What will offices look like after 2025?
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2025 3:59 pm
According to architecture and design firm Gensler, offices are slowly starting to plan and adapt their designs for the future well-being of employees. Deutsche Bank is among the companies actively implementing the concept of greenery and warmth in office spaces.
By 2025, tech companies will embrace open spaces, financial services jamaica cell phone database firms will seek to bring the warmth and aura of a coffee shop into their offices, and law firms will let more light into their workspaces, according to architecture and design firm Gensler. As the firm works with clients to revamp their office spaces, they’re encouraging them to focus less on how many people are in the office — and more on the well-being of the teams and individuals who are consistently in the office, says Natalie Engels, co-head of Gensler’s global practice area community. Here’s how a few different industries are taking on the challenge:
Financial sector
Financial services companies are spartan compared to the tech offices of Silicon Valley, complete with ping-pong tables and snack bars, but as they try to entice employees to return to the office, Engels says banks and finance companies are realizing that they too need to make their spaces more inviting and experience-oriented . “They weren’t in favor of creating the ‘coffee shop’ atmosphere in the office that we typically see in the tech industry,” he said in an interview. Now, he says, they’re starting to ask, “What is it about other companies’ experiences, in terms of comfort, that we can bring to our own workplaces?”
The coffee isn't the point here, it's the ability to move between a desk and a more comfortable workspace throughout the day. "In high-stress situations and busy work environments, what do people need to unwind without completely detaching from the office space?" Engels asks.
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Legal sector
Law firms are also considering the role that workspace design plays in the mental well-being of their employees. Many law offices have windows leading to private, glass-walled offices for privacy, which limits the amount of natural light available to office workers and disrupts their sense of time, making them less likely to work well.
Gensler worked with Cassels, a Canadian law firm, to increase “even lighting” in their office. The office space now has more access to natural light through windows and exterior views, along with traditional cubicles. “We can’t say it’s completely transformed their work environment, but it’s starting to transform,” Engels said.
Technology sector
Technology is the industry where remote work is perhaps the most accessible, but it has also long set the standard for workplace design focused on well-being. Global companies may be rolling out new design concepts around the world, based on vertical, top-down priorities, Engels said, with a new emphasis on different types of lighting, patterns, workspace orientation and even spaces outside the office . “They’re trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t,” he said. “They’re leaning toward sustainability and resilience.”
While younger employees learn from their more experienced colleagues through face-to-face interaction, not all offices are truly designed for mentoring. The tech office of the future will create spaces to foster that connection, Engels said, and also allow for some kind of productive communication between employees.
“We reached a point pre-pandemic where people would go into closed spaces to make calls. Even during the pandemic, there was no room for eavesdropping,” says Engels. “Now, we’re seeing an open space that’s focused on team, learning, and mentoring.” Closed spaces will remain the norm for confidential conversations, but in tech and beyond, Gensler predicts that office spaces will prioritize openness. Listening to your colleagues’ conversations can be annoying, but it can be a good model for understanding how things should be done and can be better than any other formal training.
Ultimately, an office is a workspace. It’s never going to be the most desirable place to visit. However, Engels believes that companies are finding that workspaces are more desirable for employees to visit when they are close to places like cultural institutions, theaters, and social gathering spaces.
“We’re seeing more and more companies wanting to migrate to those places,” he says. Companies are trying to intentionally activate the spaces on the ground floors by opening cafes or hosting events.
By 2025, tech companies will embrace open spaces, financial services jamaica cell phone database firms will seek to bring the warmth and aura of a coffee shop into their offices, and law firms will let more light into their workspaces, according to architecture and design firm Gensler. As the firm works with clients to revamp their office spaces, they’re encouraging them to focus less on how many people are in the office — and more on the well-being of the teams and individuals who are consistently in the office, says Natalie Engels, co-head of Gensler’s global practice area community. Here’s how a few different industries are taking on the challenge:
Financial sector
Financial services companies are spartan compared to the tech offices of Silicon Valley, complete with ping-pong tables and snack bars, but as they try to entice employees to return to the office, Engels says banks and finance companies are realizing that they too need to make their spaces more inviting and experience-oriented . “They weren’t in favor of creating the ‘coffee shop’ atmosphere in the office that we typically see in the tech industry,” he said in an interview. Now, he says, they’re starting to ask, “What is it about other companies’ experiences, in terms of comfort, that we can bring to our own workplaces?”
The coffee isn't the point here, it's the ability to move between a desk and a more comfortable workspace throughout the day. "In high-stress situations and busy work environments, what do people need to unwind without completely detaching from the office space?" Engels asks.
For an interior designer, professional development is a never-ending process. Continuous development will allow you to receive an ever-increasing salary! Start studying with qualified specialists at an international academy!
→Register easily
Legal sector
Law firms are also considering the role that workspace design plays in the mental well-being of their employees. Many law offices have windows leading to private, glass-walled offices for privacy, which limits the amount of natural light available to office workers and disrupts their sense of time, making them less likely to work well.
Gensler worked with Cassels, a Canadian law firm, to increase “even lighting” in their office. The office space now has more access to natural light through windows and exterior views, along with traditional cubicles. “We can’t say it’s completely transformed their work environment, but it’s starting to transform,” Engels said.
Technology sector
Technology is the industry where remote work is perhaps the most accessible, but it has also long set the standard for workplace design focused on well-being. Global companies may be rolling out new design concepts around the world, based on vertical, top-down priorities, Engels said, with a new emphasis on different types of lighting, patterns, workspace orientation and even spaces outside the office . “They’re trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t,” he said. “They’re leaning toward sustainability and resilience.”
While younger employees learn from their more experienced colleagues through face-to-face interaction, not all offices are truly designed for mentoring. The tech office of the future will create spaces to foster that connection, Engels said, and also allow for some kind of productive communication between employees.
“We reached a point pre-pandemic where people would go into closed spaces to make calls. Even during the pandemic, there was no room for eavesdropping,” says Engels. “Now, we’re seeing an open space that’s focused on team, learning, and mentoring.” Closed spaces will remain the norm for confidential conversations, but in tech and beyond, Gensler predicts that office spaces will prioritize openness. Listening to your colleagues’ conversations can be annoying, but it can be a good model for understanding how things should be done and can be better than any other formal training.
Ultimately, an office is a workspace. It’s never going to be the most desirable place to visit. However, Engels believes that companies are finding that workspaces are more desirable for employees to visit when they are close to places like cultural institutions, theaters, and social gathering spaces.
“We’re seeing more and more companies wanting to migrate to those places,” he says. Companies are trying to intentionally activate the spaces on the ground floors by opening cafes or hosting events.