Designing Offices to Support Hybrid Work: Flexibility, Functionality, and Connection
The hybrid work revolution has transformed how we think about and why we go to offices. No longer are they simply places where employees clock in and out every day to “work” —they now need to be hubs for collaboration, creativity, and connection. Designing offices to support hybrid work requires intentional planning, emphasizing flexibility and user experience. Offices need to be designed to effortlessly connect people.
Let’s explore how to create spaces that meet the diverse needs of hybrid teams.
Key Spaces for Making Hybrid Offices Useful
- Breakout Spaces for Informal Collaboration
- These areas are perfect for impromptu brainstorming sessions or casual team discussions. Sofas, movable chairs, and writable walls make them ideal for creative thinking.
- Flexible usage spaces which can be used by different people for different purposes on different days.
- Collaborative Meeting Spaces
- Modern offices need rooms that encourage face-to-face collaboration for hybrid teams. These spaces should feature easy to use AV setups to include remote colleagues seamlessly.
- Movable tables, modular layouts, and natural lighting can make these spaces more inviting and adaptable. People need to find spaces easy to meet people in.
- Blur the line between in-person and remote meeting attendance.
- Individual Workspaces
- Not every office visit is about collaboration. For people needing to focus, individual desks or quiet pods are essential - especially for use between meeting sessions.
- Make the most of space with hot-desking systems or reservable private spaces to maximize space usage without assigning fixed desks to those not in every day.
- Example: An employee working on a detailed financial report might prefer a soundproof pod for deep focus.
- Banks of Team Desks
- When teams come in together, traditional desk arrangements still have a place. However, these should be flexible and reservable to accommodate fluctuating attendance patterns. Consider putting in rules to give teams neighborhoods on the the days they are in, and to others when they’re not in.
- Adjustable layouts ensure teams can cluster together when needed or spread out for more independent tasks - but provide the space to be around each other and work together.
- Example: A product team may block a section of desks to sit together during a sprint, but the same desks could host a different team the next day.
- Meeting Rooms
- Large meeting rooms remain critical for client pitches, strategy discussions, and larger team gatherings.
- These spaces should be equipped with easy-to-use booking tools and flexible layouts to support various needs.
- Example: A sales team might use a meeting room for a formal client presentation one day and rearrange it for an internal workshop the next.
Flexibility Drives Value & Collaboration
The central theme in designing hybrid workspaces is flexibility. It is flexibility that drives value and collaboration from space. Teams and individuals have different needs on different days. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in the hybrid era. Instead, spaces should be multifunctional and adaptable to changing requirements.
- Shared Access: The same breakout room might serve a design team on Monday, a client workshop on Wednesday, and a training session on Friday. The same desk might be used by a different team every day of the week.
- Configurable Layouts: Movable walls, foldable desks, table which can be used as desk spaces or a team space are important to making sure spaces are multifunctional.
Creating Environments People Want to Be In - and can be productive in
People now choose when and why they come to the office, so creating spaces that entice and support them is critical. The office needs to offer value to them.
Offices need to provide:
- Comfortable and useful designs: Natural light, spaces near colleagues, and ergonomic furniture create an atmosphere which fosters productivity.
- Purpose-driven spaces: Focus on why people come to the office, whether for collaboration, networking, or access to tools unavailable at home and provision space accordingly.
- Technology integration: Fast Wi-Fi, AV tools, and smart booking systems make the experience seamless and easy to access.
Streamlined Space Access and Booking
An often-overlooked but important element is how employees find and reserve the spaces they need, and know who is going to be where, when. Streamlined booking tools are essential to:
- Enable employees to quickly locate the right type of space, around the people they want to see
- Allow teams to invite colleagues to join them in shared environments.
- Avoid conflicts or overbooking or coming to the office when no one else is there through real-time updates.
The Future of Offices Is Dynamic
Hybrid work has redefined the purpose of office spaces, and when we go to the office. They are no longer just for routine tasks but for purposeful collaboration, focus, and connection. By prioritizing flexibility, functionality, and user-friendly technology, organizations can create offices that are not only fit for purpose but also places employees genuinely want to be. Place that drive real value in ways that can sometimes be missed when only working remotely.
With the right design, offices can evolve from static workplaces to dynamic environments that inspire creativity, foster connection, and support the needs of every hybrid worker.
Want to discuss the content on this piece further, or have questions about how to optimise your office for hybrid work? Get in touch!
