Creating Successful Workplaces in 2025

Let's talk about what makes a workplace design truly successful in 2025 and beyond.

Think of a place where you feel energized, supported, and ready to tackle whatever comes your way.

That's the goal for modern offices, and it boils down to three main principles.

First, let's get real about work settings.

• Office configuration needs to match the activities happening within them. We often see traditional layouts that don't fit what workers need today. Using Activity Based Working (ABW) approach everyone has access to spaces for informal chats, formal meetings, private work, and team collaborations. Think of it as a workplace designed to support you, no matter what type of work you're doing.

Next, we need to consider how these settings are organized.

• The heart of any team is their core space, or neighborhood – it provides a sense of community and belonging. From there, shared work areas surround these hubs. You want those who need to collaborate often to be close to each other, so we map interactions between teams and use this to locate each teams’ hub where they all make use of the shared worksettings around their hub. This setup encourages teamwork and makes impromptu connections easier. Imagine your workspace as an extension of your team—it should just make sense.

Then, there's the environment itself.

• The best workspaces don't just look good—they feel right. This means thinking about things like plants, art, lighting, and air flow—all the details that affect how you feel at work. And let's not forget acoustics. No one wants to work in a space that's too quiet or too noisy - it is by far the biggest complaint of yesterdays' office designs. The ideal environment has just the right level of sound to keep distractions at bay.

It's all about creating spaces that people want to be in. When workers help shape their environments following these principles, the results are spaces that work for them.

In future posts, I'll cover the role technology and workplace behaviors play in this journey. For now, our focus is on how the right setup can transform your teams’ workday.

Here's to creating spaces that inspire and support your people.

Let’s summarize what is needed.

Crafting workplaces for 2025 and beyond isn't just about modern design; it’s about creating environments where employees truly thrive.

?Here's how we can make it happen:

1) Range of Worksettings

It's essential to match workspaces with the activities employees are doing. This might sound straightforward, but so many offices still miss the mark. We need to integrate Activity Based Working (ABW), providing a mix of spaces:

• Informal areas for chats and meetings
• Formal spaces for private or collaborative work, and video conferencing
• Quiet zones for focus and study
• Team areas for community

This ensures people have the right environment for their tasks, making them feel supported and in tune with their work needs.

2) Arrangements of Settings:

• Workspaces should have a core team area, or "neighborhood," serving as the team’s hub.
• Around this hub, arrange shared workspaces.
• Prioritize key adjacencies by placing teams that often collaborate near each other.
• This fosters natural collaboration and strengthens team dynamics.

3) Environment Needs

• Beyond just aesthetics, enrich spaces with biophilia, art, and good lighting.
• Good ventilation and offer external views.
• Acoustics are crucial:
• Not too quiet, not too loud.
• Use sound masking to balance noise levels, preventing a stifling or distracting environment.

By working with those who will use these spaces, involving them in the process, we create workplaces that aren't just functional but truly resonate with the people in them.

Creating these kinds of work spaces is key to future success, making work more engaging and meaningful.

Feel free to reach out to understand more about how to integrate this approach into your projects.