October 2025
The Shifting Trends of Office Design
Courtesy of Gensler/Gillian Fry
As hybrid work evolves, more companies are starting to rethink design strategies that were meant originally to draw employees back to the office after the pandemic.
Local health-care incubator Matter, for example, recently moved its offices to the second-floor of the Merchandise Mart, opening a roughly 15,000-square-foot space that is more geared toward what its members are looking for today.
The office’s co-working design is an example of evolving post-pandemic work habits, giving members choice throughout the day, whether lounge seating, shared tables, private phone rooms or conference space.
Matter CEO Steven Collens thinks the incubator’s new space offers more flexibility and is optimized for collaboration.
“We’ve got a terrific conference room, meeting facilities and flexible spaces that allow people to convene and collaborate in different ways,” he told the Chicago Business Journal. “We have a few traditional workstations. We’ve got couches and other soft seating, desks that go up and down. It’s different strokes for different folks.”
Matter’s new space no longer features private offices for startups to rent, but rather features a selection of event spaces bookable to members and the public.
Gensler’s Eric Gannon, the principal-in-charge on the project, said every company has different policies in terms of work-in-office versus work-in home, but what is consistent is there’s an evaluation being done right now of “true use.”
Gannon thinks there’s more of a deliberate focus now to make sure spaces are being used to their fullest.
“If you have a dedicated desk but you’re only in one day a week, I think there’s a real strong look at the utilization rates,” he told the Chicago Business Journal.
One of the key takeaways in CBRE’s 2025 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey, released last month, is that assigned seating is becoming less popular as companies continue to adapt their workplace strategies.
In 2025, only 25% of companies reported using only assigned seating — down from 40% in 2024 and 56% in 2023, the survey found. Gensler’s Global Workplace Survey 2025, conducted earlier this year, revealed that “availability” was the No. 1 reason employees choose where to work.
Companies are looking at it from a practical standpoint, Gannon said.
“If you’re only using that desk one day a week, we’ve got to make it available to others and better leverage that space,” he said.
Still, Gannon said, it continues to “run the gamut” when it comes to how companies are setting up their workstations depending on what is most practical for them.
Steve Chrastka, executive vice president and partner at NAI Hiffman, said that in Chicago’s suburban office market, he’s finding that some companies are beginning to rethink office hoteling. One concept popular for its ability to support hybrid work, hot desking or office hoteling, allows employees to use whatever desks or workstations are available rather than having an assigned space. However, some organizations are now questioning whether the model truly fosters productivity.
“I haven’t seen any new tenants build out a hoteling type of scenario,” Chrastka told the Chicago Business Journal.
About NAI Hiffman:
NAI Hiffman is one of the largest independent commercial real estate services firms in the US, with a primary focus on metropolitan Chicago, and part of the NAI Global network. We provide institutional and private leasing, property management, tenant representation, capital markets, project services, research, and marketing services for owners and occupiers of commercial real estate. To meet our clients’ growing needs outside of our exclusive NAI Hiffman territory, we launched Hiffman National, our dedicated property solutions division, which provides property management, project services, and property accounting services across the country. NAI Hiffman | Hiffman National is an award winning company headquartered in suburban Chicago, with more than 275 employees strategically located throughout North America.
About Hiffman National:
Hiffman National is one of the US’s largest independent commercial real estate property management firms, providing institutional and private clients exceptional customized solutions for property management, project management, property accounting, lease administration, marketing, and research. The firm’s comprehensive property management platform and attentive approach to service contribute to successful life-long relationships and client satisfaction. As a nationally bestowed Top Workplace, and recognized CRE award winner, Hiffman National is headquartered in suburban Chicago, with more than 275 employees nationally and an additional six hub locations and 25 satellite offices across North America.
