At the Build Reuse conference in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a group of architects, designers, facility managers, deconstruction experts, and sustainability advocates gathered to explore a big question: How do we give buildings better endings?
After decades of optimizing for space, efficiency, and cost, the workplace industry is finally facing a reckoning: the true measure of success isn’t utilization or occupancy—it’s how people feel at work.
Let’s skip the tired debate about whether people want to be back in the office. They’re already there, some willingly, some with a badge swipe and a sigh. So why is it that we focus so much on the “new norm” for employee behaviors and patterns, but not the new norm for our offices?
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.
Adaptable furniture and modular walls continue to evolve with solutions that embrace the workplace with a purpose and drive impact into all types of work throughout a typical day.
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.
Hotels are emerging as new “third places” for remote work, and curated art is at the heart of the shift—shaping mood, sparking creativity, and grounding professionals in a sense of place.
Design inspired by nature’s patterns and rhythms can restore focus, spark creativity, and bring joy—turning everyday spaces into places that support both function and well-being.
In workplace design, art is often treated as a final touch: a static object chosen to complement finishes and furniture. Yet workplaces are anything but static; they are highly dynamic ecosystems. Culture shifts, people come and go, and organizations evolve.
