6 Trends Shaping Commercial Office Design

According to a recent survey by LMG, 88% of UK commercial real estate owners say that tenant demands have soared over the past two years. This has forced landlords to rethink their business approach, with more emphasis on providing a space that caters to the evolving needs of tenants.

Indeed, with the changing expectations of the post-pandemic workforce, tenants are placing employee experience at the heart of their workplace strategy. Further, sustainability, technology and operational flexibility are becoming key factors for tenants when taking out leases.

This shift has empowered tenants to take a more active role in commercial interior design. Now, a simple, long-term lease on a basic space is not enough.

In light of the change, we will explore the emerging trends that are shaping the commercial office landscape. Using key data, project examples and insights from our team, we’ll give an overview to help inform your own commercial fit out decisions.

Related content: Office Design Trends 2025

1. Less Space, Higher Quality

The LMG survey revealed approximately 9 out of 10 (88%) landlords indicated tenants wanted greater operational flexibility, shorter leases, and enhanced workplace experiences to meet hybrid working needs.

Furthermore, the Office of National Statistics states that over a quarter of working adults in Great Britain (28%) were hybrid working in the Autumn of 2024. This shows there has been a shift towards a flexible working model to meet the demand for an improved work-life balance.

Therefore, accommodating hybrid work is now a key competitive factor for commercial offices. This often translates into providing smaller yet higher quality spaces that offer things the home cannot.

Typically, these workplace features include collaboration hubs (more on this later), enticing amenities and strong design schemes. As better user experiences create commute-worthy spaces, offices like these become highly attractive to tenants.

Parry Anderson, Rap Interiors Director, elaborates:

“Commercial office space is relatively easy to obtain, but it’s always the better quality, and those close to amenities and transport links, that are the first to go. There are also some large commercial spaces that we believe will better suit sub-dividing to help landlords gain tenants. This will also help smaller firms gain office space.”

2. Collaboration Spaces

As we’ve touched upon, collaboration spaces will prove key in encouraging tenants to invest in commercial office space. In fact, 30% of landlords have reported a surge in requests for collaborative spaces that help employees maximise their time spent in the office.

Beyond standard meeting rooms, many companies are now providing ad-hoc, multipurpose collaboration areas, as Martyn, Rap Interiors Director explains: “These days, breakout spaces have become collaboration areas where people not only eat and drink, but where they can discuss work in an informal environment.”

For example, Ward Security created a breakout floor complete with a laptop lounge, bleacher seating, collaboration tables and kitchen. This offers choice to employees while encouraging them to build meaningful connections with colleagues – something digital meetings can’t replicate.

Related content: 10 Corporate Office Design Concepts

3. Smart Technology

As an office refurbishment company, we have a surge in demand for smart office technology that boosts workplace efficiency, sustainability and safety. As demand increases, this is likely to impact the commercial office world too, as Parry Anderson explains:

“Based on our own projects, we predict there will be more tech involved with property, such as biometric access control, desk monitoring and digital booking systems. With AI in the mix, high-tech buildings look to be a fast-growing trend.”

If you’re unfamiliar with smart technology, here’s a brief overview:

• Biometric Access Control – Biometric access control systems use physical human characteristics like fingerprints or facial recognition to identify individuals and grant them access to restricted areas of buildings. (reword)
• Desk Monitoring Systems – Desk-monitoring technology gives real-time insights into occupancy levels in meeting rooms, desk areas, breakout spaces and more. With this valuable data, businesses can make intelligent, fact-based office layout decisions and reduce office utility costs.
• Digital Booking Systems – Employees can use digital platforms to book a space in hotdesking areas, reserve a meeting room, check on parking spots, or simply see who else in the office to connect virtually.

Another example is intelligent lighting that uses sensors to detect occupancy and natural light, automatically adjusting the lighting to conserve energy. Similarly, HVAC systems learn usage patterns and respond to real-time conditions for temperature control.

This brings us to our next trend…

4. Sustainability

Over half (56%) of landlords in the LMG survey said that tenants expect high environmental standards in their offices. This indicates a tenant priority for green spaces, driven by sustainability targets and a desire to attract top talent.

For landlords, this partly means achieving a high energy efficiency rating through building assessment schemes like BREEAM. Landlords can also contribute to a greener space by choosing a commercial fit out company with green accreditations.

Indeed, contractors with green accreditations show that they take steps in reducing their environmental impact on projects. For example, they will specify eco-friendly materials, carry out responsible waste management and use HGVs to prevent multiple journeys.

Related content: How Sustainable is Your Office Design?

5. Operational Flexibility

These days, tenants are looking for more flexibility when it comes to office space design. In fact, 46% of property owners say tenants want the ability to modify workspaces to suit their changing needs.

Indeed, the ability to adapt a space is important for many businesses. Typically, early-stage businesses don’t know what their team numbers or requirements will be in six months or a year, so flexibility is reassuring.
“Plug and play” spaces (see point six) offer more flexibility by offering fully furnished environments and equipped for immediate occupancy, often with reconfiguration options. Additionally, building systems with demountable partitions can be easily reconfigured to create various office layouts.

Like the example above? See more of our Riverbridge House commercial fit out here.

6. CAT A+ Fit Outs

The traditional fit out model typically requires tenants to sign a long-term contract. However, in today’s market, many tenants prefer shorter-term contracts that offer greater flexibility. This has resulted in landlords offering an alternative to the CAT A to CAT B fit out model, known as CAT A+.

The CAT A+ approach is where landlords provide pre-fitted, furnished spaces to tenants on a shorter-term deal. These spaces allow tenants to easily plug in their devices and work away, hence they’re called “plug and play” offices. This means tenants get a fully functional workspace without committing for the long term, lowering the risk for small businesses.

Related content: CAT A vs CAT B Fit Out – What’s the Difference?

Commercial Office Design Trends – Conclusion

In conclusion, the evidence shows a significant evolution in the commercial office landscape. Driven largely by changing workspace expectations, tenants are taking into account employee experience, technology integration, sustainability and operational flexibility when making leasing decisions.

Consequently, landlords are being compelled to provide adaptable, high-quality environments that offer a commute-worthy office experience. Those catering to the hybrid work model will also widen their appeal, given the rise of companies operating with a smaller in-office presence.

Moving forward, success in the commercial sector will depend on how proactive landlords are in adapting to the changing demands. They will undoubtedly need to embrace these priorities to create spaces that meet the needs of today’s tenants and keep occupancy numbers high.

Are You Looking to Land a New Tenant?

If this blog article has inspired you to make changes to your commercial office, we’d be delighted to help. With 30+ years’ experience Rap Interiors has built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading commercial fit out companies.

To book a consultation, please call 0333 600 1234 or fill out the enquiry form below.