Humans may think of themselves as modern, technologically advanced, and future focused. Yet our brains remain wired for survival in environments vastly different from today’s workplaces.

They are still tuned to natural landscapes, social bonds, and wide-open spaces, not the glass towers, virtual meetings, and shared desks of the present. This matters deeply when we design places where people are meant to thrive, connect, and create.

Once hailed as a smart solution to rising rents and agile working, hot desking is being re-evaluated by companies around the world. As employees return to the office post-COVID, many are finding that the model doesn’t support how they work—or how they connect.