Bedner https://hba.com/legacy/ 
• 50:59 - Six Senses https://www.sixsenses.com/en/ 
• 51:04 - Ritz Carlton https://www.ritzcarlton.com/ 
• 51:06 - Marriott https://www.marriott.com/default.mi 
• 51:07 - Four Seasons https://www.fourseasons.com/ 

🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/