The briefs we receive have changed. Not gradually – noticeably, in the space of a few years.
Clients used to come to us with a floor plan and a headcount. Now they come with questions about hybrid attendance, environmental ratings, air quality monitoring, and spaces that need to serve different functions.
Workspace design has become a more interesting and more demanding discipline, and the projects commissioned now need to hold up well into the next decade.
Read on to learn how we think workspace design will evolve over the coming years.
The Hybrid Working Revolution
Hybrid working is undoubtedly becoming the norm, even despite some pushback from sceptics in recent times. Rather than filling a floor with identical workstations, the space is divided into zones designed for specific tasks:
- Enclosed booths and pods for concentrated individual work
- Open, reconfigurable areas for team collaboration
- Informal seating – sofas, café tables, high counters – for spontaneous conversation
- Hot-desking stations with integrated power and storage
- Bookable rooms that accommodate different group sizes and formats
JLL’s Future of Work survey found 60% of organisations plan to increase their investment in design and commercial refurbishment by 2030.
Part of that is because, if people can work from home, the office has to offer something home can’t – better collaboration, better equipment, and an environment that engages and creates productivity.
Tougher Environmental Standards
Sustainability is becoming central to workplace design. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) requirements for commercial properties are tightening. The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and the SKA environmental rating system for fit-outs are influencing which buildings tenants will commit to.
On the specification side, we’re using:
- Reclaimed timber and recycled gypsum plasterboard
- Carpet tiles manufactured from post-consumer nylon
- Low-VOC paints, adhesives, and sealants
- Demountable partitioning designed for reuse at tenancy end
Building sustainable, energy-efficient workplaces from the outset is cheaper and more effective than retrofitting. Long-term operational costs are also typically lower.
Indoor Environments That Work Harder
Your staff feel the impact of bad design. Natural light, clean air, decent acoustics, and proximity to greenery all have a documented effect on concentration and well-being.
By 2030, 5-star comfort will be the baseline expectation in any credible workspace design, especially for businesses that truly want to compete.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Layouts that encourage movement and postural variety through the day
- Ventilation maintaining CO2 within the concentrations shown to support sustained focus
- Lighting that follows natural daylight rhythms, adjusting warmth and intensity from morning to evening
- Planting, timber, and natural materials integrated from the design stage
What’s Not Working in Your Workspace?
Is the layout still serving how your team operates? Are there capacity constraints a mezzanine floor could address? Environmental performance gaps that need to be closed before regulations tighten further?
At Spaceway, we’ve been designing and fitting out offices, warehouses, production facilities, and laboratories since 1976.
We start by understanding what’s not working and why, then design solutions that fit your operation. Get in touch to talk through your space.