Every second, the human brain is bombarded by 11 million bits of sensory data, yet we consciously process only a fraction. For the 20% of the population that is neurodivergent, this sensory "assault" can lead to cognitive fatigue, decreased productivity, and physical exclusion. Designing high-functioning spaces requires more than just an intuitive eye; it requires a deep understanding of how the brain responds to sound, lighting, thermal comfort, and spatial composition. This session bridges the gap between art and science by exploring the intersection of Neuroinclusion (sensory management) and Neuroaesthetics (the biological response to beauty and harmony). We will move beyond the "one-size-fits-all" approach to explore a practical framework that addresses how environments shape our emotions, behaviors, and well-being. By intentionally designing for the full spectrum of human neurological diversity, we transform spaces from purely functional shells into intuitive, welcoming experiences where every individual can truly thrive.

As organisations rethink the purpose of the office, workplace architecture is being asked to support far more than individual productivity. It must enable collaboration, learning, experimentation, wellbeing and long-term adaptability, while also contributing positively to the cities and communities around it. In this fireside conversation, Andy Young, Partner at BIG, joins WORKTECH’s Jeremy Myerson to explore the changing brief for major workplace projects. Drawing on examples from BIG’s portfolio, including projects in London, Berlin and Bratislava, they will discuss flexible building platforms, AI-era work, biodiversity, civic connection and the principles workplace leaders can apply when designing for an uncertain future.

This presentation focuses on empowering professionals to choreograph rich, vibrant multisensory experiences in workplaces that help people thrive by fostering more dynamic, nature-connected environments. Experiential design schemas offer a new language and framework to prioritize human responses, bridging evidence from building and health sciences with design and management strategies to support the future workplace pillars—people, place, and technology.

JPMorgan Chase’s new HQ at 270 Park Avenue is being positioned as the world’s smartest building—a bold statement in an era of hybrid work. In this talk, Philip explores how AI, sensors and intelligent systems are reshaping the corporate workplace, using this landmark project as a case study. Beyond the technology, he challenges whether flagship headquarters still make sense, what truly drives performance and experience, and what lessons organisations can take—without billion-dollar budgets. A fast-paced, provocative look at what the future workplace really demands.

As AI automates more work, organisations are facing the challenge of how to create spaces that enable people to perform at their best. This presentation explores why performance has become the defining challenge for workplace leaders and how AI is reshaping organisational behaviour, workplace design and leadership. Drawing together the latest research and global case studies from the WORKTECH Academy network, it shows why the highest-performing organisations are redesigning work around coordination, cognitive performance and collective intelligence rather than technology alone.

In a hybrid world, the physical environment greatly enhances connections between people and thus enhances culture. Booking.com had the challenging goal of creating a Healthy, Happy and Productive workspace for all 11,000 colleagues across the globe. The workplace services team works to achieve this through both data and real time experiments, while maintaining a continuous dialogue with their colleagues, the end-users of the space. This session will share how they achieved their goal and their key learnings in the process.

Having someone to share your joy with. Having a comforting place where you belong. A nine-country survey conducted jointly with Kyoto University revealed that happiness at work dwells in these experiences "in-between" people and places.
As loneliness becomes a growing global issue, this session will unpack the survey findings on "We-Being" (collaborative happiness in the workplace). By exploring how to reconstruct these "in-between" connections, we will examine workplace environments that foster sustainable happiness.

Meta’s in-person policy allows for flexibility in where employees work in highly distributed teams. To better tailor workspace supply to the dynamic demands of various teams, Meta’s Global Workplace Services team has been using a data-driven approach to create highly vibrant environments tailored to teams that are engaging, productive and efficient. Learn from leaders of strategic planning, workplace design, research, and data analytics on lessons learned, pitfalls to avoid and how this may work for your organization, too.

What will it take to create spaces of work that are relevant to everyone for the future? Will it be better furniture, more variety, high tech innovation, location preference, or something else? Whatever it might be it is going to take everyone to align and do their bit. Driven by economic uncertainty, Developers and Landlords understand and embrace this dynamic and a new trend is beginning to emerge between landlords and occupiers of common spaces in commercial real estate. Come with our speakers on a journey on what’s new when it comes to the creative ways of enticing staff back to the office and what it means for you.

Macquarie tapped Perkins&Will x A+I to help them relocate their North American headquarters and to rethink what a new New York presence might mean to the Australian financial group. Through designing them into a challenging but historic building on Fifth Avenue, the concept of the “Avenue” became not just an organising concept, but akin to a core business strategy masquerading as spatial strategy.