by Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen
Change often feels like an unwelcome guest: disruptive and hard to embrace. It’s no wonder we cling to familiarity. There’s comfort in sameness – in rituals that shape our days and anchor our spaces. Though many of these rituals are a survival mechanism providing stability, others are more habitual, causing an autopilot response as we scroll on phones or sit in the same chair every day.
We have all felt the resistance to change, even when the status quo no longer serves us. That resistance is natural; change asks us to pay attention, ask questions and interrogate our routines. But change gives us new perspectives. Change is delightful. Change is inspiring.
molo is a design project that’s consistently in flux. As we enter new seasons and a new year, we’re exploring how we can embrace change as a guiding principle in design and life.
There are different types of change in our work. Responding to the shifting angles and colour spectrum of sunlight over the course of a day and across the seasons is always one of the first things we consider in any design project. These types of changes have punctuated our process from the beginning.
We also enjoy changing our routines alongside these natural fluctuations, making small incremental changes to challenge ourselves and learn new ways. These little acts of mindfulness are often undetectable to those around us, but are monumental within. Why do we do this? Because each imperfect step and small change opens a new creative path. On the journey toward a goal, we stay open to discovering the things we did not know to look for.
stimulating mindfulness
When we become too familiar with our surroundings, we can become disconnected from them. In our space, we noticed this happening as our team gravitated to the same seats or the same setup every day. One practice we’ve embraced is a daily recreation of our workspace. It’s a simple act that shakes up our surroundings and gives us fresh eyes. It’s an exercise in how change stimulates the senses, mindfulness and creativity.
adaptability as a design principle
Knowing we can adapt is empowering. It is delightful and rewarding to physically alter environments to adapt to needs or seasons. A familiar environment is energized by the introduction of the unfamiliar. At the beginning of designing what is now the soft collection, one of our main motivations was considering that if a building or space can change, we can get more out of it. Life is dynamic, our buildings should be, too. A space occupied for years can become new again, stimulating interaction and inspiring creativity.
At molo, design success lies in an object’s ability to invite adaptability, interaction and joy. Everything must be infused with simplicity and intuition — a design distilled to its most essential form, requiring no tools, or expertise. We make things that people can participate in. Our soft collection offers a continuation of the creative process to each person who comes in contact with it.
iterative movements
Change is at the heart of our studio and our designs, and investigating how we can adapt — whether through subtle shifts or significant transformations in space — is a driving creative force.
An example of this came early on as we were establishing molo in Vancouver. We won an architectural competition in Aomori, Japan to design 200 units of housing and amenities to revitalize the city centre and make downtown living more desirable. However, a change in the building site prompted further design studies. During the design development, we experienced the four seasons of Aomori alongside the unique history and culture. Seeing everything with fresh eyes, we were completely immersed and engaged with this site-specific work.
Over a ten-year period, the project transformed into the Aomori Nebuta House Museum and Cultural Centre. This was a period of profound change and personal growth for us. Goals sometimes require years to find the right path and materialize.
The Aomori Nebuta House Museum is one of our most cherished projects.
a year of liberation
Change can feel daunting, but what if we saw it as something natural, even enjoyable? Our studio, much like our designs, is a living, breathing project constantly evolving through small, deliberate steps.
This perspective didn’t come from business wisdom; it came from an interest in learning by doing. We didn’t rush toward an end goal but embraced the journey as its own reward. You can do the same. Shift one habit, move one piece of furniture. Maybe this year you decide that change, when embraced, is not a disruption — it’s a liberation.
