Outcome-driven workplace design: Evolving activity-based working
Abstract
As organisations navigate the evolving demands of the modern workplace, the search for an optimal work environment that enhances productivity, collaboration and employee satisfaction remains a top priority. While activity-based working (ABW) has provided flexibility by allowing employees to choose workspaces based on tasks, its limitations — such as choice fatigue, lack of guidance and inefficiencies in space utilisation — have highlighted the need for a more structured approach. Using the results collected during a post-occupancy evaluation conducted 12 months after implementation at a global accounting firm’s 250,000ft2 corporate headquarters, this paper introduces intentional-based working (IBW), a refined model that builds on ABW by emphasising purposeful workspace design, outcome-driven decision making and strategic alignment between employees’ tasks and their work environments. IBW ensures that workspaces are intentionally designed to maximise both efficiency and effectiveness, balancing employee needs with organisational objectives. By leveraging data-driven insights, IBW fosters greater productivity, enhances employee engagement and aligns workplace design with business outcomes. This paper explores one company’s transition from ABW to IBW, outlining key principles, implementation strategies and measurable benefits. Real-world applications — including improvements in meeting room efficiency, focus spaces, time and space adjacencies and structured flexibility — demonstrate IBW’s impact on workplace optimisation. As the future of work demands greater agility and intentionality, IBW offers a sustainable and effective framework for organisations striving to enhance workplace performance. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Ilya Devèrs is the Founder and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Reworc, where he directs product development, R&D and customer outreach. His curiosity, solid software architecture and engineering skills have allowed Reworc to create a unique work and people analytics engine. Introducing the concept of the work information model has enabled Reworc’s customer base to start analysing, comparing and trending information regarding the crucial aspects of work and the environment in which it happens. Before starting Reworc in 2012, Ilya founded a User Experience (UX) Design consultancy and previously worked as a UX-oriented solution architect at system integrator Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Besides satisfying his curiosity in everything work and workplace, UX, Design Thinking and Theory U, he enjoys outdoor sports that help him quickly and effectively disconnect from everyday focus (cave diving and skateboarding). Ilya holds a master’s degree in image synthesis and computer animation from Middlesex Polytechnic University and Utrecht School of the Arts. His passion has always been bringing about what desires to emerge and helping create it.
Curtis A. Knapp is the Director of Real Estate and Office Development for Ryan, a global tax advisory services firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. At Ryan, Curtis directs leasing, design, project and facility management and supplier management. He oversees a global portfolio of 130 properties occupying 1.4million ft2. As a professional author, speaker and consultant, Curtis has made a difference at some of the world’s largest companies over the past 30 years. He is a recognised thought leader in hybrid work and space efficiency. His passion is creating workplaces that enable business, engage employees and delight customers, while his claim to fame is delivering an optimised global real estate portfolio that incorporates flexibility for a growing, dynamic business. Curtis holds a BSc degree in landscape architecture from Texas A&M University, College Station. He received his Master of Corporate Real Estate (MCR) accreditation from CoreNet Global, where he is an active contributing member of the North Texas Chapter. He is a designated Change Manager by the Prosci organisation.
Stephen Smith is the Partner and Principal at Reworc, where he directs strategy and oversees North American operations. With a comprehensive background in people analytics, talent management and workforce effectiveness, he has been instrumental in developing Reworc’s people strategy, focusing on employee engagement, business intelligence and workplace design. Since joining Reworc, Stephen has led global analytics, research and reporting, serving as a chief consultant for North American clients and advancing strategic insights that drive workplace innovation. Before his tenure at Reworc, he held roles with Principal Financial Group, where he pioneered analytics within corporate real estate and human resources (HR), linking workforce data to critical business outcomes. He has also contributed to academic thought as an adjunct professor at Drake University, teaching talent management and HR analytics, and holds a Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Beyond his professional career, he is an active leader in the HR community, serving in various roles with Central Iowa SHRM and founding initiatives such as Cajun Fest and the Fail Forward Project, which support local charities and promote resilience in the workplace. Stephen holds a master’s degree in industrial organisational psychology from Louisiana Tech University, bringing both technical expertise and a passion for workplace effectiveness to every project he leads.
