Generational differences. Hybrid work. Aging offices. AI. This eclectic mix of factors has vast implications for how successful individuals and companies are at work. And because these influences are not fully understood, the design of offices must adapt to stay competitive.

Whether developing a strategic real estate plan, renewing an existing workplace, or building a new headquarters, our approach to design, what we call "The Office, On Purpose," positions your business and work environment for what's next, whatever that may be.

Design Perspectives for Corporate Office

Work is changing faster than most offices can evolve. At the same time, organizations have something new: analytics that reveal how work actually happens. With forward-thinking clients like BlackRock, Brooks and LinkedIn, NBBJ is advancing how design responds directly to these insights. By pairing data with adaptable infrastructure—raised floors, modular systems, and flexible layouts—organizations can adjust their spaces quickly as needs shift, allowing workplaces to evolve continuously.

The most effective workplaces make culture visible and tangible in everyday experience. At Alaska Airlines’ training center, brand and identity are embedded into every aspect of the environment—from aeronautical chart-inspired floor graphics that guide movement to columns that express the company’s core values and a digital lobby experience that brings its history to life. Environmental graphics, artifacts and storytelling moments connect employees to Alaska’s pioneering spirit, while branded wayfinding adds clarity and a sense of levity to everyday routines. Designed within an existing building shell, the project maximizes resources while creating a flexible, welcoming hub where employees can train, connect, and recharge—delivering a space that feels distinctly “Alaska.”

Workplaces designed for change can deliver both adaptability and measurable impact. At the Warner Bros. Discovery Second Century project, a “universal plan” replaces traditional fixed layouts with a flexible framework that allows teams to shift locations, reconfigure space and evolve how they work over time—without disruption. The results are significant: the company consolidated from 14 leased locations into a single campus, reducing its footprint from 1.4 million square feet to just over 800,000. By embedding flexibility from the start, the workplace not only supports changing work patterns, but delivers long-term efficiency, resilience and value at scale.

Intentional office design can make employees happier at work, and happy employees achieve greater productivity. Infusing moments of delight through a variety of environments, connection to nature, access to daylight and views, and opportunities for social connection draws employees into the office, creating an experience they can’t get at home. To put this theory to the test, we created the Delight Factor, a quantitative measurement that scores a building based on how it makes people feel to provide a holistic view of your investment, including its compounded interest from enhanced employee performance.

Work and Ideas

All Work and Ideas

vivo Headquarters

Data Reveals Work Is Changing. Adaptive Workplaces Help You Respond.

Brooks Headquarters

Warner Bros. Discovery Second Century Project

In the Fast-Paced World of Finance, Design Can Make the Difference Between Burnout and Breakthroughs

Met Park at Amazon's Arlington Headquarters

Is Embracing Impermanence the Key to a Longer Life? If You’re an Office Building, It Just Might Be.

Moss Adams

Orchids, Dandelions, Tulips—A Research-Based Look at Workplace Performance

Confidential Company Headquarters

Amenities Make Today’s Workplace: How an Amenity Strategy Can Attract the Workforce You Need

LinkedIn Headquarters

What Makes a Workplace Irresistible? Three Design Strategies to Attract and Elevate Talent

The Delight Factor: A New Metric That Quantifies the Competitive Strength of Your Workplace

BlackRock Headquarters

Haste Makes Waste: The Sustainable Practice of ‘Do It Once, Do It Right’ in Corporate Workplaces

Tencent Global Headquarters

A "Smart Watch" for the Office: NBBJ and the University of Washington Explore Workplace Design that Facilitates Flow

NBBJ New York Office

The 40% Office: How to Optimize Your Workplace for Today’s Behaviors and Business Needs

Starbucks Headquarters

Samsung Headquarters, San Jose, CaliforniaArchitects - NBBJ

Samsung America Headquarters

Harvard Business Review: How LinkedIn Redesigned Its HQ for Hybrid Work

"Southern California life sciences company" **Confidential Client**

Southern California Life Sciences Company Headquarters

Article

Think Covid Shapes the Future Office? Think Again.

Article

How Space Impacts Creativity in the Hybrid Workplace

BARK

View of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Seattle Campus.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Article

Four Neuroscience-Based Strategies to Reduce Stress as People Come Back to the Office

Corporate Office Leaders

Robert Mankin, AIA, LEED AP

Managing Partner | Board Member| Firmwide Corporate Practice Leader

Ryan Mullenix, AIA

Partner | Firmwide Corporate Practice Leader

Jonathan Bahe, AIA

Principal I Corporate Market Leader

Layne Braunstein

Experience Practice Leader | Creative

Kelly Griffin, LEED AP

Consulting Principal | Workplace Strategy Director

John Savo, AIA

Principal | Corporate Market Leader

Andrea Vanecko, IIDA

Design Principal | Corporate Market Leader

Emily Bagdatli

Experience Practice Leader | Creative

Brita Everett, AIA, LEED AP

Senior Associate | Corporate Market Leader

Featured Project

Ballard Spahr Lane Powell Office

Ballard Spahr Lane Powell’s workplace reimagines the traditional law office, shifting from hierarchy to connection while honoring the firm’s 150-year legacy. Perched above Puget Sound, the design pairs daylit, equitable workspaces with hospitality-driven amenities that foster community, collaboration, and a more human-centered professional experience.

View project