The Right Office Space

The shift to hybrid working has fundamentally changed how people interact with the office environment. As employees now divide their time between home and workplace, expectations around comfort, flexibility and experience have evolved. 

Research developed by Adrian Campbell, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods with neuroscience insights, explores the psychological and behavioural factors that influence where and how people work most effectively. His findings challenge traditional assumptions about workplace efficiency and suggest that organisations must rethink how offices are designed to support both productivity and wellbeing.

One of the most important insights from research is that working environments are not simply functional spaces – they are deeply personal. When working from home, individuals have far greater control over elements such as lighting, temperature, noise and layout. This sense of control was found to be a major factor in reducing stress and enabling people to perform at their best.

In contrast, many office environments remove this autonomy through standardised layouts, which can leave employees feeling less comfortable and less productive. To make the office a more attractive destination in a hybrid model, workplaces must offer environments that allow people to feel both comfortable and in control of how they work.

However, the research also highlights that the office still plays a vital role that cannot easily be replicated at home. Face-to-face interaction, spontaneous collaboration and shared social experiences all contribute to stronger relationships and more effective teamwork. These interactions can even enhance productivity outside the office by “supercharging” the time employees spend working independently at home.

The challenge for organisations is therefore not choosing between home and office work, but designing workplaces that support the right activities. By creating spaces tailored for collaboration, connection and creativity, companies can transform the office into a destination that people genuinely want to use.