Five years on from Covid-19, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), an international professional real-estate service company, interviewed more than 12 thousand employees in 44 countries. The youngest, under 24, returned to the office for an average of three days a week, more than any other age group. 44 percent of companies want their employees to return to the office five days a week. This is fostering a novel approach to the design of spaces, defined as “street to seat”, which focuses on studying the most stimulating routes from arrival in the city to a workstation with the aim of attracting talent and rendering urban centres more habitable. People between the ages of 35 and 54 are the least happy and demand more technology, flexibility and services related to well-being. This requires companies to create stimulating environments that aid concentration and collaboration, and to invest in technologies that improve productivity and flexibility. There is a growing trend to reconvert existing properties, driven by he need to combat obsolescence and by the scarcity of space, as well as to respect ESG requirements. Design plays a key role, offering a holistic approach that combines sustainability, attractiveness and social impact.

“Office planning is no longer a case of positioning dozens of desks in a space, but rather of making workers feel at home”, states Gianfranco Marinelli, the president of Assoufficio. “Spaces now need to be almost domestic, with relaxation areas, sound-proof cabins and shared desks. There is also a growing demand for be-spoke furniture. These needs clash with the Italian office sector, which is populated by small businesses with turnover of between EUR 5 and 15 million. Few exceed 45 million. The extent of fragmentation within the sector hinders collaboration. Italy suffers from individualism, and lacks a shared approach”. 

In 2024, the Italian office sector saw a 5.5 percent fall in turnover, lower than other areas of the furnishing industry, which fell from EUR 1.344 billion in 2023 to 1.271 but that suffered a 7.4 percent fall in exports, which represent 43 percent. Unlike domestic furniture, the choice of items for the office is dictated by function rather than emotion. “Price is often a prevailing factor”, explains Marinelli, “but the strengths of our sector are product quality, design by well-known figures and innovative forms. We were, for example, the first to introduce glass partitions, revolutionising office layout”.

Alessandro Adamo is a partner at Lombardini22 and director of DEGW, an international organisation that has specialised for over fifty years in the workplace sector. “The main themes are flexibility, technology, socialisation and well-being”, he explains. “Traditional working areas have become smaller, while common and auxiliary areas have grown”. Smart working has seen the emergence of solutions such as desk sharing and the clean desk policy, as well as unassigned workstations in open spaces that are suitable for either individual or collaborative activities. There is an increase in informal spaces, hybrid refreshment areas, “war rooms” and collaborative hubs aimed at promoting exchange and a sense of belonging. “Desk sharing has essentially led to a simplification of the concept of space and to a focus on function”, continues Adamo.

“People are able to choose where and with whom to work, rather than being tied to a predefined position. We have developed web apps for booking workstations, rooms and new furniture, such as digital lockers, but it is important for people to be encouraged to actively participate throughout the process, allowing them to actively participate in planning change. The concept of the “club-office” is well suited to collaborative organisations such as consultancy firms and technology companies, while businesses such as legal firms prefer individual working practices and reserved spaces for concentration”. Lastly, retrofitting plays a key role; in Italy, this is more a requirement than a choice, dictated by both the high density of historic heritage and by aspects related to sustainability. “Refurbishing rather than demolishing and rebuilding grants a new lease of life to existing buildings, providing them with new exteriors, technology and functions, while also working on the emotive dimension of space”, concludes Adamo.

Designing flexibility means guaranteeing different usage scenarios as well as responding to varying client types. Francesco Fresa, founding partner of the firm Piuarch, and the designer of many significant working spaces, above all in the Milan area, explains: “If the client is a developer who does not already know who the occupant of the building will be, we need to design for a wide-ranging and diverse target. The relative space becomes a flexible ‘platform’ designed to easily accommodate future requirements and a range of uses. The challenge is to create environments that can be transformed with minimal effort and that remain in line with the urban context. “Every change of tenant is an opportunity to regenerate the space and to have a truly positive impact on the area and the community. Sustainability is not simply a set of standard solutions: it is an active process. It begins with the choice of materials, and also involves the well-being of the workers and the wider community that use those spaces, contributing to the regeneration of the area and consequently favouring new forms of society”. Greenery plays a key role: “It is more than decoration, serving as a space for connection and relationships”, confirms Fresa. The landscape is a generative element, capable of transforming architecture into a permeable, dynamic and inclusive organism”.

Laura Merlin, creative design director for Tétris Italia, an international office outfitting company, concludes: “The demands for hybrid working are changing the concept of the office. There is a need for flexible and multifunctional spaces, and for natural and recycled materials with a focus on biophilics. Common spaces are increasingly important, as are in-building services and integration with the local community through environments that are available to everyone. Terraces and courtyard become working spaces, and there is a flourishing of areas for meditation, relaxation and psychological support, reflecting an increased focus on employees’ well-being. There is a growing demand for peaceful areas as well as silent zones”. Technology plays a leading role, providing advanced systems for hybrid meetings, augmented reality and sensors for monitoring the use of spaces. Similarly, sustainability is a priority, with increased attention on low-emission materials and a circular approach that focuses on the reuse and recycling of existing materials and furniture. “Unassigned workstations and space rotation have led to new design challenges, with an increased focus on ergonomics and adaptability. Adjustable furniture and flexible workstations respond to the needs of a range of users, including disabled people.

In terms of trends in interior design: “the preference is for natural and relaxing colours in shades of green, blue and beige, which help to reduce stress and increase concentration. A neutral base, often uplifted with strategically placed bold colour accents. For materials, we are seeing a return to natural elements such as wood, stone and vegetable fibres, with the introduction of textiles that improve acoustic comfort. Surface finishes are opaque and natural, evoking a sense of authenticity and warmth. These trends reflect a focus on workspaces as “destination offices”, with the aim of attracting and holding on to the best talents in an increasingly competitive market”.