by Matthew Bushey, AIA, LEED AP

 

Office work is not what it used to be.

Before 2020, offices were already shifting toward more flexible, activity-based environments. Then COVID-19 accelerated the trend overnight, making remote work a standard part of life. Five years later, hybrid work is the norm – but the physical office hasn’t caught up.

In this blog post, we take a deep dive into the challenges of hybrid work in traditional office layouts and share how TruexCullins is transforming existing offices into hybrid suites that adapt to fluctuating occupancy while supporting both collaboration and focused work.

The Challenge

One of our workplace clients recently faced this exact problem.

This company has 50 employees, most in private, dedicated offices.  Like many organizations, they’ve adopted a hybrid model: employees can work from home or come into the office as they choose.

Those who came into the office were scattered across multiple floors, leaving large areas underused. The company was paying to lease space that often sat empty.  They were essentially experiencing the workplace version of a “doom loop”: fewer people coming into the office was making the space less lively and less appealing – which, in turn, drove attendance down further.

Our task: reimagine the traditional private office – four walls and a door – into a dynamic, flexible environment that works for varying numbers of people without sacrificing privacy or comfort.

What is needed today is much different than it was 5 years ago.  Today, we need space that is flexible: space that can flex to accommodate changing numbers of in-office workers.  We need workspace for private, focused work, free from distractions, as well as spaces that bring people together, whether that’s in-person, digitally, or in a hybrid setting.

And all of this has to happen within real estate that a company already leases.  Our design solution needs to be implemented easily, within the physical and financial constraints of a building’s existing conditions.

Step One: Understanding How People Work

We began by meeting with employees and surveying the staff to understand how they work best – what keeps them productive, engaged and satisfied.

We learned that more than half of the staff came in three days a week or less.  Average occupancy hovered around 70%.  The empty spaces weren’t just inefficient – they affected morale. And for the business, paying for unused square footage carried a clear financial cost.

If space could be redesigned for hybrid schedules, companies could reduce waste, shrink their footprint, and cut costs—while creating a more appealing place to work.

What We Didn’t Do

Before landing on a solution, we identified approaches that wouldn’t work for this client:

We eliminated the option to collocate 2 people in 1 office.  Shared offices can work for some, but it wasn’t practical in this case, with employees accustomed to their own space.  These folks have privacy and space needs that aren’t always compatible with the presence of an officemate.

We also ruled out requiring people to schedule their time in the office.  Some companies establish a set schedule or have employees log onto an app to reserve a desk.  But for this client, work schedules are not always known in advance.  The need or desire to come into the office may change at the last minute.  Hybrid work needs flexibility. Requiring advance reservations adds friction that discourages in-office work.

 

The Three-Part Solution

Our design solution rests on three key principles that balance flexibility, personal space, and adaptability:

 1.    Activity-Based Working

For the past 20 years, we have been designing office interiors around this concept – spaces tailored to specific tasks, from quiet focus booths to collaborative teaming areas. Employees move between spaces as their work demands, instead of being tied to a single workstation.

2.    A Dedicated Desk for Each Person

While some workplaces go fully agile with hot-desking, many of our clients – this one included – prefer each employee to have a personal “home base.” Even a small dedicated desk helps with organization and creates a sense of belonging.

3.    Spaces that Flex with Occupancy

Our most critical goal was to design areas that feel comfortable whether all assigned employees are in, or only a few. We developed a five-person hybrid suite that can scale up or down seamlessly.

 

From 3 Offices to 1 Hybrid Suite

We tested our concept on three adjacent private offices totaling 544 square feet.  Each office was 11×16, or about 181 square feet per person.  And with an occupancy rate of 70%, one of these offices was typically empty:

With our hybrid layout, the same footprint now supports five people at roughly 109 square feet each, without feeling crowded.

Because the average occupancy is 70%, the space typically has three to four people. Each person is assigned to either a private workroom or a semi-private paired workstation, supplemented by shared rooms for calls, resources, and group work:

We explored multiple layout variations, all supporting up to five people. The suite can shift its configuration as team needs change:

Our concept work included crafting the look and feel of the space.  Full-height sliding glass doors and thoughtfully placed dividers balance visual privacy with an open, connected feel:

 

We’re continuing to refine these concepts, tailoring the balance between private and shared space to each organization’s culture.

If your office sits empty for much of the week – or if you want to make it a place people are excited to use – our workplace design team can help you reimagine the possibilities.