Design Week Disruption: Vending Machines, Values and the Real Meaning of Sustainability

What leadership, values, and real sustainability look like in a no-nonsense industry.

Clerkenwell Design Week 2025 Just Got Real

While most companies are focused on glossy stands and clickbait campaigns, Arcitile is doing something totally unexpected and totally brilliant.

In collaboration with Italgraniti, Solus Ceramics, and Simon Astridge Architecture Workshop, they’ve launched a first of its kind tile vending machine concept right in the heart of Clerkenwell.

Three machines. Three locations. Three Italgraniti tile ranges.

• Farringdon Station

• Old Sessions House

• St Bartholomew’s Church in Smithfield

  
  

And you’ll need a very special token to get your hands on one.

It is all part of a bigger story, one that links a family run Italian factory to the UK design scene through values, integrity, and bold thinking.

Hear the full story in the latest episode of The Heald Approach Podcast featuring Dan Evans, cofounder of Arcitile.

What Makes Arcitile Different?

Dan Evans says it best:

“We fill the space between.”

Arcitile is not just a tiling contractor. They are a project management partner, a logistics handler, and a design translator. They are known for:

• Working only with clients whose values align

• Managing logistics from factory to fit out

• Creating meaningful relationships across the build process

• Saying no to volume work that compromises quality or values

  
  

Their Clerkenwell project is not a gimmick. It is a statement. A symbol of what is possible when collaboration and creativity meet ethical business.

Sustainability That Actually Means Something

If you’re tired of greenwash, this episode will hit differently.

Dan calls out the performative nonsense that has crept into construction — companies flaunting sustainability credentials while staff burn out behind closed doors.

“Sustainability is doing the right thing when no one’s looking.”

At The Heald Method™, we could not agree more. Sustainability is not just about net zero or reducing embodied carbon. It is about how you lead, how you treat people, how you build teams and make decisions especially when the pressure is on.

Want to go deeper? Check out our Sustainable Construction Leadership Framework to see how we help developers, contractors and architects actually deliver on their sustainability briefs.

Mental Health in Construction: Beyond the Buzzwords

We also get into the real talk about mental health. Dan opens up about grief, pressure, and how losing his father led to starting Arcitile with a clear sense of purpose.

This is not a conversation about bath bombs and cupcakes.

“Don’t do it for the likes. Do it every day.”

As someone who has worked with Tier 1 contractors on inclusion and wellbeing strategies, I can tell you what Arcitile is doing matters. And more companies need to be brave enough to follow suit.

If your team needs something more than a mental health box ticking exercise, explore our Rewired Leadership Offer or bring us in for a construction wellbeing workshop that actually changes culture.

Final Word: Why This Episode Matters

This is more than a podcast. It is a blueprint.

For companies that want to work with integrity.For leaders who are tired of compromise.For designers, contractors and suppliers who believe there is a better way.

👉 Listen to the full episode now: The Heald Approach Podcast with Dan Evans

📍 And if you’re at Clerkenwell Design Week, go find those vending machines. Take a photo. Share your thoughts. Tag us.

Because this is what sustainability in construction really looks like when values, design, and leadership finally align.

Want more like this?

• How to Build Sustainable Construction Teams Without Burning Out

• Why Sustainability Fails Without Strong Leadership

• Deconstructing the Buzzwords: Mental Health, Net Zero, and Culture