In this episode of PropTech Power Talks, we explored the fascinating intersection of architecture, design innovation, and human-centered spaces with a very special guest, Enrique Soler. Enrique is a seasoned design director at Area with a rich background in both architecture and interior design.

His global experiences across Spain, Japan, and the United Kingdom inform a deeply thoughtful and strategic approach to design.

Q: You've worked across a wide range of sectors—from retail to mixed-use developments. How do you approach design when the needs, functions, and end users of the space vary so drastically? What are the core principles that remain constant in your work?

A: You will see, especially nowadays, a lot of specialization and designers in particular who work in one sector predominantly. And I’ve tried to, in my experience, get away from that and work in as many sectors as possible because I think as designers and architects, what we have in common is that we are very curious about humans and human nature.

At the end of the day, what we're trying to do is create spaces for humans, and this is something that we can all relate to. Whether you’re doing retail, residential, hospitality, or commercial, at the center of it, it’s just people like you and me. I just happen to have some training, experience, and tools to make the environment around us perform in certain ways. But what that performance should respond to—I think that is something humans naturally know, or we should know. We should be listening to ourselves.

So there's a part of the architectural profession that is very “sociophilic,” if I can call it a word—interested in sociology and human nature. That is the core thing. So whatever you do, if you can make a space good enough to enable a human to reach their full potential—whether it's an office, an operating theater, or a restaurant—then you're doing your job well as a designer.

Q: You were trained in both Spain and Japan—two countries with very distinct architectural traditions. How have those influences shaped your design mindset, and how do you integrate those learnings into your work in the UK?

A: When I was living in Spain, I became very, very interested in Japanese culture. That’s how I ended up doing my final year of university there. What I noticed by living and studying in Japan is that it didn’t only influence me as a designer—it influenced my whole perspective as a human being. Culturally, it's a very, very different country from most Western countries—not only Spain but also the UK.

One thing I realized in Japan was that many of my preconceived ideas when I was back in Spain needed revision. That was very interesting. I learned a lot, not just about materials and design philosophy from a Japanese point of view, which is very different from the Spanish method, but also about different ways of living, experiencing culture, approaching history, and social relationships.

What happened next is that I didn’t return to Spain after Japan. I lived in the Netherlands, and then I came to the UK. London, being a very multicultural city, kept feeding that hunger for diverse influences. That definitely improved my perspective as a designer.

I know this is a wide answer, but I believe the rest—materials, tools, systems—are just that: tools. You can say, in Japan, there’s an emphasis on certain types of details or systems; in Spain, we use a lot of concrete and bricks; in the UK, there’s a lot of steelwork. At the end of the day, what you learn as a designer is to experience different cultures. That’s a very valuable asset.

Q: Leading a multidisciplinary team is as much about collaboration as it is about creativity. How do you foster innovation within your team while maintaining high standards of quality and technical precision?

A: It all boils down to the culture within the team. Culture is in all aspects of leading and managing a team—from the very first moment that you’re recruiting people, to how you talk to them, and making sure they talk amongst themselves.

For me and my team, it's very, very important that we’re constantly talking to each other. There’s also a sense of humility. You need to be humble—it doesn’t matter how many years of experience you have or how many countries you’ve lived in. You never know where the next good idea is going to come from—you really don’t.

The best way to increase your chances of getting a good idea is to talk to more people and be exposed to different perspectives. I try to allow for cross-pollination of ideas. I try to make my team stay humble, stay hungry, and remember that there's a difference between someone who has ten years of experience and someone who has one year of experience repeated ten times. I want my team to be the former.

You can only do that by enabling a safe space—one where people can take risks, collaborate, and talk amongst themselves.

Q: The design-build process often involves balancing aesthetic ambition with practical constraints. How do you manage the tension between creative freedom and realities like budget, regulation, and technical feasibility?

A: I currently work for a design and build company, so this is probably the best place to address that. In my career, I have been steering in that direction. For the past eleven years, I’ve been working for contractors or design and build companies. Before that, I worked purely in architecture or design studios.

What I noticed is that when professions are siloed—the architect here, the structural engineer there, the contractor elsewhere—communication is more difficult. Not impossible, but harder.

You have all these valid perspectives—budget constraints, technical feasibility, material capabilities, team skills—and the only way to align those is through collaboration. That’s why I moved into design and build, which is a more integrated model.

If you think about the architectural profession until about 200 years ago, architects were always site-based. In fact, the word “architect” comes from “master builder.” The architect led the whole team, managed the budget and technical details. It was only after the Industrial Revolution that we began to specialize.

Now, things are perhaps too siloed, and I think it’s time to bring them back together. We get better results that way.

Q: There’s a lot of conversation around sustainability, wellness, and smart design. How do these show up in your projects, and how do you ensure they go beyond just buzzwords?

A: That’s the danger—buzzwords. Nowadays, everyone’s talking about sustainability, circularity, wellness—even regenerative design and definitely smart solutions.

There is a risk, as you rightly say, that they become just buzzwords. If your clients want that, more and more designers and suppliers may just say "yes" to get in.

We have a responsibility and opportunity as designers, architects, and contractors to go deeper. It needs to be embedded in our philosophy, approach, the way we talk, the way we choose projects and clients, and how we begin designing a space.

When we talk about sustainability or wellness or smart tech, the last thing should be a recycled material or a sensor. Those are outcomes. The first thing should be philosophy—thinking in terms of the planet and the timescale of the planet.

So when approaching materiality, you're not thinking about a five-year lease—you’re thinking about harmony with the planet. Similarly with wellness: it’s not about scoring points. It’s about real human beings who will work there. How can we improve their lives?

And yes, sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. If a client only uses buzzwords without substance, and if you can afford to, maybe it’s time to part ways. Or ideally, educate them. Help them see the value in investing in well-being and sustainability—not just for moral reasons but because there are measurable outcomes.

Philosophy and education come first. Brands and tech are just tools.

Q: Technology is transforming how we experience and build spaces. How is tech reshaping the role of architects and designers, and what excites you most about the future?

A: This is a particularly exciting time to be an architect or interior designer. We’ve been in a technological revolution for the past 30 years, and it’s still evolving.

From an architectural point of view, there’s so much happening—innovations in materials leading to regenerative, circular, and sustainable outcomes. You can reuse waste to create efficient materials. For example, hempcrete—a concrete alternative made from hemp—not only sequesters carbon but has excellent thermal and aesthetic properties.

There’s also the rise of data-driven design. In the past, we had to take a leap of faith in predicting how a space would perform. Now we can get instant feedback through digital twins and real-time data. That feedback loop is fantastic.

And then there’s AI. While many associate it with image generation and rendering, I think its real potential lies in managing the complexity of architecture and construction. It can simplify logistics, optimize workflows, and make the creation of great spaces easier.

That’s where AI will really help us. It’s an incredibly exciting time.

Q: What advice would you give to emerging architects and designers who want to lead in this new era of integrated, human-focused, and tech-enabled spaces?

A: This connects well with the last question. It’s a great time to be an architect because there’s so much potential and so many tools.

I’m not big on giving advice, but if I were to give one piece, it’s this: compared to the rest of history, you have the best tools available now—exponentially better. The difference in tools now versus five years ago is greater than between five years ago and fifty years ago.

Yes, there are fears around machines taking over jobs, but I like to stay positive. These tools are powerful, and with that comes responsibility. You want to level up as a designer to match the capabilities of these tools.

It’s like giving a Stradivarius violin or a Steinway piano to a student—you want to be the best possible musician to make the most of it. Otherwise, it will sound rubbish.

So young designers, I can’t wait to see what you’ll do. Keep leveling up—there’s no end to evolution. It’s exciting, but it requires work.

Enrique shared his thoughtful, human-centered, and future-forward perspective on design. His insights into collaboration, innovation, and sustainability provide a compelling roadmap for the future of architecture.