Field Notes
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The Gravitational Center of the Work(place)
When companies show off their new office, you’ll see the pristine lobby, buzzing café, monumental staircase, and tech-rich conference rooms…but almost never the desks.
Why?
Because the center of gravity of work has shifted.
From Boardroom to Beach Club
Vacation brands have quietly solved something workplaces are still struggling with: 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽. If a vacation can convince you to drop some serious cash and cross multiple time zones for a day in the sun, why can’t your job convince you to travel 20 measly miles for a workday?
What We’re Keeping & Leaving Behind: Work(place) Edition
New year, new me. Now that we're nearly a full month into the new year, a reflection: what features of the work(place) are we keeping for 2026 and what are we leaving behind?
Stop Moving People Around Offices & Start Moving Offices Around People
Productivity doesn’t radiate from buildings — it radiates from people.
When you build where your talent already is, you get higher engagement, stronger culture, and smarter real estate. Stop moving people around offices. Start moving offices around your people.
With Cubicles in the Rearview: Ford’s New HQ Shifts Gears
Ford, the nation's oldest automaker still in continuous operation, just redefined its workplace. Trading the iconic "Glass House" for spaces built for collaboration, innovation, and wellness - showing that no legacy is too strong to evolve.
The Future of Work Looks a Lot Like Freshman Year
The office doesn’t need more desks.
It needs a quad.
It needs a commons.
It needs identity, culture, and space for growth.
College campuses have been mastering this for centuries. It's about time we level up our work(place) environments as well
Work(place) as destination, not obligation
Where are you empowered to do your best work? Hint: it's probably an environment that looks + feels more like your favorite boutique hotel lobby or retreat destination than a "conventional" office.
What if your work(place) felt more like your favorite airline club?
What if your work(place) felt more like your favorite airline club? Warm lighting. Fresh food. Worldwide access. Comfortable seating. Abundant WiFI. A space designed for people, not just productivity.
Would mandates be necessary if your office felt more like this?
Great Urban Design makes for Great Work(place) Design
How can great cities teach us to create better Work(place) environments? Let's dive into the importance of Paths, Edges, Districts, Nodes, & Landmarks and how many of our best interior environments incorporate these same lasting design principles.
Experiential (Work)place
How can work(places) take inspiration from experiential retail? By creating spaces that engage, inspire, and connect, we can transform offices into destinations people flock to, not just for the sake of mandate, but because they actually want to be there.
Why Office-to-Residential Conversions Are So Tough & What It Reveals About Our Legacy Office Environments
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀? Past mistakes designing offices for the "machine of work" rather than for people helps to explain what makes office-to-residential conversions so difficult.
Trading Trophy Towers for "Groundscrapers"
Is the Central Business District (CBD) dead or is the form of our modern workplaces just changing? Many companies are ditching high-rise trophy towers for low-slung "groundscrapers", but why?
Work(place) as “Third Place”
Why are the best modern workplaces looking more like cafes and coffeeshops?
Hint: it's about our innate love of "Third Places." Dive into the trend and why this transformation is so very long overdue.
Investing in Work(place)
Rekindling my lost love for writing with some thoughts on the recent news about Walmart's layoffs & shift in workplace strategy. Spoiler Alert: the future of work is distributed and it's about investing in place. Curious what you think?