Episode 4: AI, Strategy and Rebalancing the Built Environment with Steven Charlton

In this episode of the Spark London Podcast, Vince sits down with Steven Charlton, Founder and CEO of I/O Atelier and nHabit, to explore how technology, data, and AI are reshaping the design, real estate, and workplace strategy industries.

Steven reflects on his career journey, from years at Pringle Brandon (later acquired by Perkins and Will), to working in fast-paced design-and-build environments in Dubai, and launching smaller interior design studios. These experiences exposed deep frustrations with traditional industry workflows and sparked his belief that technology should only be applied once the real problems are truly understood.

A major theme of the conversation is speed versus structure. Steven contrasts the “now, now, now” mentality of the Middle East with what he describes as the UK’s overly slow, bureaucratic approach. He argues that the future lies in finding a happy medium, one that leverages modern processing power and AI to rethink how design and delivery are done from the ground up.

The discussion dives into the founding of I/O Atelier, now three and a half years old, and Steven’s ambition to blend creativity with AI. Rather than bolting technology onto existing processes, I/O Atelier was built with multidisciplinary teams, architects, data scientists, machine learning experts, UX and UI designers, working together to create space for experimentation and innovation. Steven candidly shares lessons learned from early hiring mistakes, the benefits of a sprint-based approach, and the advantage of being an early mover willing to take financial and strategic risks.

Steven also addresses systemic issues in the design industry, including the “doom cycle” of fee erosion and burnout. He explains how AI can help rebalance time, cost, and quality, freeing designers to focus on innovation, better detailing, ESG outcomes, and strategic value. I/O Atelier’s long-term goal, he says, is to become the “McKinsey of design”, a strategy-led partner rather than a traditional delivery-focused studio.

The conversation expands into data, ESG, and workplace intelligence, with insights from I/O Atelier’s Workplace Intelligence Lab and Spatial Intelligence Lab. Steven highlights the industry’s failure to “close the loop” after projects complete, advocating for ongoing data analysis to understand whether design interventions actually work. He emphasises that while data can reveal problems, human insight, psychology, and lived experience are essential to understanding root causes.

Vince and Steven also explore nHabit, a lifestyle-based property search engine that allows people to find where to live based on how they want to live, rather than starting with a postcode. Powered by geospatial data and machine learning, nHabit shares strong synergies with I/O Atelier and has already impressed organisations like the NHS.

The episode tackles broader implications of AI adoption, from changing recruitment patterns and creative talent concentration, to data governance challenges, blockchain, and the future of commercial real estate. Steven offers a balanced view on risk, arguing that innovation always carries risk, but avoiding it is far more dangerous.

The conversation closes with personal advice: don’t rush, take risks when you’re young, learn from failure, and above all, don’t do what everyone else is doing. Do it differently.

Listeners are encouraged to connect with Steven and Vince via the show notes, follow Spark on LinkedIn, and share the episode with industry peers to help drive more forward-thinking conversations.

About

Follow Steven on Linkedin here.

i/o atelier have been on a journey to redefine the future of design since our inception. From a bold idea to a thriving team of architects, creatives, engineers, and technologists, they’ve proven that creativity and data can work in harmony to shape the built environment.

Their approach seamlessly integrates technology and artistry, blending data-driven insights with design ingenuity to create spaces that inspire and endure. They are united by their mission to design for people, crafting human-centric, intuitive and meaningful environments.

About Spark

Spark London Spark recognises the world is faster, more innovative and more dynamic than ever before. We strongly believe in challenging the standard processes, placing our clients’ most common Real Estate Pain Points at the centre of how we approach our services. We consciously restore the balance to high levels of services in a pragmatic, grounded and streamlined way. We believe in being human, authentic and service-focused.