A recent article in the Harvard Business Review explored how AI is modifying job tasks, not by eliminating them for employees but how it can expand them.
AI has pushed users beyond the tasks they once would have outsourced, allowing them to explore new responsibilities and experiment with new roles. Despite what you may think, this did not result in less work, but overtime employees took on more, driven by curiosity and self-direction rather than company mandate.
This could have a major impact on workplace design and the spaces we design to support work.
If AI enables employees to stretch into new tasks, new collaborations, and new work modes, then the physical work environment needs to catch up. Past research and experience have shown it is essential to offer a variety of settings, but it now has become even more critical to support restorative balance to our workday.
Many of our clients already recognize the importance of offering a variety of experiences for their users. They view the comprehensive workplace as more than just a place to work, it is a compelling destination that provides a blend of experiences for employees to be alone, collaborate with others, and to build relationships.
Entering a new world where AI accelerates intellectual strain and expands responsibilities, the workplace must now also work to counterbalance that intensity with choice, energy, tranquility, and human interaction.
Our team was recently asked to revisit a project where we had created a multitude of these types of experiential spaces. The workplace was intentionally placed a floor away from the mainstream workplace activity and was intended to be a vibrant, multi-functional hub: a bright, welcoming area filled with natural light from full-height glass windows. An engaging reception experience for clients, and a mix of lounge settings and work touchdown spots, complete with zones for all-hands meetings, and gaming areas, and private seating for individual focus were incorporated.
Over time, that separation reduced use and diluted the intended impact. What we learned is that these moments must feel natural, must be accessible within five minutes, and must genuinely entice employees to step away for critical downtime between tasks.
Proximity, connection, and intuitive placement matter just as much as the design itself. With the implication of an AI focused workforce this rings true with how we must think about energy and engagement in these types of spaces, but with convenience in mind.
In Gensler’s Global Workplace Survey 2026 the data shows the top five reasons to come to work are:
- focus on work
- technology
- socializing with colleagues
- schedule in person meetings
- sit with their teams
With the new AI era and increased technology, we immediately make the jump that if we are more into AI and technology, why do we need more spaces for connection?
Gensler’s research shows that employees who utilize AI the most are more likely to be the employees that are eager to learn, team builders and emphasize a new path for the workplace of the future. One that is more connected and engaging on multiple levels.
In the last few weeks, we completed a project that embraces this philosophy by intentionally designing meaningful experiences throughout every floor. The approach began with maximizing the window line — utilizing every glass moment for offices and workspaces, even if it meant reorienting the user to capture more light and connection to the outdoors.
The design includes an interactive outdoor garden and an art-focused serenity balcony overlooking the city, offering restorative spaces that employees can step into throughout the day.
Zoom rooms and technology-heavy spaces were kept on the interior to prioritize daylight for people. Hospitality-inspired cafés were placed on every floor, so they immediately engage and entice employees just by walking by.
We introduced booths instead of individual tables to encourage choice and comfort and even incorporated a spa where employees can get their hair or nails done.
While the space does not include a speakeasy, though that is about all its missing, it delivers a traditional approach to individual work with an elevated twist. None of the components themselves are entirely new, but the intention behind them is.
The design prioritizes thoughtful, immersive moments, unique settings, and indoor-outdoor opportunities across every level, ensuring employees can engage in all types of work throughout the day.
The key to the future workplace is energy — creating moments that activate people when needed, and balancing them with tranquil, focused environments that provide peace when it is time to reset.
