By Dorothy Rogers-Bullis
Founder & Principal, drb Business Interiors
Founder, Saratoga CoWorks
I know space.
I know it not as a trend, but as a force. A well-designed environment shapes behavior, influences culture, and directly impacts performance. When people are in good space, they think more clearly, collaborate more naturally, and show up with greater energy and purpose. When space is misaligned, even the strongest teams struggle.
At drb Business Interiors and Saratoga CoWorks, I see this play out every day. I watch businesses transform—not because they changed their mission or their people, but because they changed the environment in which work happens. Space, when done well, becomes a strategic advantage.
Over the last several years, nearly every business leader I speak with asks some version of the same question:
“How do we get people to want to be in the office again?”
After COVID, we experienced what many leaders quietly refer to as the office rebellion. Employees proved that work could happen elsewhere. Business owners and managers were forced to adapt quickly, often without the tools or frameworks to do so thoughtfully. The result was tension, experimentation, and in many cases, frustration on both sides.
What we have learned since is critical: people did not reject the office—they rejected outdated offices.
The last five years accelerated what was already coming. The traditional workplace model, built on hierarchy, permanence, and uniformity, no longer reflects how work actually gets done. Today, thoughtful design is not aspirational; it is expected. And yet, there is no single formula for success.
Every business operates differently. Every industry has its own rhythms, pressures, and workflows. The era of “one-size-fits-all” and “one-and-done” office design is over. Successful workplaces are now iterative, adaptable, and deeply informed by how teams truly function—not how we think they should.
The Office Reboot
One of the most significant shifts is the growing demand for team-centric environments. Space designed to reinforce hierarchy—private offices, status symbols, and rigid layouts—is fading fast. In its place, we see environments that prioritize collaboration, visibility, and connection.
That does not mean individual work has disappeared. On the contrary, effective offices now intentionally balance teamwork spaces with task-focused zones. Employees move throughout the day, choosing spaces that support their immediate needs—focused work, small-group collaboration, larger team sessions, or informal conversations. Choice is no longer a perk; it is fundamental to productivity.
Another defining trend is the emergence of activity-based spaces—environments designed to energize people and spark better ideas.
Research continues to reinforce what many of us instinctively know: physical activity is directly linked to creativity, learning, and cognitive performance. Movement fuels thinking. Engagement fuels innovation. When workplaces incorporate opportunities for motion and interaction—through flexible layouts, social hubs, walking paths, and dynamic furniture—ideas flow more freely.
This is not about novelty or amenities for their own sake. It is about designing environments that support the full human experience of work.
New Work. New Rules.
The most effective organizations understand that work is no longer defined by a desk or a schedule. Work is an activity, and space must support a wide range of behaviors throughout the day. The office’s role has shifted—from a place people are required to be, to a destination people choose because it makes their work better.
When leaders ask how to bring people back, my answer is straightforward: design spaces worth coming back to.
People want workplaces that reflect trust, flexibility, and intention. They want environments that support both performance and well-being. They want to feel energized, connected, and valued—not constrained.
Better space drives better work.
Better work strengthens teams.
Stronger teams build resilient businesses.
This is the opportunity in front of us.
The organizations that thrive in the years ahead will be those willing to rethink their environments—not as static real estate, but as living systems that evolve alongside their people. Investing in better space is not about aesthetics alone; it is about aligning culture, strategy, and performance.
When space works, everything else works better.
And when people are in good space—they thrive.
About the Author
Dorothy Rogers-Bullis is the Founder and Principal of drb Business Interiors, a women-owned design and construction firm, and the Founder of Saratoga CoWorks, a flexible workspace community based in Saratoga Springs, New York. She partners with business leaders to create high-performing environments that support collaboration, innovation, and growth.