The evolution of workplaces: Activity-Based Working in a hybrid world

Key findings

1. 1.2 people per desk is the desk sharing ratio Peter McCamley and Donna Wheatley see as the most widely accepted in the modern workplace. Two people per desk is the most aggressive ratio Donna sees.
2. 8 to 10 m² per person is typical in the early 2020s, down from 10 to 20 m² in the early 2000s, as the idea of owning a desk faded.
3. 20% less space makes a significant difference to overheads for large organisations, which helps explain why banking and finance adopted ABW early.
4. 3 hybrid models dominate in practice: remote first, office first and fully flexible, each needing a different office.
5. 1.5 people per desk was achieved at a major Australian law firm, evidence that culture matters more than sector.

The contributors

Peter McCamley, founder, StudioP3

A self-described veteran designer whose career dates back to 1992. While at Geyer, he project-directed Westpac Place, at the time Australia’s largest integrated workplace at 75,000 m².

Amanda Stanaway, Global Head of User Strategy, ERA-co

Lead designer of Macquarie Bank’s 2009 Sydney headquarters while a Principal at Woods Bagot, she has since helped hundreds of organisations, from NAB to Google, GPT, Fujitsu and GE, work out how ABW fits their workplace.

Sue Solly, workplace strategy, Swinburne University

Formerly a Deloitte consultant, Sue now works mainly with HR leaders moving to permanent hybrid models and focused on the workplace experience.

Donna Wheatley, workplace strategist, Gray Puksand

Over a 20-year career, Donna has watched workplace projects move from counting desks to studying how people actually use space.

Workplace design strategies over the decades

Table 1. Eight workplace models and what defined them.

What drove the change

Peter McCamley points to five forces. Hierarchies broke down, so space followed the work rather than the job title, a shift visible in projects such as Campus MLC by BVN in the late 1990s. Technology shrank the desktop, removing the need for deep desks, fixed PCs and paper storage. Leadership attitudes to culture matured, turning the office into a place for purposeful, connected teams from the early 2000s. ABW moved the focus from square metres per person to the range of settings available. And post-pandemic return to office policies forced every organisation to rethink what the office is for.

“The evolution of how we think of space really took a turn with the cultural shift towards teamwork in the early 2000s. Around this time, workplace settings deliberately became a lot richer and more diverse for the purpose of bringing people together for greater interactions.”

Peter McCamley · StudioP3

Why Australia leads on workplace design

Australian workplaces are now a reference point globally, from Macquarie Bank’s 2009 Sydney headquarters to the projects that followed across the major banks. The contributors point to three reasons. Shorter lease cycles, typically five to ten years, create more chances to rethink space than in Europe and the US. A competitive talent market pushes employers to offer workplaces people want to come to. And an egalitarian culture with less emphasis on hierarchy makes space sharing easier to adopt than in North America or China.

Three hybrid models, three different offices

Remote first. The office is the cultural heart of the business, set up more like a club lounge, with fewer desks and more informal meeting space.

Office first. The office is the operational hub, with set or mandated days. Attendance is predictable, but days without real collaboration can feel like wasted time.

Fully flexible. The office is the collaboration hub and has to earn the commute. Demand peaks Tuesday to Thursday, so bookable resources and co-location become essential.

Employees in ABW workplaces most often raise three problems: noise and a lack of quiet space for focused work, too few rooms suited to video calls, and mandated office days that feel like a tick-box exercise.

“Contrary to popular belief that Gen Z prefer working remotely, they actually enjoy coming into the office, provided the environment is conducive to their professional development and need for connection through meaningful interactions.”

Sue Solly · Swinburne University

Desk sharing and space per person

Table 2. Space and sharing benchmarks cited by the contributors.

At 1.2 people per desk, an organisation of 120 people would provide around 100 traditional work points. Going further than that works only when the organisation reduces desks and adds collaboration and touchdown space, and it needs to be well executed to avoid friction.

“Property is a company’s second largest investment, after people, and the two go hand in hand. So, the ability to harness data to monitor how the two interact would have a profound impact on business outcomes.”

Donna Wheatley · Gray Puksand

How sectors differ

Banking and finance adopted ABW early and has practised agile desking for more than a decade. Consulting and design firms prioritise the client experience, with higher, more experimental sharing ratios. Technology companies lead on flexible hybrid working, using the office mainly for collaboration. Legal and other professional services still value private offices and fixed desks, although culture can shift this, as the 1.5 people per desk law firm shows.

The contributors agree that differences between business units are often larger than differences between sectors. Administrative teams need consistent access to desks and quiet space, sales and field teams use the office as a touchdown point, and creative teams need room to brainstorm and experiment.

“Just as there is no one-size-fits-all approach at an organisational level, the same is true for departments and business units. Involving team leaders in the hybrid working strategy, and in the roll-out of supporting tools and resources, not only reduces friction, but increases engagement.”

Anton Schiavello · Co-Founder, Nura Space

Seven success factors for the next phase

1. Design in line with hybrid policies. Remote first, office first or fully flexible, the space should match the policy and real attendance levels.

2. Define the purpose of the office. Prioritise culture and collaboration if that is what the office is for; use a more traditional ABW mix if it serves many tasks.

3. Reduce friction with workplace management tools. Make desks, rooms, quiet zones and amenities easy to book.

4. Make half of your resources bookable and half ad hoc. Cater to both planners and people who prefer spontaneity.

5. Create team zones and neighbourhoods. Give teams places to work together and a sense of belonging.

6. Allow old habits through co-location. Let people book near the colleagues they work with.

7. Keep it flexible and adaptable. Design for future change, not only current needs.

In the full publication

1. Workplace design strategies over the decades
2. What drove the evolution: insights from the experts
3. Countries at the forefront of workplace innovation
4. Unpacking Activity-Based Working
5. Hybrid workplace design strategies and the role of the office
6. How the new world of work influences design
7. Sector and business unit differences
8. The future of ABW and key success factors

Sources

1. Interviews with Peter McCamley (StudioP3), Amanda Stanaway (ERA-co), Sue Solly (Swinburne University) and Donna Wheatley (Gray Puksand).
2. Australian Design Review, 2019.
3. Workplace Insight, 2019.
4. Deloitte Global Millennial Survey, 2020.