Trends and Hot Topics Prioritizing Mixed-Use Buildings for Our Integrated Lives

By James Calder

Over the past two decades, single-use office buildings have steadily been becoming outdated. Now that remote work is increasingly common, many single-use office buildings remain vacant in markets around the world.

The very nature of work is changing, which means tenants’ requirements are changing as a result, meaning buildings that don’t adapt can (and should) be expected to underperform. Given this reality, landlords and developers must understand tenants’ new requirements to create the right combination of different uses for their buildings, as well as the correct level of service and possibilities for experiences.

Tenants’

Changing Needs

For many employees, work is no longer about sitting at a desk and doing the

9-to-5. The ability to do certain tasks at home more productively, the flexibility to harmonize work better with life, and the futility of the long commute mean organizations use office space differently than before. While previously, they may have needed dedicated offices for each individual, workers can now rotate in and out of shared offices. In addition, leasing large gathering spaces that sit idle most of the time no longer makes sense for many tenants. For these reasons, many organizations are reducing the square footage they lease for core functions.

Meanwhile, today’s tenants desire an assortment of different spaces that foster collaboration and connection, such as places to host team- and culture-building activities, induct new hires, and engage in mentoring. Teams also want to eat together or socialize, which requires properly-outfitted spaces like restaurants and coffee shops. That’s why they are looking for third spaces they can use only when needed.

In addition, like-minded organizations want to create ecosystems of activity that add business value and help drive