# Tangram Hosts Expert Panel to Address Eight Trends in Adaptive Workspaces
The modern workplace continues to evolve at breakneck speed. Technology advances, shifting employee expectations, and rapid business growth create complex challenges for organizations trying to create spaces that truly support their people and objectives.
Recently, Tangram brought together leading industry experts at our Downtown LA facility for a panel discussion on **Adaptive Workspaces for Growing Companies**. The conversation revealed eight critical trends that commercial design professionals need to understand when planning for tomorrow's workplace.
## The Expert Panel
Moderated by Nick Meter, Tangram's Vice President of Sales and Customer Experience, the panel featured:
- **Mark Chaput**, Regional Sales Manager, Steelcase - **Sara Escobar**, Director of Workplace Experience, Hulu - **Mark Hershman**, Partner, Shubin Donaldson - **Tony Kantarjian**, Principal, Enter Environments - **Aaron Poladian**, Manager of Real Estate, Planning and Construction, Riot Games
"Managing real estate and creating optimum workspaces are complex tasks for any company," noted Tangram President and CEO Joe Lozowski. "They can be especially challenging when you mix rapid growth with a priority on finding and retaining top talent, all while the very nature of how work gets done is changing every year."
## Eight Key Trends Shaping Adaptive Workspaces
### 1. Flexibility and Adaptability
Design for change, not permanence. This means rethinking fundamental infrastructure elements like power distribution, lighting systems, and HVAC placement. As technology continues to free people from traditional office constraints, spaces must adapt quickly to new work patterns.
The key insight: involve employees in the planning process. No two people work the same way, and successful spaces acknowledge this reality from the start.
### 2. Innovation and Collaboration
Collaboration isn't just encouraged anymore—it's essential to how work gets done. Video conferencing has become ubiquitous, and agile communication methods drive productivity. But creating collaborative spaces isn't enough; change management becomes crucial for motivating people to actually use these next-generation workspaces effectively.
### 3. Strategic Amenities
Companies must distinguish between nice-to-haves and essentials that genuinely contribute to business outcomes. Before adding amenities, survey the surrounding area to avoid duplicating existing services.
Smart organizations work with landlords to negotiate amenities while carefully considering the total cost impact on rent and buildout expenses.
### 4. Regional Office Considerations
Local workforces want to feel valued and connected to their community. Include regional or country managers in planning discussions, and incorporate authentic elements that reflect local area culture.
This approach creates stronger employee engagement and helps remote locations feel integrated into the broader organization.
### 5. Planning for Fast Growth
Anticipated growth may or may not materialize as expected. Companies need to prepare for both scenarios and remain ready for unexpected changes.
Consultants become particularly valuable here, especially for companies without professional facilities management functions. As our panelists noted, organizations often "don't know what they don't know" when it comes to scaling their physical space.
### 6. Coworking as a Strategic Tool
Coworking venues serve as valuable "escape hatches" that provide flexible capacity for managing staff expansion and contraction. Beyond just space flexibility, these environments offer networking opportunities and accommodate different individual working styles.
### 7. Wellbeing and Wellness
Wellness initiatives minimize workflow disruption while supporting employee performance across three key dimensions:
- **Physical**: Ergonomics, air quality, natural light - **Emotional**: Social interaction spaces, community building - **Cognitive**: Privacy options, focus zones, noise management
These aren't luxury additions—they're essential components of productive workspaces.
### 8. Open Space Realities
Open floor plans remain valid options with genuine benefits for interaction and collaboration. However, organizations shouldn't implement them simply because they're trendy.
Successful open spaces require careful consideration of tradeoffs, organizational culture, staff activities, and specific workspace needs. The design must serve the business, not follow fashion.
## Moving Forward
These eight trends highlight a fundamental shift in how we think about commercial spaces. The most successful organizations will be those that view their physical environment as a strategic tool—one that adapts to changing needs while consistently supporting their people's best work.
For commercial design professionals, this means moving beyond traditional space planning toward creating truly adaptive environments that can evolve alongside the businesses they serve.
