HXD Week: Power Hour
The Place for Creatives: In an AI Evolving World
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the way we work, the value of distinctly human skills has never been greater. As routine analytical tasks become increasingly automated, creativity, strategic thinking, collaboration, and innovation are emerging as the true drivers of business success.
For the Architecture & Design industry, this shift raises an important question: What does the future look like for the creative worker, and what kind of workplace helps them do their best work?
Join a panel of leading design professionals as they explore how the workplace is evolving beyond a place to complete tasks into an ecosystem that fosters connection, inspires creativity, and accelerates innovation. Together, they’ll discuss how thoughtful workplace design can empower creative talent and support the next generation of work.
Moderator
Steve Kopp, AIA, ACHA
CannonDesign
Steve Kopp brings more than 20 years of expertise to his role as a Design Leader, focusing on the design of pediatric, academic health, and research facilities. He is recognized for leading teams through complex design challenges to deliver innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions. A dedicated advocate for evidence-based practice, Steve leverages materiality and strategic planning to improve outcomes for every user group he serves.
Panelists
Necia E. Bonner, RID, NCIDQ, IIDA, CHID, CDF, LEED AP
Principal, Director of Health & Science Interiors
Perkins&Will
Necia Bonner is a Principal and the Director of Health & Science Interiors for Perkins&Will’s Houston studio, where she leads interior design strategy for some of the most complex healthcare, research, and science environments in the country. With more than 25 years of experience dedicated exclusively to high-performance interiors, she has worked across a broad spectrum of specialized facilities, including academic medical centers, community hospitals, behavioral health facilities, public health agencies, private clinics, research laboratories, vivaria, and corporate science campuses.
A Certified Healthcare Interior Designer and Certified Design Futurist, Necia is recognized for her expertise in translating complex clinical, operational, and regulatory requirements into innovative environments that support the future of healthcare delivery and scientific discovery. She is a respected leader within the design profession and a frequent advocate for advancing healthcare and science environments through design leadership, education, and professional service. Necia has served in numerous leadership roles with IIDA, the AIA Committee on Architecture for Health, the Texas Association for Interior Designers, and currently serves on the board of Texas Women in Healthcare.
Megan Funni, RID
Assistant Professor of Practice
Sam Houston State Universty
Megan Funni is an Assistant Professor of Practice at Sam Houston State University, where she teaches across the interior design curriculum. She also does contract furniture and commercial interior design work with Maybe Sometimes Studio. With more than 16 years of commercial design experience, including work with Fortune 500 companies and Class A landlords, Megan brings both professional practice and academic perspective to her work.
MacKenzie Greckel
Balden Contract Group
MacKenzie Greckel is a sales representative with Balden Contract Group (BCG) in Houston’s commercial design community and the artist behind GRECK.
With a background in the fine arts, she brings a creative perspective to every aspect of her work, blending art, design, marketing, and sales. Passionate about building relationships and thinking beyond traditional industry norms, MacKenzie enjoys finding unconventional ways to connect creativity with the commercial design world.
