flexibility

A workplace becomes more powerful when it’s treated as a living system—shaped by employee voice, evolving routines, and a design process that values adaptability as much as aesthetics.

For decades, workplace design followed a conventional model, where decisions about space and experience were driven primarily by leadership.

It’s time to rethink the workplace not as a finished space, but as a living system, one that must continuously adapt.

If the next generation of workplace interiors has a defining theme, it’s practicality: Thoughtful, forward-looking, and grounded in real-world needs.

En Masse Architecture and Design set out to create more than a co-working space—they designed a shared foundation for Chicago’s independent creative community.

What would happen if we approached our work the way Alice Waters approached food—with intention, care, and a deeper connection to the process?

In this episode of What the F is Happening to the Office?, host Bob Fox talks with Brian Elliott — CEO of WorkForward, senior advisor with BCG, bestselling author of How the Future Works, and publisher of the Flex Index.

Historically, office building lobbies have been purely transitional spaces—beautiful yet briefly occupied. Today, owners and architects are reimagining the lobby's purpose, design, and user experience.

Too many office strategies are still stuck on the wrong questions, such as “Is this space built for the job or the person?” But questions like these miss the bigger picture. 

We’re pouring trillions into teaching machines to think while millions of employees are quietly breaking down — a stark reminder that human intelligence needs investment too.

For decades, workplace design has typically revolved around one deceptively simple metric: square feet (SQF) per person. It’s measurable, easy to benchmark and effective for an era when work happened almost exclusively in the office.

How systemic integration of leading hybrid workplace practices boosts employee engagement, wellbeing, and organizational performance.