The Gensler Research Institute announced findings from its Global Workplace Survey 2024, offering fresh insights into the future of work. The comprehensive global study shifts the focus from employee presence in the office to workplace performance. A high-performing workplace is no longer solely defined by building efficiency or space effectiveness, it is also measured by the workplace experience — or, how employees feel in the space.

According to the report, 94% of employees in exceptional workplaces have a choice in where they work within the office, granting them the autonomy to work across multiple settings and promoting a higher sense of value and engagement. For the first time, the new survey goes beyond office walls to reveal how exceptional workplaces perform as part of a broader ecosystem of spaces and experiences. These top-performing workplaces, often located in amenity-rich neighborhoods, are part of a wider environment that includes diverse spaces such as libraries, cafés, outdoor areas and coworking spaces. With less than a third of global workplaces having been redesigned in the last three years, there’s a pressing need for organizations to intentionally rethink office spaces to boost company culture and drive business growth.

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In the ever-evolving world of work, understanding how to manage and optimize physical workspaces for a hybrid workforce has become critical. This is where the newest edition of the Global Occupancy Planning Benchmarking Report from JLL comes into focus, offering valuable insights and trend analysis on the state of corporate real estate and occupancy planning in a post-pandemic era.

The landscape of the workplace has shifted dramatically as more companies have adopted hybrid working. JLL’s latest report shares how organizations globally are responding to these shifts, how they are using their workplaces differently, and trends that may help your organization.

Key findings of the report highlight the continued evolution of hybrid programs and their influence on space requirements and office space design, the importance of investing in technology, the increasing relevance of utilization metrics, and how workplaces are changing to accommodate different working styles.

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Consider a design process where your imagination knows no bounds. Infinity From KI  rises to the challenge when standard options just aren’t enough. KI's agile design process for modifying or co-creating furniture solutions empowers you to surpass the ordinary and realize your boldest ideas. It’s about crafting personalized solutions that are value-engineered from the start to meet your precise needs. From concept to reality, KI transforms your ideas into tangible, real-life solutions.

KI's approach fosters collaboration, connecting you directly with a team of experts to solve even the most intricate challenges. Together, the team pushes the boundaries of possibility, guided by a commitment to customer-centric innovation. Let KI bring your ideas to life in ways you’ve only imagined! Experience the unlimited potential of Infinity From KI.

Winners of the Best of NeoCon 2024 Business Impact Awards (BIA) were evaluated based on the degree to which they contribute to business operations and enterprise-oriented built environments across verticals: traditional workplaces, alternative workplaces, office-campus environments and healthcare settings. Criteria include: aesthetics, adaptability, social responsibility, sustainability, technology integration, how the product supports or improves employee productivity, well-being or neurodiversity; and impact on a business’ bottom line. A selection of Best of NeoCon Jurors screened all Business Impact Awards applicants to determine the finalists for review.

Here are 5 of the 10 winners, with jurors' comments. Watch this page for more winners in August.

• Haworth's architectural solution enables space division, modern expression, proven environmental benefits and acoustic privacy. 4SPACE Fronts (shown) features minimal aesthetics that frame space and don't distract from the broader design. The integrated collection of frames, doors and hardware efficiently builds private and collaborative spaces.
• The Edison Workbench from Watson Furniture Group solves the problem of shifting office density and work requirements, providing the flexibility to easily build onto a run of workstations with attached or stand-alone workbenches. A workspace can be configured to include ambient lighting, beam- or desk-mounted screens and organizational tools.
• Every workplace needs café tables; Mantra Inspired Furniture offers an exceptional choice. The Unity Collection of solid wood tables is designed with easy assembly and carbon-abatement in mind; it is unique in its ability to be flat-packed for shipping, and easy to assemble, disassemble, reuse and refinish.
• Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering introduced its wall treatment, Circon, a bio-sourced, carbon-neutral Type II wallcovering collection in partnership with Versa Designed Surfaces. Its rapid renewable technology dramatically reduces its carbon footprint; its price, performance and aesthetic are comparable to traditional vinyl, and it is fully recyclable.
• Silen OÜ's work pod, Silen Space 1.5, brings sustainable focus and productivity. This office pod is a 100% CarbonNeutral-certified solo work haven constructed with SEAQUAL YARN fabric woven from reclaimed marine plastic. Its 20+ year lifespan is due to its prefabricated modular design and high-quality materials, with simplified repairs and upgrades.

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During the recent Climate Action Week in London, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the launch of a sustainable finance guide in partnership with the U.K.-based Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) and the Alliance HQE-GBC France.

Financing Transformation: A Guide to Green Building for Green Bonds and Green Loans details how various building verification and certification standards can be used to comply with global classifications and bond frameworks; certification programs like LEED can act as a proxy that increases access to capital by providing credibility and standardization in evaluating and certifying green building projects. Because most buildings today will still be in use in 2050, major capital investments in sustainable retrofits are necessary to meet global climate targets. Sustainable finance tools are pivotal in driving the transition to a low-carbon economy and mobilizing capital toward sustainable building projects, mitigating investment risks through certification systems and aligning financial incentives with environmental goals.

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When Bentley opened its doors 45 years ago in Los Angeles, it made a mark in an industry that predominately operates in the southeast. Today, as California’s largest commercial carpet manufacturer, the brand continues to make a statement. “California is special. It’s a diverse, creative hub of art and tech, fashion and food. It’s a leader in environmental rigor and sustainability standards,” says Jay Brown, president and COO. “California is Bentley, so it’s only fitting that in this anniversary year, we celebrate what makes us unique.”

To mark this moment, Bentley introduces Pacific Standard Time, which includes three standout styles. The all-over linear pattern of Now/Then resembles the milestone hash marks of a timeline. The continuity of time is captured with Chronologies, where every moment is blended and finely enmeshed, though some stand out more than others. Lot 45, an homage to Bentley’s history, shows the bigger picture through color and texture — periods of time punctuated by varied moments, all ultimately interconnected.

The collection debuted at NeoCon 2024 and is available in carpet tile and broadloom, offering eight colorways that lean warm, reflecting the southern California climate and a sense of “home.”

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A new report by Cushman & Wakefield highlights the resurgence of office visitation rates in Manhattan, signifying a robust recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Utilizing Placer.ai data integrated with nearly 700 Class A and B buildings in the firm’s dataset, Manhattan in Motion: Decoding New York City’s Office Resurgence with Location Intelligence analyzes the upward trend and its impact on the future of the workplace in Manhattan.

Key findings include:

• Weekly office visits: Anonymized mobile device data recorded a weekly average of 2.3 million office building visits in March 2024, yielding a 72.2% recovery from February 2020 levels.
• Peak weekday visits: Average weekday visits are the highest on Wednesdays, reaching an 83.5% recovery of the February 2020 baseline — 11.3 percentage points higher than the overall market.
• Performance of trophy assets: Trophy assets accounted for 16.7% of Midtown’s average weekly visits in March 2024, marking an increase of 100 basis points from one year ago.
• Occupied square footage: Over the past three years, occupied square footage has become 74.2% more concentrated, contracting from 468.1 square feet (sf) per visit to 120.6 sf per visit in the first quarter of 2024.

The report’s findings underscore the evolving dynamics of work patterns post-pandemic, highlighting notable differences across various markets and asset classes and illustrating a positive trend in office utilization, with significant implications for the future of workspaces in Manhattan.

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Isomi, from the U.K., entered its Layer desk system in the Furniture Systems category of the Best of NeoCon, earning Gold and an overall Finalist for the Best of Competition among 294 products, and won a Sustainability Award for modular seating system Tejo, all while participating as a NeoCon exhibitor for the first time.

Mix, match, rebuild and repeat. Layer (shown) is Isomi’s most flexible modular desk system to date. Designed for longevity, replaceability, and material variety, the Layer system prioritizes adaptability and sustainability. Its modular design allows for the easy replacement of panels, enabling users to update the desk’s aesthetics with new materials. This eliminates the need to purchase a new desk for a refresh. All panels are mechanically fixed for easy disassembly, enabling the desk to be refreshed/redressed to suit new environments and purposes over time, avoiding disposal.

Made by recycling cork waste from the production of wine stoppers, Tejo is the recyclable sofa system that helps preserve Portugal’s cork forests and marks a major step towards the circular economy. Combining soft contours, tactile surfaces, and clean, clear aesthetics, Tejo is a PFOA/PFOS/PFAS-free, practical and environmentally conscientious seating solution. Each base module replaces plywood with natural, renewable and recyclable cork material. Seating elements replace foam with natural latex and wool, while the fabrics are sourced from flax and hemp harvested in the U.K. Tejo comprises a bench, a single sofa, and a double back-to-back sofa in varying depths, with optional table units as well as planters to integrate biophilic design.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding another round of funding for 90 airport-related infrastructure grants across 34 states. The projects are funded under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) program, part of the $25 billion total included in the law for airport improvements such as terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades and runway safety enhancements. Nearly $9 billion of the $15 billion total of AIG funding has been made available to airports across the country.

Airports receiving funding this round, for a total of $186.7 million, include:

• $61.8 million to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan
• $23.5 million to San Diego International Airport in California
• $20.5 million to Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania
• $19.7 million to Kodiak Airport in Alaska
• $8.1 million to Portland International Jetport in Maine

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This week's Featured Book from FMLink Books is part of a collection of peer-reviewed books curated by the FMLink editorial team to provide facilities, engineering and A&D professionals with access to publications relating to the Architecture topic.

Answers all your questions about preparing competitive landscape construction estimates, with up-to-date cost estimates. RS Means Landscape Estimating Methods — the best-selling reference for landscape contractors, designers, and facilities maintenance personnel — is now updated with design trends and technologies.

• Step-by-step explanation of estimating process
• Expanded and revised to address updated materials and methods
• Sample forms and worksheets that save you time and prevent errors
• Professional guidance on calculating and controlling equipment costs
• Assistance in planning and identifying maintenance cost

This and other Architecture titles are available for purchase on FMLink.