The next workplace evolution

After several years of adjusting to hybrid work and testing different ways of using space, workplaces are settling into a more mature phase. Attention is shifting towards performance: how well the workplace supports people, how easily it adapts and whether the space is genuinely useful day to day.

For us, that means focusing on the practical things that make a workplace better to use: thoughtful planning, adaptable infrastructure, good material choices, environmental comfort and spaces that give people a reason to come together.

These are some of the shifts we see shaping workplace design in 2027 and beyond.

Beyond the living wall

Biophilic design has moved well beyond adding plants to an interior. Increasingly, nature is being considered as part of the architecture and planning of a workplace from the beginning.

Planting, natural materials, daylight and more organic forms can all influence how a space feels and performs. Used thoughtfully, they can help soften transitions between different work settings, improve acoustic comfort and bring warmth to spaces that might otherwise feel overly corporate.

The important distinction is integration. A few plants added at the end of a project are very different from designing natural elements into the way people move through and experience the workplace.

Adaptability built into the space

A flexible workplace needs more than furniture that can be moved around.

The infrastructure behind the space matters just as much. Power, lighting, partitions, ceiling systems and services can all be planned so that a workplace is easier to change as teams, technology and ways of working evolve.

Spaces will also need to work harder. A room might support team collaboration one day, training the next, and project work later in the week. Furniture, power and technology all need to support that kind of change.

Planning for adaptability early can reduce the cost and disruption of future changes and extend the useful life of a fit-out. The goal is sensible flexibility: making decisions now that leave room for the workplace to evolve later.

Designing for the next life of the workplace

Sustainability is becoming more tangible.

Alongside certifications and environmental targets, clients are paying closer attention to what materials are made from, how they will age, whether components can be replaced or reconditioned, and what happens to them when the workplace changes again.

That is encouraging greater consideration of modular systems, durable finishes, reusable furniture and elements that can be dismantled, relocated or repurposed instead of simply removed and discarded.

Material integrity still matters. Timber, exposed structural elements, textured finishes and layered surfaces can bring warmth and character to a workplace while also making durability part of the design conversation.

Good material selection means choosing finishes and products that suit the way the workplace will actually be used and can continue to perform as the space changes over time.

More choice, less sensory overload

Most contemporary workplaces already provide a mix of focus spaces, meeting rooms and collaborative areas. The next step is making those environments work better for a wider range of people and tasks.

Noise, movement, lighting, temperature, visual stimulation and privacy all affect how comfortable it is to concentrate, collaborate or spend a full day at work.

There is still plenty of room for improvement. Gensler’s 2026 Global Workplace Survey found that two-thirds of office workers were making their own adjustments or “hacks” to compensate for shortcomings in their workplace. Noise and meeting-space availability remained challenges, while one in four workers had resorted to their own fixes for issues including ergonomics, temperature or visual privacy. Gensler

That points towards greater attention to quieter retreat spaces, stronger acoustic separation, adjustable lighting, smaller meeting settings and clearer distinctions between places intended for concentration and places designed for interaction.

Not every preference needs its own dedicated space. What matters is providing enough variation that people can choose a setting that suits the work they need to do.

These are often relatively quiet design decisions, but together they can make a significant difference to how effortless a workplace feels to use.

Planning for peak days

Hybrid work has not removed the need for offices. In many organisations, it has made occupancy less predictable.

Some days may be relatively quiet while others create pressure on meeting rooms, collaborative spaces, desks and shared amenities.

That makes peak-day planning increasingly important. A workplace needs enough capacity for busy periods without leaving large areas underused for the rest of the week.

Shared settings, adaptable rooms and a better understanding of how different teams use the workplace can help balance those competing demands.

Experience and connection

As more everyday work happens digitally, the physical workplace needs to offer something that a screen cannot.

That puts more emphasis on the moments where being together has real value – conversation, collaboration, learning, decision-making and the informal interactions that are difficult to reproduce remotely.

Arrival spaces, meeting areas, shared tables and breakout settings can all reinforce a sense of identity and belonging when they are designed around how people genuinely interact.

A workplace also communicates something about an organisation. Material choices, spatial character and the way clients and employees experience the environment can express culture far more convincingly than graphics or branding applied as an afterthought.

“In an increasingly digital world, the workplace must do more than function. It should create the conditions for trust, collaboration and shared momentum.”

AI will change the mix of spaces

AI is already beginning to influence workplace planning.

In New Zealand, JLL reported in 2026 that 91% of surveyed organisations were providing AI tools to employees, with 66% using them daily or regularly. JLL also identified AI adoption and the need for collaboration as factors reshaping fit-outs towards more flexible, technology-enabled spaces. JLL

The physical implications are still emerging, but there are early signals. CBRE’s 2026 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey found that 23% of organisations said AI was already influencing space-planning decisions, while another 30% expected a meaningful impact within two years. Half expected AI adoption to increase demand for multipurpose, reconfigurable space. CBRE

As more routine work becomes assisted or automated, people may spend more time learning, solving problems, collaborating, making decisions and working through more complex tasks.

Gensler’s global research offers another clue. Workers who regularly use AI in both their work and personal lives were found to spend 1.5 times as much of their working week learning as later adopters. Gensler

That could increase demand for spaces that support workshops, training, project work, team sessions and focused individual thinking. In some workplaces, rows of fixed desks may become less important while adaptable spaces that can shift between different uses become more valuable.

The effect will differ from one organisation to another. Workplace planning will need to stay closely connected to the way roles, teams and working patterns are actually changing.

Technology as quiet support

The best workplace technology is increasingly the technology people barely notice.

Lighting and environmental controls can respond more intelligently to occupancy and time of day. Meeting technology can make hybrid participation easier. Sensors can provide useful information about how spaces are being used.

AI may make those systems more responsive too, helping organisations understand demand patterns, room use and environmental performance in greater detail.

Technology works best when it is integrated into the architecture and infrastructure from the beginning. That reduces visual clutter, avoids expensive retrofitting and helps the workplace feel more intuitive to use.

The result should be a workplace that works better because of technology without feeling dominated by it.

The 2027 workplace

Workplace design in 2027 is unlikely to hinge on a single new trend. Several changes are happening at once, and together they are altering what businesses need from their space.

Better planning, adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful material choices, greater sensitivity to different working styles and more intelligent use of technology will all play a part.

Workplaces will also need to accommodate more frequent change in headcount, team structures, occupancy patterns, technology and the type of work people come into the office to do.

The spaces that work particularly well will feel specific to the organisations using them. They will support focused work and connection, make good use of the available floorplate and have enough flexibility to change without requiring a complete reset every few years.

A good workplace should work well now and still make sense as the business evolves.