If your office sometimes feels like a battleground between generations, you’re not imagining it. One side complains about “ghost town” offices, while the other grumbles about noisy open-plan spaces. Some employees default to video calls even when sitting next to each other; others still book meeting rooms for a quick chat. And no one can agree on the temperature.
With Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z all working side by side, our workplaces are facing an identity crisis. The solution isn’t just about redesigning offices but about rethinking how we use them. So how do we bridge the gap?
Beyond Activity-Based Workplaces
70% of corporate real estate leaders see the office as a hub for collaboration and knowledge exchange, yet 89% of employees say their most important activity is focused, individual work (Leesman, 2025).
This means offices can’t be designed for just one purpose. While activity-based workplaces, offering a range of spaces for different tasks seem like a logical fix, these spaces aren’t always used as intended. Collaborative zones become social hangouts; formal areas are overbooked for casual chats.
Design alone isn’t enough. A strong people-change programme is needed to guide employees of all generations to adopt and value the right settings for the right activities.
Designing for Connection
In addition to productivity, office design must support relationship-building. A 2023 Adobe study found 83% of Gen Z want mentorship, and 92% of employees believe learning from others happens best in person. Yet, many offices don’t support organic learning moments.
Spaces like two-person pods, mixed-height tables near communal areas, whiteboard-equipped learning zones, and banquette booths can help foster informal knowledge-sharing.
Another looming issue: Gen Z is avoiding middle management, with around 70% reluctant to take on these roles (LinkedIn). Office design can help reverse this by creating spaces that promote leadership confidence and informal, meaningful interactions with senior leaders. Offices that reflect brand values also build loyalty and a sense of pride in leadership pathways.
Driving Real Impact
More than half of early-career employees want to work for companies outspoken on social issues (Adobe, 2023). Offices should reflect this by embedding sustainability and circular economy principles - recycling materials, reusing furniture, and designing with flexibility in mind.
Examples include Tetra Pak using recycled materials for furniture, EBRD’s modular kitchens and staircases, and London’s Waterman repurposing glass for terrazzo-style countertops. Sustainable design doesn’t just lower environmental impact, it creates visually distinctive workplaces that resonate with younger generations.
Features like energy efficiency, healthy building certifications, and decarbonisation help align company values with employee priorities, influencing where people choose to work and stay.
Inclusive Design for Diverse Needs
Gen Z is the most likely generation to report learning and thinking differences (51%, compared to 38% of Millennials and 9% of Boomers) (Understood.org, 2024). But neurodiversity spans all ages.
Designing for inclusion means integrating adjustable lighting, temperature control, quiet spaces, non-reflective surfaces, and decompression areas. Mapping the employee journey from arrival to departure helps identify and remove friction points that impact experience.
Technology can play a vital role here. Workplace apps now let employees book lockers, desks, and meeting rooms, order food, or check who else is in the office. These tools personalise the workday and reduce friction.
Forward-thinking companies are co-designing workplace strategies with input from all generations and collaborating with social psychologists to shape inclusive environments. This empowers employees and ensures solutions are embraced across the board.
A Workplace That Works for Everyone
A great example is National Grid, which has reimagined its offices to suit both traditional preferences and digital-era expectations. In its London office, boardrooms became multi-purpose collaboration zones, paired with cutting-edge conferencing tools for hybrid meetings.
Culturally, National Grid has invested in mentorship and intergenerational knowledge-sharing. Digital displays showcase both legacy and innovation, sparking dialogue between experienced professionals and emerging talent. The result: a flexible, tech-enabled workplace where all generations feel empowered.
The Future of Workplace Design
To support a multigenerational workforce, three design trends are key:
- AI-Powered Workspaces:
Smart desks and rooms that auto-adjust lighting, temperature, and acoustics based on user preferences. AI-driven insights also help optimise energy and space usage.
- Offices as Relationship & Learning Hubs:
A shift from fixed desks to “destination offices” that foster collaboration, mentoring, and cross-team conversations, including flexible event and community spaces.
- New Focus Space Strategies:
Quiet “library-mode” rooms and on-demand private pods allow employees to do deep, focused work—still the top activity for most knowledge workers.
Ultimately, workplace design isn’t about square footage but is about experience. Offices shouldn’t just be places to sit. They should be magnets for collaboration, productivity, and learning.
To future-proof the workplace, companies must move beyond surface-level design to focus on what truly matters: creating spaces where people want to be, not because they’re required, but because the environment helps them thrive.
This article first appeared in CoStar.
