August 9, 2026

AI firms and flexible office operators drive global demand for prime office space

Global demand for prime office space is showing further signs of growth, with almost six in ten of the largest leasing deals in the first half of 2026 involving organisations expanding their footprints, according to new research from Savills. The property consultancy says expansionary deals accounted for 58 percent of activity among the largest prime office transactions it analysed. Just 5 percent involved organisations reducing their space, while the proportion of occupiers relocating or renewing with broadly the same footprint fell from 44 percent in the second half of 2025 to 37 percent in the first six months of this year. (more…)

August 9, 2026

Barbican Centre launches search for furniture designer as part of £231m renewal

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace design

The Barbican Centre has launched an international search for a designer or design team to develop a new furniture strategy for its public spaces as part of its £231 million renewal programme. The commission will involve creating a bespoke range of up to 500 pieces for the Grade II-listed arts centre, alongside identifying opportunities to reuse existing furniture and introduce suitable off-the-shelf products. The appointment is expected to run from 2026 to 2029.

The competition is open to designers and teams based anywhere in the world, with proposals due by 28 August. A shortlist is expected to proceed to a full tender process in September, with an appointment planned for November. The new furniture will be used throughout the Barbican’s public spaces and could include armchairs, sofas, coffee tables, bar stools, communal benches with parasols and stackable chairs for larger events. Accessibility, flexibility and sustainability will be central to the brief.

The work will cover areas including the Lakeside, Sculpture Court and Learning Spaces, as well as redesigned foyers being developed by Allies and Morrison and Asif Khan Studio.

The Barbican said recent audience feedback, inclusive design work and co-design with visitors had highlighted a need for furniture that was more welcoming, cohesive, accessible and adaptable to the range of activities taking place across the centre.

Furniture has played a significant role in the Barbican’s identity since it opened in 1982. Designer Robin Day produced bespoke seating, sofas, chairs and tables specifically for the building, although much of the original furniture has since been replaced.

Philippa Simpson, chief operating officer at the Barbican Centre, said furniture had always helped shape how people experienced the building. “We’re looking for a designer or design team to create objects of quality and comfort, that respond to the Barbican’s extraordinary architecture and artistic purpose,” she said. “We want these new designs to accommodate the remarkable range of activities that take place in our spaces, ensuring every single visitor knows they are welcome.”

Alex Watt, architect at Asif Khan Studio, said the commission offered an opportunity to extend the design thinking being applied to the centre’s foyers, while retaining the character of the original architecture.

The furniture project forms part of the wider Barbican Renewal programme, which is intended to conserve and upgrade the building ahead of its 50th anniversary while improving its accessibility, sustainability and suitability for future use. The centre receives more than 30,000 visitors on an average day.

Image: The Barbican Archive

August 6, 2026

London named world’s most intelligent city in new AI benchmark report from BCG

by Neil Franklin • AI, Cities, News

London has been ranked as the world’s most intelligent city in the inaugural Intelligent Cities Index from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), reflecting the capital’s ability to translate AI, digital technology and innovation into economic opportunity and improved public services. The study assessed 61 major cities across 39 countries against five measures of “intelligent city” maturity: resident outcomes, strategy, technology adoption, ways of working in government and enabling factors such as infrastructure, talent and investment. London topped the overall ranking ahead of Dubai, New York City, Washington DC and Amsterdam. (more…)

August 5, 2026

A beacon of hope in an uncertain world. Works magazine 20 digital edition is here for you

by Mark Eltringham • News, Premium Content, Technology, Workplace design, Works Magazine

The digital edition of issue 20 of Works magazine is now available for you to read here. The new issue explores a workplace sector that is becoming increasingly confident about its future, even as it navigates rapid technological, social and economic change. The latest edition brings together major workplace projects, design debates and industry commentary that point to a common theme: the enduring value of connection, community and shared experience in an age of uncertainty. (more…)

August 4, 2026

Inconsistent recycling bin colours are creating compliance challenges for UK workplaces

by Freddie Steele • Environment, News

A lack of consistency in recycling bin colours across UK local authorities is creating unnecessary complexity for organisations attempting to comply with England’s Simpler Recycling regulations, according to new research based on Freedom of Information requests. Analysis by commercial waste services provider Direct365 found at least 80 different combinations of bin colours are currently in use across 190 local authorities, raising concerns that the absence of a national colour-coding system is undermining efforts to improve recycling performance. (more…)

August 3, 2026

Giving employees a say over office art may boost wellbeing and job satisfaction, review suggests

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Giving employees more control over the artwork displayed in their workplace could improve wellbeing, job satisfaction and engagement, according to a new systematic review from researchers at the University of Roehampton. The review, published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, found evidence that visual office art can have a positive effect on employees’ psychological wellbeing and workplace experience, with the greatest benefits seen when workers are able to choose or position artwork themselves. (more…)

July 23, 2026

UK architects arrive at AI ‘tipping point’ – and a new existential crisis

by Neil Franklin • Architecture, News

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published the results of the third survey among its members into attitudes towards, and usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI).?It outlines how artificial intelligence (AI) adoption has changed, how its use has developed and how design professionals view the AI-influenced future. The poll found that while adoption is widespread, most respondents don’t think AI improves the quality of their work, and have become more pessimistic about their future as well as the long term impact on the profession as the tech reduces the number of entry level roles. (more…)

July 22, 2026

Gen Z workers are socialising more after returning to the office, study suggests

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Almost one in three Generation Z employees say they are socialising more with colleagues since returning to the office more often, according to a new poll from career transition firm Careerminds UK. The survey of 600 UK employees found that 31.7 percent of Gen Z respondents said they socialise more with colleagues now they are spending more time in the workplace. Among millennials, the figure was 17.7 percent. The research was published during International Youth Employment Week and examined how employees’ workplace habits have changed since the return to office and hybrid working. (more…)

July 22, 2026

The Crown Estate unveils two major West End office developments

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

The Crown Estate has announced two major mixed-use developments in London’s West End as part of what it describes as the largest programme of office developments in its history. The projects at 10 Piccadilly and 21–29 Glasshouse Street will deliver a combined 169,300 sq ft of office, retail and hospitality space, continuing the organisation’s programme of refurbishing and redeveloping heritage buildings across its central London estate. The schemes form part of The Crown Estate’s wider strategy for its 10 million sq ft London portfolio, which combines office development with retail, leisure and public realm improvements aimed at maintaining the West End’s appeal as a business and visitor destination. (more…)

July 20, 2026

Railpen secures planning approval for major Smithfield office scheme

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Railpen has secured planning permission for the redevelopment of 12 Smithfield, paving the way for a major office scheme in the City of London as the surrounding area undergoes significant regeneration. The £34 billion Railways Pension Scheme manager plans to transform the existing building into a 122,000 sq ft office development, with completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2028. The scheme is intended to provide new office space alongside retail, café and amenity uses, overlooking the historic Smithfield Market site. The project forms part of wider investment in the Smithfield district, where around £400 million is being invested ahead of the opening of the new London Museum in 2028. The museum will occupy part of the former Smithfield Market complex and is expected to become the centrepiece of a new cultural quarter. (more…)

July 16, 2026

Stirling Prize shortlist shines spotlight on mixed-use regeneration and workplace design

by Neil Franklin • Architecture, News, Workplace design

The transformation of one of London’s busiest transport hubs and a major mixed-use commercial development has secured a place on the shortlist for the 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize, highlighting the growing prominence of workplace-led regeneration among the UK’s most celebrated new buildings. Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s Paddington Square is one of six projects shortlisted for British architecture’s most prestigious award. The development combines offices, retail, public space and improved connections to Paddington Station, reflecting the continued importance of mixed-use schemes in reshaping city centres. (more…)

July 15, 2026

Business leaders expect AI to expand rather than shrink workforces, JLL report claims

by Neil Franklin • AI, News, Workplace

Most senior business leaders expect artificial intelligence to lead to workforce growth and job redesign rather than widespread redundancies, according to new global research from commercial real estate firm JLL. The company’s 2026 Future of Work Survey, based on responses from more than 2,200 C-suite executives and corporate real estate leaders across 21 countries, found that 60 percent of respondents expect their organisations to increase headcount over the coming years, while the same proportion believe AI will reinvent existing roles rather than replace them. The findings challenge what JLL says are widespread concerns about AI-driven job losses, although the report acknowledges that some roles are still expected to disappear as organisations adopt the technology. (more…)

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