Flexibility, sustainability and smart technology in office building design
Office building design trends focus on flexibility, sustainability and smart technologies to support hybrid work, decarbonization and future adaptability.
Office building insights
- Office buildings are increasingly adopting flexible layouts, modular designs, and smart technologies to support hybrid work.
- To ensure long-term adaptability, engineers are prioritizing resilient, future-proof designs with scalable infrastructure.
- Sustainability and decarbonization are driving the adoption of energy-efficient systems like heat pumps, enhanced filtration and electrification in both new and existing office buildings.
Respondents:
- Jarron Gass, PE, CFPS, Fire Protection Discipline Leader, CDM Smith, Pittsburgh
- Danielle Passaglia, PE, LEED GA, Mechanical engineer, SmithGroup, Chicago
- John Yoon, PE, LEED AP, Principal, McGuire Engineers, Inc., Chicago
What are the biggest current trends for office building design?
Jarron Gass: The biggest trend currently is flexibility. The rise of remote work has required commercial office leasing agents to offer maximum flexibility for both employees and employers. This includes creating adaptable spaces and incorporating modular furniture with collaboration zones and focus zones to support both in-office and remote work scenarios simultaneously. Employers are increasingly adopting a hybrid approach, blending in-person and remote work across various teams or divisions, and they must adapt to these changes while maintaining efficiency and productivity.
Danielle Passaglia: Due to the popularity of hybrid work culture post-pandemic, offices are looking at ways to provide flexibility to their workers. This includes adaptable work stations, the ability to densify the floors as needed and planning for future re-organization with adaptable designs to accommodate future needs. Carbon levels and indoor air quality (IAQ) have also become larger considerations for clients. We are seeing higher priority for increased filtration, ventilation and metering. Additionally, due to decarbonization efforts, there is a push for increased electrification. These efforts are not solely intended for tenant fit out but also should be evaluated by landlords and developers that are looking toward electrification and sustainable technology in the core and shell systems.
John Yoon: In mature markets with a large base of existing office buildings, the largest trend is redevelopment and conversion of existing properties to other occupancy types (mixed-use, residential, data center, warehouse, etc.). Office occupancy rates will not return to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon. In the meantime, having buildings sit empty is not an option for owners or local governments. Because empty buildings generate less real estate tax revenue, many local governments are motivated to provide incentives (tax increment financing, property tax abatements, business district tax rebates, etc.) to encourage this type of repositioning. Existing buildings in suburban areas are having a harder time than those within dense urban environments/central business districts. There are multiple reasons, including access to financing, unwalkable neighborhoods, lack of public transportation and opposition to new warehouses.
What future trends do you anticipate for these kinds of buildings?
Jarron Gass: The integration of smart technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), enables connected systems for lighting, temperature control, access and virtually any type of automation imaginable. Smart meeting rooms are becoming increasingly common, featuring advanced audio/video technology for virtual collaboration and immersive 3D environments. Another area of growth is touchless technology for doors, elevators and other facilities, which enhances convenience and hygiene.
Danielle Passaglia: There will be ongoing advancements in metering, trending and data collection regarding energy, carbon tracking, thermal comfort, occupancy tracking and climate conditions. Developers leasing spaces to companies will begin transitioning and retrofitting to more carbon-friendly systems like heat pumps, heat recovery chillers and electric boilers. New constructions will incorporate heat pumps and radiant or geothermal systems when feasible. With more companies providing consulting services for identifying tax breaks, grants, city incentive programs and life cycle cost analysis, these systems with a higher initial cost may become more attractive and widely adopted.
John Yoon: From an engineering standpoint, electrification to address decarbonization is a significant future design trend. Regardless of emerging technologies, like more efficient low-ambient temperature air source heat pump air handling units, an all-electric building will still be more expensive to operate than one using natural gas. This will only be made worse by the trend of increased electrical rates caused by utility decarbonization and overall increased electrical demand. For example, PJM (a regional transmission organization responsible for managing the grid in 13 states) has a capacity auction every year to ensure there is sufficient generation and transmission capacity to support the load on the grid. During the last auction for the 2025/26 delivery year, cost to consumers increased from $2.2 billion to 14.7 billion – more than a 600% increase. With these types of potential energy cost escalations, there will likely be an emphasis on exploring marginal gains in efficiency, including building envelope improvements and increased controllability of systems, which may not have been cost-effective before.
What trends do you anticipate as hybrid work continues to be the norm for many companies?
Jarron Gass: I anticipate that the hybrid approach will remain a prevalent strategy across many industries as they strive to balance employee productivity and efficiency with convenience. At the same time, companies must continue fostering growth and career development through mentorship and collaboration within internal teams. Both in-person and remote work scenarios have merits and drawbacks that organizations must carefully navigate when developing policies to maintain employee satisfaction and retention.
Danielle Passaglia: With hybrid work, companies will be looking to revise typical space layouts within their offices to best utilize their space, depending on the quantity of daily in-person employees. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems will need to be designed to easily adapt to these changes as average employee attendance will vary across each workday and offices will be fitted with various flexible furniture arrangements.
John Yoon: There is a concept in commercial real estate known as the 3-30-300 rule. This states that for a generic office, the yearly cost for utilities is $3, rent is $30 and payroll is $300. Although the exact costs may vary, this relationship is generally valid. So, while employees may prefer working from home, if their productivity drops by 10%, it can severely impact the business’ bottom line. Because of the perception that working from home negatively impacts productivity, the emphasis has been on finding ways to make workers want to come back to the office. The typical solution is providing things that they can’t get at home; health/wellness features, amenities (restaurants, recreational facilities, etc.) and more open-plan designs that emphasize collaboration to increase effectiveness. These design prerogatives can both have poor space utilization and increase the cost of supporting MEP infrastructure. But, their cost pales in comparison to that of the people in it. At that point, it simply becomes a cost of business. Traditional options to reduce real estate costs, such as creating super dense hoteling office spaces, usually have the reverse effect of making workers disconnect from the people around them and make them not want to return.
What types of office building assessment programs are owners adding to ensure tenants are breathing healthy, clean air?
Jarron Gass: COVID-19 provided a valuable learning opportunity for everyone. For office buildings with a captive environment, often with immovable windows, the most significant area of improvement was filter management in HVAC systems. For many buildings, the starting point was enhancing efficiency and conducting air quality monitoring and testing. This helped develop a plan to achieve optimal air quality through adjustments to ventilation and filtration systems. It also led to considerations for upgrading equipment or adding new devices, such as advanced air filters (e.g., HEPA or MERV-13) that provide a higher level of filtration. Additionally, this process might identify the need to increase the frequency of filter changes as part of an enhanced maintenance program.
Danielle Passaglia: LEED and WELL have become common certification programs in the industry. Fitwel certification is becoming another popular assessment that focuses specifically on IAQ and healthy building criteria. Fitwel is used as a certification, evaluation and benchmarking tool for offices. BREEAM is another certification method that focuses on net zero carbon goals and continues to gain popularity as we to assess our carbon impact through the life span of a building.
John Yoon: ASHRAE Standard 62.1: Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality is still the gold standard for IAQ assessments. Traditionally, the focus has been ensuring that the air handling systems can provide at least the minimum code-required ventilation. It takes a more holistic approach, with the idea that good IAQ is more than just providing a minimum cubic feet per minute value. Identifying and addressing contamination sources (moisture, dirt, etc.) is critical for providing good IAQ. However, when deficiencies are discovered during an assessment, the cost of corrections can often be prohibitive.
How are engineers designing office facilities to keep costs down while offering appealing features, complying with relevant codes and meeting client needs?
Jarron Gass: Engineers are adopting innovative strategies to design cost-effective, attractive and code-compliant office facilities that meet modern demands. Flexible layouts and shared amenities are prioritized to maximize utility and reduce wasted space. Energy-efficient systems, such as smart lighting, HVAC and IoT sensors, help minimize operational costs while also supporting sustainability certifications like LEED. Modular construction and prefabricated materials are increasingly used to lower labor expenses and speed up project timelines.
The use of durable, cost-effective green materials, along with maximizing natural lighting, enhances both the aesthetics of the building and tenant satisfaction. Value engineering is employed to find cost-effective alternatives that do not compromise compliance while building information modeling tools help prevent costly errors and rework.
Sustainable water and waste systems, along with touchless technologies, help reduce long-term maintenance costs and appeal to eco-conscious tenants. The core-and-shell approach provides flexibility, allowing tenants to customize their spaces while lowering upfront costs. Close collaboration with clients ensures engineers can prioritize features effectively, balancing budgets with functionality. These strategies ensure that modern office designs remain efficient, adaptable and appealing to tenants, while also achieving sustainability and efficiency goals.
Danielle Passaglia: First and foremost, engineers advocate for a robust building envelope for new construction to help reduce envelope gains to the space with high-efficiency windows and a tight envelope. This approach helps lower energy expenditure, which is beneficial for the owner. As MEP systems constantly improve, engineers are finding ways to adapt existing systems to more electric hybridization or advocate for more energy efficient systems at initial buildout. For tenant interior fit outs, engineers are providing guidance and consulting service to clients before choosing a potential location based on which sites may offer clients more energy savings and future flexibility during their lease. Additionally, ensuring buildings have adequate tracking and metering data is crucial to track actual energy use. Engineers are honing in on controls and building automation at the beginning phases to ensure that efficiencies can be operated as intended and to reduce the need to overwrite measures while in operation.
John Yoon: It all begins with making the client a true partner in the design process. Code-related items are generally non negotiable, and most clients will understand that. Unfortunately, beyond code requirements, it is seldom fleshed out exactly what the client wants from a functionality and budget standpoint. However, do you know if you’re providing the most effective design solution if you’re not certain of what the client wants? Creating a set of formal owner project requirements (OPR) goes a long way toward bridging that gap. Much of the time and effort in developing an OPR goes toward client education since most do not have sufficient expertise regarding the systems we specify.
What should engineers target when designing office buildings with a focus on long-term adaptability and resiliency for future technological and societal changes?
Jarron Gass: Engineers designing modern office buildings should prioritize flexible layouts with modular designs and multipurpose spaces to accommodate evolving work styles and future needs. Technological infrastructure should be future-proof, incorporating high-capacity broadband, IoT-enabled systems and provisions for emerging technologies like 5G, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Sustainability is a key consideration, with energy-efficient systems, renewable energy sources and climate-adaptive features to reduce environmental impact. Additionally, promoting tenant health through advanced air filtration systems, ergonomic workspaces, and natural light is essential for well-being.
Buildings should be designed with scalability in mind, featuring open layouts and modular mechanical systems that facilitate easy upgrades as needs change. Disaster preparedness, including backup power systems and robust cybersecurity measures, is crucial to ensure operational continuity. These strategies help future-proof office buildings, ensuring they remain adaptable and competitive in the face of technological advancements and societal shifts.
Danielle Passaglia: Engineers should always be designing their systems with the future in mind. By initially asking clients how they anticipate utilizing their space in 1, 3, 5 and 10 years, the engineers should develop a concept for future expansion of the day one system. Some concepts include providing space within MEP rooms for future equipment, designing systems to mitigate system downtime for any expansion and providing metering to evaluate usage data on a granular basis.
John Yoon: There will always be the potential for black swan events, like the pandemic, that are nearly impossible to predict. Although it is impossible to plan for every scenario, that doesn’t mean that you cannot incorporate resiliency into your design. After all, ‘adaptability’ infers an ability to easily change. Large monolithic design solutions that use proprietary technologies are inherently difficult to change and subject to single points of failure. So, unless those design solutions can work efficiently under a variety of different operating conditions, there should be a compelling usage case to necessitate that versus a more modular design.
What types of products or systems are you importing from the design of other building types, such as outside air, combined heat and power or other technologies?
Jarron Gass: Office building design is increasingly integrating technologies and systems traditionally used in other sectors to enhance efficiency, sustainability and occupant comfort. For instance, outdoor air systems such as demand-controlled ventilation or dedicated outdoor air systems, borrowed from health care, significantly improve indoor air quality. Combined heat and power systems, commonly found in industrial settings, are now used in offices to generate electricity and capture waste heat for space heating and hot water. From residential and hospitality design, solutions like green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and greywater recycling are being incorporated to reduce energy and water consumption.
Battery and thermal energy storage, adapted from utility-scale applications, help manage energy use and lower operational costs. Dynamic glazing and double-skin facades, which are more common in energy-efficient buildings, enhance thermal performance and comfort. Smart building technologies, such as IoT sensors and occupancy analytics, inspired by the retail and residential sectors, optimize energy management and enhance building operation. These cross-industry innovations enable office buildings to remain flexible, sustainable and responsive to evolving technological and environmental demands.
Danielle Passaglia: Office buildings are seeing more stringent filtration criteria and increased ventilation criteria than ever before. Projects are utilizing technology like IAQ monitors which upload to a cloud system to oversee room IAQ and tracking. These sensors can track temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide and other volatile organic compounds within the space.
John Yoon: We are starting to see new code requirements for utility demand response functionality, mandatory electric vehicle service equipment and provisions for future photovoltaic and energy storage systems. While these may be relatively common for West Coast office building projects, their inclusion is relatively new in other regions.
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