What really makes a workplace work?

In the post-pandemic landscape, businesses faced a new and unfamiliar challenge: how to encourage employees to return to the office without enforcing rigid mandates. Remote work has proven its value, offering flexibility, comfort, and autonomy that were hard to compete with. As a result, the workplace itself had to be redefined and evolve from a requirement into an invitation – designed as a magnet rather than a mandate – drawing people back through experience rather than obligation.

In response, developers and landlords leaned heavily into amenities. Offices were reimagined as destinations – packed with gyms, wellness suites, event spaces, cafés, and social hubs. These features were exciting, highly marketable, and visually impressive – clear signals that the office has evolved. However, as the dust begins to settle, it is becoming clearer that the industry may have over-corrected. In many cases, quantity has taken precedence over quality, resulting in spaces that look appealing on paper, but fail to meaningfully enhance the day-to-day experience of the people using them.

The reality is that most companies see employees coming into the office an average of approximately three days a week (~2.7 average office attendance / ~ 3.1 days mandated). With this level of occupancy, many high-investment amenities sit empty or underused for a significant portion of the time. While a headline feature such as a hammam or sauna may generate interest during leasing discussions, it does not necessarily contribute to a better, more functional workplace. The question, then, is not how many amenities an office can offer, but how effectively the space supports its users.

To remain attractive to both current and future tenants, developers must return to the fundamentals and re-assess what truly defines a good workplace. A successful office is not built on a single standout feature, but on a balanced combination of core pillars:

• Place identity gives a building character and purpose beyond its address
• Sense of community fosters connection, belonging and shared culture
• Design adaptability enables spaces to evolve as businesses change
• Sustainability anchors long-term responsibility through efficiency and longevity
• Physical location matters where connectivity and accessibility meet daily life
• Well-being is of course an important pillar; but it cannot stand alone

Prioritising one element while neglecting others is no longer enough to secure tenants in a highly competitive market. Businesses are looking for environments that understand their long-term needs, not just their short-term desires.

Increasingly, these principles extend beyond individual buildings and into the wider block. Shared amenity, designed across multiple buildings rather than confined to a single asset, creates greater demand, richer overlap of use, and stronger place outcomes. As mixed-use developments become the norm, the integration of commercial, residential, and hospitality functions allows amenity to be shared more effectively, reflecting the natural crossover in how people live, work and move throughout the day.

This is where a clearly defined place strategy comes into play. By defining a tailored strategy from the outset, developers can create a balanced, purpose-led environment that genuinely responds to evolving business needs and real working patterns. For businesses considering a lease, this level of strategic clarity sends a strong signal: they are understood, their ambitions are accounted for, and the relationship extends beyond space provision into a true partnership built for long-term success.