In the spring of 1991, my husband “went hybrid” for a few interminable days. He lugged home from his Anaheim office a massive Dell computer workstation, heaved it onto our dining room table, plopped an equally massive monitor display on top, plugged in a maze of wires and a modem, cracked a beer – he needed a beer after all that – and finally got to work … while his wife, 4-year-old daughter and newborn son created quite the cacophony in the kitchen.
I think he was ready to go back to his mauve-and-beige cubicle two seconds after that beer was gone, even if it meant sitting in Southern California traffic for an hour and a half.
A lot of years, technological advancements, culture shifts and, oh yes, a global pandemic later, most U.S.-based office workers can, want and even demand to work at least part of the time from home – or somewhere other than the good old commute-worthy office.
Much has been written and discussed when it comes to hybrid work, much of it coming from “experts” outside the commercial interiors industry and much of the data skewed and slanted toward the entity that created it. Commercial real estate has promoted stories and data that support returning to the office while tech companies create a buzz by boosting surveys that show how easy it is to work from anywhere but the office. In this article, we are going to cut through the chatter and hear from the real experts. When sifting through the avalanche of information about hybrid, it is easy to see why everyone seems a bit confused about what’s really happening.
“The Future of the Office Has Arrived: It’s Hybrid,” declared polling giant Gallup in October. According to this report, 80% of remote-capable employees expect to work hybrid or fully remote. The Gallup survey also gives the stats proving the Covid-19 lockdowns super-charged the march to hybrid and says the model is “en route to becoming the most prevalent work arrangement in most offices.”
Before we go further, let’s “officially” define “hybrid.” Here’s what research and consulting firm Gartner says: “Hybrid work describes a work model where employees are expected to attend the office at least one day per week while being permitted to work from a location other than the office some of the time.”
Speaking of location, a Robert Half survey ranked U.S. cities where managers are most likely to embrace hybrid work. In 2021, Boston ranked best; Austin ranked worst. If you’re interested in a global perspective on hybrid, Statistica offers stats by country.
There are some reasons for employers to embrace hybrid, including the enhanced ability to recruit and retain employees.
The demand for hybrid spans generations. The American Association of Retired Persons reported that many older adults (those returning to work or not yet retired) would choose to work from home over cash bonuses. Digital natives are a natural to embrace hybrid, although Millennials seem to demand it more than the younger Gen-Zs. The Wall Street Journal recently asked Gen-Zs how they feel about working from home, and the published answers ranged from “We Need Human Contact,” and “Remote Work Fuels Depression” to “Remote Work Is a Winner” and “Hybrid Is the Way to Go.”
Working from home might even be a right. The National Labor Relations Board recently charged X (formerly Twitter) with violating the National Labor Relations Act for firing an employee whose social media posts challenged the company’s return-to office policy.
Yet, more CEOs are saying no to anything-goes remote work. Goldman Sachs employees were told to return to the office full-time. Even Zoom has ordered people back to the office, at least part-time, under a structured hybrid approach.
Resume Builder recently surveyed 1,000 corporate leaders and found that nine in 10 companies with office space will return by 2024. Seventy-two percent of companies that already have implemented a return-to-office (RTO) policy say they’ve seen improved revenue. This survey also says RTO may have peaked.
So, where is hybrid headed in this confusing era? Is the model working, and how is design responding to the “in between” solution of some work at home (or wherever) and some in the office?
Hybrid and honing the value proposition
I turned to MillerKnoll Vice President of Global Research and Insights Ryan Anderson for his view. A sought-after thought leader on all things workplace, he not only consults for MillerKnoll clients but also hosts a popular podcast, “Looking Forward,” which explores the future of work.
For Anderson, the question isn’t “Is hybrid working?” It’s “How can we make it work?” – because in his opinion, there’s no going back to the way things were.
Anderson became fascinated with the hybrid concept in the aughts when Wi-Fi and mobile computing disrupted how offices were planned and used. In the 2010s, “resimercial” entered the lexicon as workplaces began to feature home-like environments and furnishings. But, Anderson said, it also became a time of “commoditization,” with too many small, stripped-down desks in noisy, open spaces.
“Product was becoming less specialized in terms of what people really wanted and needed,” he said.
The 2013 book “REMOTE: Office Not Required” struck a particular chord with Anderson, especially when he learned that the authors — co-founders of software company Basecamp — had quite a bit of corporate real estate in Chicago.
“Only they didn’t call their regional workspaces ‘offices.’ Rather, these were ‘gathering hubs’ for their typically remote workers. They didn’t use the hubs for rote process work; instead, they used them for building connections and community,” Anderson said.
The more he studied the ways companies like Basecamp worked, the more he became convinced that the office could offer a much better value proposition for employees and society.
The pandemic’s aftermath demands that leaders hone this value proposition.
“After three years of contentious debate about remote vs. hybrid vs. in-office, it’s time to shift the conversation about the workplace. The question that organizations and workers should ask is, ‘What can these spaces do for us?’” Anderson posed.[Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]For MillerKnoll, the answer is threefold: offices should improve employee wellbeing, strengthen connection between team members and better facilitate change. The company sees these priorities as universal and the path toward workplace improvements. Anderson said MillerKnoll will be expanding on this discussion in the coming months; for now, you can learn more here.
So, what brings people into the office today? According to a global Pulse survey conducted by Future Forum, of which MillerKnoll was a part:
- Collaborating with co-workers/clients, building camaraderie and facilitating in-person meetings (74%)
- Having a quiet space to focus on getting work done (16%)
- Putting in face time with management (10%)
Anderson is a case in point: Even though he isn’t required to be on-site, he regularly makes the 45-minute commute from his Grand Rapids, Mich. home to MillerKnoll’s famed Design Yard in Holland, Mich. There, he works in a variety of areas, including adaptable project spaces with flexible furnishings where he can get deeper into problem-solving with teams, informal socialization spaces that help to strengthen connections with other employees, and outdoor workspaces for fresh air and sunlight.
“There are many days when I might work outside for two or three hours,” he said.
Given the traditional office’s century-long monopoly over where work was done, he understands how many in the commercial architecture and design, furniture and real estate industries are nervous about what’s next.
Anderson remains unruffled and sees this time as one of significant opportunity.
“While the primary purpose of the office is shifting, it remains an important anchor for employees. Most still want to spend at least some time in a physical workplace. But we must deliver enough value to people that the office is where they prefer to work. If the office supports people’s work better than other places, then that’s going to be enormously good not only for workers but for all the industries that serve the office,” he said.
Hybrid’s here, and it’s everywhere
MillerKnoll is not alone in honing the value proposition. For example, Haworth surveyed North American organizations about the changing office, hybrid policies and measures of success. The result is an extensive report, “Hybrid Workplace Insights for Leaders,” which concluded hybrid work is the new normal.
As such, Haworth is investing in new and renovated showrooms around the world to experiment with evolving ways of work. Also, Haworth’s global headquarters in Holland, Mich. has been refreshed and the company planned to debut new experiential spaces in the fall of 2023 for its 75th anniversary. The company’s hybrid-friendly Pergola Workspaces collection took home a Best of NeoCon Award in June.
Steelcase also has been steeped in studying evolving work patterns. Since early 2020, the company has conducted at least 12 global studies to understand how and where people will work in the future. The latest study specifically deals with hybrid: “The New Era of Hybrid Work: It’s Time to Give People What They Want.” Yet, the research also reaffirms the importance of the office.
“Whether people like or dislike their office makes a difference: People who like working from their office are significantly more engaged and productive, connected to their company’s culture and less likely to leave,” the report noted.
Steelcase also has received Best of NeoCon awards for hybrid products.
Global Furniture Group previewed two hybrid solutions at NeoCon 2023 that will come on the market in 2024. The company, like its competitors, has been paying close attention to evolving office needs.
“In an era where work requirements and people’s physical presence in the office fluctuate daily, we’re creating more products with adaptability,” said Vice President of Desking and Storage Solutions Matt Janiak.
ModusID designed Global’s Collaborative Spaces product line, featuring mobile tables and hospitality carts, which NeoCon attendees had an exclusive preview of. This innovative collection stemmed from 18 months of meticulous research. The line is intended to facilitate teamwork within the office as on-site employees connect with remote workers throughout the day.
Janiak mentioned that certain new workstations from Global will offer a different, lighter, more flexible feel, serving as accessible touchdown areas for anyone. One such example, Softpod, also previewed at NeoCon, embodies this idea. This lightweight workstation allows versatile positioning within a floorplan, intended as a complementary addition to collaborative and communal spaces. Its purpose is to support tasks that demand individual concentration and involvement.
Global is also studying how products can help to “bridge the divide” between remote and on-site employees.
“We’re looking at ways to provide more equity between people who are in the office and those who are working remotely. They don’t have the same tools and resources. How do we provide for that person who is Zooming in? How do we make the experience seamless for the on-site worker who deals with a lot of video calls? Obviously, technology is big a part of it, but we think furniture solutions can be too,” Janiak told me.
These examples literally just scratch the surface; hybrid solutions have become so ubiquitous that chronicling them in a single article would make one’s head spin. But, if you need more of a taste, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) recently highlighted some of its favorite future-of-work products.
Designing spaces for success
To learn how designers are responding to the need for spaces that serve hybrid workers, I reached out to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and they put me in touch with ASID Research Fellow Dawn Haynie.
I first asked Haynie if she thinks hybrid is working. She told me it’s important to remember that many have been in a hybrid situation for quite some time, “so in that sense, yes, it is, but success can vary depending on the type of company, nature of the work, the policies implemented and investments in support of hybrid. We’re seeing companies test different strategies, evaluate outcomes, evolve and adapt … and many are engaging designers to help them identify and solve these challenges.”
She said residential interior designers are helping people to carve out more dedicated office spaces within their homes.
“For most remote/hybrid workers, the situation is no longer temporary, and thus, they’re investing in a home office with dedicated storage, task lighting, access to natural light and better backgrounds for video calls to increase productivity and balance work/life boundaries,” Haynie said.
Furniture designer Steve Wilcox told me multipurpose residential furnishings are increasing in popularity, and he saw a number of examples at the High Point Market in October — for instance, taller-than-typical end tables that can double as mini-desks and cocktail tables with lift-tops for storage. Get this — he told me about a Murphy Bed that converts into a desk without having to remove the contents from the desktop before using the bed.
“You could set a glass of water on the desk and open the bed and that water won’t spill,” Wilcox said.
Even Wayfair offers a bed/desk along these lines.
At the same time, many commercial interior design firms are helping companies rethink the purpose of the office and modify the spaces within them. Before the pandemic, many companies allocated roughly two-thirds of their square footage to assigned workspaces. Today, many are reconfiguring their offices, allocating roughly two-thirds of the square footage to collaboration and/or community spaces, Haynie told me.
Borrowing from home interiors, designers are transforming underutilized spaces such as traditional breakrooms into more open cafes and conference rooms into informal living rooms for increased employee comfort, conversation and engagement.
You can take a deeper dive into what’s happening now and on the horizon in ASID’s “2023 Trends Outlook” report.
IIDA also has paid close attention to hybrid work. At NeoCon 2022, leaders posed this question to its student design charrette team: “If you were never asked to come into this office but could do so on your own accord, what would you want this space to be?”
The June 2023 edition of IIDA’s “Perspective” magazine focused on what work will look like in the coming years and what it means for those who design workspaces. IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl Durst’s affirming words remind me of Ryan Anderson’s:
“That lingering uncertainty can create a little nervousness – some people, after all, feel it’s easier to plan a trip if you already know everything about the destination. But does that make the trip better? Embracing the open-endedness of moving forward with joy and excitement, and preparing for flexibility and change rather than a static experience, can open our minds to unique possibilities. … Uncertainty is a catalyst for creativity, and this moment of many questions is already becoming a moment of invention, spurring designers to think and imagine more agile and creative ways to address humans at work.”
Hybrid design in action
I’d originally interviewed Nena Martin, an interior design principal with DLR Group, for an officeinsight article on artificial intelligence. When she told me about a new space that she’d helped to design in downtown Austin, I wanted to include her as a source for this article too.
“It’s an organization that absolutely embraces hybrid work, but a big driver is to get more people back in the office with a new, intentional workplace experience instead of mandates,” Martin said of her client, a large technology company. “Encouraging employees to return, and spend more time in the office, is accomplished with a fresh, dynamic environment where people have lots of choices and control over how and where they want to work.”
DLR Group has completed two of the five floors that this company intends to occupy, including providing interior design, mechanical/electrical/plumbing and structural engineering, and acoustical, lighting and experiential graphic design services.
The design firm studied the company’s culture and how the pandemic has impacted work preferences.
“Helping employees enjoy their time in the office and be productive, easily transitioning from heads-down work to meetings to socialization and respite, really became the model of thinking,” Martin said. “From there, we created a series of diverse ‘neighborhoods’ within the office space to align with needs.”
Equally important in these neighborhoods were cozy, quiet areas as well as fluid work zones with flexible furnishings, bright and welcoming hospitality spaces, excellent acoustics and other advanced technologies, and the ability to reserve certain rooms.
Gone was the desire for a sea of benching desks in wide-open spaces. In fact, the company decided to eliminate the 1:1 desk requirement altogether, opting for team “work labs” instead.
DLR Group designed and outfitted the various lab areas to support four different space types/work modes: flexible desking for focused work; agile, collaborative seating for group meetings and quick touchpoints; enclosed collaboration spaces for team sprints and other group work sessions; and booths and rooms for phone and conference calls. Depending on the space type, such tools as whiteboards, mobile power solutions and other necessary media were included.
Meanwhile, larger open zones across the work floors allow employees to experiment, explore new work modes and flex work areas quickly and efficiently.
Some of the specified products include Steelcase desks and Spacestor and ROOM phone booths. Various seating products were chosen for posture assist to inspire creative thinking and in various heights to support privacy and “Zen” moments, Martin said.
Perhaps the most stunning design element of the space is a massive, central staircase that connects all five floors. Wanting to “bring the outdoors in,” Texas sunrises and sunsets served as inspiration and unfold in hues of peach and periwinkle as the steps ascend.
The same colors in varying degrees of saturation, along with accent colors such as magenta and green, are on the furniture and finishes throughout the space. Punchy, vibrant shades are in the open, communal areas; deeper, more contemplative versions are in spaces designed for heads-down work, such as in the libraries. Martin said the colors emphasize the comforts of home over the functions of an office, as do choices of art and furnishings. Plants in various rooms, even in the library, also bring the home feel into the office. Installations of large planters surround the staircase, breaking up the built environment with a more natural view.
Soaring windows cascade light on the staircase, which plays a unifying role. From there, employees can access all points of the space: the work zones and quiet library areas, as well as social cafes with plenty of seating options and functions, outdoor balconies for respite, and curated spots for rejuvenation and fun. Acoustic technologies dampen loud conversations occurring in the social, more open areas.
For the social cafes, DLR Group designed these hospitality-oriented spaces on the window line. “Here, you can enjoy coffee or eat your lunch and have beautiful views of downtown Austin,” Martin said.
There’s also a “Zoom village.” The company decided that if one person wasn’t in the office but connecting to a team meeting via video call, then the in-office employees also would connect individually via video, in order to provide equity among all participants.
“We created a zone where everyone could do this with acoustical separation. This zone is adjacent to a team space where the in-office team can immediately come back together after the call,” Martin said.
The main library is Martin’s favorite space: “You step into this quieter, warmer area, with moodier colors and lighting, and it’s just wonderful for focused work.”
And back on my own ranch …
I wish I could have hired Martin to design an office space for my family in the early 1990s. My husband might have worked from home longer when our son was born (and helped me to change more diapers).
Our kids are now grown, married, having children and navigating their own hybrid work situations. And my husband? Since the pandemic, he’s also become a true hybrid worker … and the one creating quite the cacophony in the kitchen. He’s a great cook but, between you, me and the fence post, I’m not sure if this is a good thing. I’ve worked remotely since the late 1980s, and I’m used to my own quiet workspace here at home.
Y’all, that office in downtown Austin, Texas, sure sounds fine … although my commute from here in Michigan might be a bit of a stretch.
Molly Klimas is a writer and cheerleader for the A&D and commercial furniture communities.