Designing Across Generations: How the Multi-Generational Workforce Is Reshaping the Workplace

In recent years, the conversation about the “future of work” has been dominated by one demographic: the next generation. We talk about Gen Z’s expectations, their digital fluency, their hunger for purpose and flexibility. But what if we widened the lens?

That was the starting point for a recent roundtable that brought together professionals from across the generational spectrum, from early-career apprentices to company founders. The aim? To move beyond assumptions and explore how people at different life stages experience, shape, and are shaped by the modern workplace. Hosted by chapmanbdsp, and chaired by Design Insider’s Editorial Director, Alys Bryan, the discussion revealed a new understanding of what it means to design and manage workspaces that truly support a multi-generational workforce.

Contributors:

• Luke Barnett, Electrical Engineer Degree Apprentice, chapmanbdsp
• David Clements, Chairman, Future Designs
• Brian Goldsmith, Board Director, chapmanbdsp
• Tania Guerra, Principal Mechanical Engineer, chapmanbdsp
• Oliver Hall, Partner, Make Architects
• Emily Hubbard, MEP Consultant, BCS
• Niamh Philip, Mechanical Engineer, chapmanbdsp

As Oliver Hall, Partner at Make Architects and National Chair of the BCO NextGen programme, explained:

“We’ve attended so many panels on the ‘future office’, the focus is always on what the next generation wants. But we realised the future of the workplace isn’t just about looking forward. It’s about looking sideways and backwards too. At different points in your life, the office means completely different things. For some, it’s about building a social life. For others, it’s about managing caregiving or focusing on personal goals after decades of work. We wanted to bring those voices together, to understand how design and policy can better reflect all those realities.”

What emerged was a complex, deeply human portrait of today’s workplace, one shaped as much by intergenerational learning and shared values as it is by technology and trends.

Flexibility Isn’t Just About Location, It’s About Life

The pandemic acted as a workplace reset, launching millions into hybrid working models and reshaping expectations about where and how work should happen. But as the panel quickly made clear, “flexibility” means very different things depending on where you are in your career and your life.

Tania Guerra, Principal Mechanical Engineer, chapmanbdsp

For Tania Guerra, a Principal Mechanical Engineer at chapmanbdsp and parent to a young daughter, flexibility is essential to making work and life function together:

“Before I became a parent, I was in the office every day, I even walked to work during lockdown. I didn’t really understand why people worked from home. But after my daughter was born, everything changed. Now, flexibility is what allows me to do my job well and be present for my family. I start earlier some days and finish at 4pm for nursery pick-up. Other days I might leave later or log back on after bedtime. What’s important is the trust, my company trusts me to manage my time and deliver.”

That word ‘trust’ came up repeatedly. For Brian Goldsmith, Board Director at chapmanbdsp, trust is a fundamental shift that’s still bedding in:

“Before 2020, we had a very different culture. Five days in the office was just the norm. Now, there’s an element of letting go, trusting that work will be done even if you can’t see someone at their desk. But flexibility doesn’t mean a free-for-all. Engineers especially benefit from structure. The challenge is building systems that give people autonomy without losing cohesion.”

Brian Goldsmith, Board Director, chapmanbdsp

Brian then commented on the time efficiency associated with the current split between working from home and being in the office:

“I believe the impact on timelines remains relatively neutral, but the question of quality and the need for rework on projects designed during the pandemic continues to affect our industry. Many large developments are either currently on site or have remained dormant for years without being reactivated. Across the board, whether in design, construction, or at handover quality issues have been evident. While being in the office full-time might not have prevented all of these problems, the disruption to the design and construction process during that period was significant. If not for that disruption, we would likely be facing fewer legacy issues today, including some serious ones such as major refits required in high-rise buildings.

For early-career professionals, flexibility has been less about balance and more about access. Luke Barnett, an apprentice electrical engineer at chapmanbdsp, reflected on how hybrid working shaped his introduction to professional life:

“I started my career post-COVID, so hybrid is all I’ve ever known. I was in five days a week at first, which was great for learning, just being around people, watching how they solve problems. But now, I use working from home for focus tasks. It’s easier to bash out schematics without distractions. That said, nothing replaces being in the room when a design meeting happens, the side conversations, the energy, the chance to ask questions. You miss that on Teams.”

Niamh Philip, an intermediate mechanical engineer at chapmanbdsp, agreed, while flexible working is invaluable, she questioned whether it’s a trade-off for more subtle forms of learning:

“I think we’re still figuring it out. When I started, I was in the office five days a week, and that really helped me settle in. But now I often work from home, and I get loads done, especially on technical tasks. But we don’t bump into people like we used to. You don’t overhear things. You don’t have those spontaneous chats where you learn how someone solved a problem. I don’t think that’s just about hybrid – it’s a wider cultural shift.”

Passing the Baton: Intergenerational Mentoring and the Knowledge Gap

While much attention has been given to attracting young talent, less is said about how to preserve and pass on the wealth of experience held by more experienced professionals, especially those nearing retirement. The group reflected on the subtle ways that knowledge is shared and sometimes lost.

Luke Barnett, Electrical Engineer Degree Apprentice, chapmanbdsp

Luke Barnett described his own role as a “sponge,” soaking up insights not only from formal mentors but from simply being in the room:

“Even if I’m not saying much, I learn from how people think, how they communicate with clients, how they problem solve. Every generation in a meeting brings a different lens. I’m always learning.”

But as Oliver Hall pointed out, hybrid setups make it easy for those on the periphery, especially newer staff, to miss out:

“It used to be that attending a design team meeting was a privilege, you went with a senior and absorbed everything. Now, technically, anyone can dial in. But Teams doesn’t replicate that experience. If you’re not in the room when someone’s sketching, sharing references, pointing at a drawing, you miss something. Design is visceral. It happens in layers.”

Oliver Hall, Partner, Make Architects

Mentorship is one of the tools companies are using to bridge that gap, but even that needs to adapt. Brian Goldsmith, who sits on a training and development panel for CIBSE, has seen mentoring evolve:

“We’ve had to think more intentionally about how people learn. Some respond to shadowing, others to written guidance, others to one-on-one coaching. And in a hybrid world, it’s harder to catch those learning moments unless you plan for them. It’s about designing systems, not just buildings, that support growth.”

The emotional resonance of mentoring was also clear. Tania Guerra shared:

“When I started, there was a Board Director who really looked after me. That shaped my whole experience. It’s not just about learning engineering. It’s about feeling like you belong. That builds loyalty.”

Careers in 3D: Rethinking Progression and Ambition

Career development, for previous generations, often meant upward mobility. Today, it means something far more complex. The panel discussed how modern employees, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are redefining ambition, often preferring depth over hierarchy.

David Clements, Chairman, Future Designs

David Clements, Chairman of Future Designs, challenged businesses to rethink how they reward and retain their most experienced specialists:

“If you’ve got someone who’s 48, brilliant at their job, and you promote them into management because that’s the only way to reward them, this might not actually be the career direction they desire. What if they don’t want to manage people? Solution – pay them more, give them recognition, but let them keep doing what they love. Don’t lose your best people to titles they never asked for.”

Emily Hubbard, from BCS, agreed, explaining that organisations need dual tracks for progression:

“We’re seeing it now, technical experts who become the go-to people for complex issues, and then others who excel in managing teams and clients. Both are valuable. We just need to formalise those paths so one isn’t seen as ‘better’ than the other.”

Emily Hubbard, MEP Consultant, BCS

Even at apprentice level, the desire for career exploration is strong. Luke Barnett described wanting to experience both technical and managerial roles before choosing a path:

“I’ve had mentors who’ve moved into project management and others who’ve stayed technical. I want to try both, to see what fits me best. That kind of exposure helps you make smart choices, not just fast ones.”

Culture by Design: From Social Bonds to Sustainability

Perhaps the most wide-ranging section of the discussion focused on culture, what it means, how it’s changing, and how it can be fostered across generations.

Niamh Philip put it simply:

“We’d rather do a job we like less with people we like more, than do a job we love in a miserable environment. Culture is everything.”

Niamh Philip, Mechanical Engineer, chapmanbdsp

That sentiment was echoed by Tania Guerra, who recalled the early years of her career when social initiatives like lunchtime fitness classes helped her meet colleagues across departments.

“We had bootcamps, walks, you met people you’d never work with otherwise. After COVID, a lot of that stopped. Now it takes two weeks to plan a social, because you don’t know who’s coming in.”

The shift to hybrid work has also challenged how culture is communicated. As Brian Goldsmith noted:

 “Culture doesn’t just happen now. It has to be curated.”

For many younger professionals, culture doesn’t exist in a silo, it’s inseparable from values like inclusion, wellbeing, and environmental responsibility. As Niamh noted:

“I wouldn’t necessarily look for a company’s sustainability credentials on day one, but culture gives you clues. If a business cares about its people, it’s probably thinking about its environmental impact too. And when you see forums, events, or even casual conversations around sustainability, it makes you feel like you’re part of something that matters.”

A key part of that culture for younger employees is environmental and social responsibility. While no one in the room said they joined a company solely for its sustainability record, everyone agreed it matters.

Oliver Hall, Partner, Make Architects

And that’s increasingly important, especially as companies compete to attract and retain top talent. As Oliver Hall concluded:

“Designing offices used to be about square footage. Now, it’s about purpose. Sustainability, inclusion, mental health, those aren’t extras. They’re part of why people show up.”

Designing for Everyone: The Physical Workspace Reimagined

While hybrid working has changed how we use office space, the conversation made clear that the office still holds enormous value, not just for productivity, but for learning, wellbeing, and connection. As such, workplace design is evolving fast to support the needs of a truly multi-generational workforce.

Oliver Hall reflected on the challenge of designing inclusive office environments that don’t fall into the trap of designing for only one type of worker:

“We can’t design a workplace around the idea of the ‘average user’ anymore. You might have a company with 100 grads who need space to learn, collaborate, and ask questions. You might have senior professionals who need calm, private focus areas. That’s not a contradiction, it’s a design brief.”

He cautioned against over-theming office spaces with trend-driven amenities that are underused or impractical:

“There’s a danger in trying to tick every box, a nap pod here, a wellness room there. Sometimes what people really need is a well-ventilated room, good light, a desk they can call their own. Design can be more flexible when it’s simpler.”

Brian Goldsmith, Board Director, chapmanbdsp

Brian Goldsmith added that, in many cases, the biggest driver of space planning today isn’t headcount, it’s culture:

“There was an assumption that post-COVID, everyone would downsize. Actually, what’s happened is companies are investing in breakout spaces, amenities, meeting rooms. The value now is in giving people a reason to come in.”

That “reason” varies by generation. For David Clements, founder of Future Designs, physical presence means energy and momentum:

“You can’t beat face-to-face. Not just for productivity, but for confidence. When you walk into a meeting room, you learn by observing, not just what’s said, but how it’s said. That’s really hard to pick up on a screen.”

At the other end of the career spectrum, Luke Barnett, an electrical design apprentice, noted how the office environment enables passive learning:

“I might just be listening in on a meeting, not saying much. But I’m learning so much, how people explain things, how they problem-solve. That doesn’t always happen remotely.”

Alys Bryan, Editorial Director, Design Insider

But the conversation wasn’t about nostalgia for the pre-pandemic office it was about evolution. The group discussed how offices now incorporate a mix of zones: quiet spaces, collaborative tables, wellness amenities, and flexible seating, all helping to accommodate life stage, neurodiversity, and personal working styles.

Still, Emily Hubbard warned that the design intent doesn’t always translate into actual use:

“You walk into some of these amazing new buildings with yoga studios or parent rooms and they’re full of storage boxes. If people don’t know those spaces exist, or don’t feel invited to use them, then what’s the point?”

The solution, the group agreed, lies in policy, not just polish. As Oliver Hall noted:

“Before we spend millions on fit-outs, we need to ask ourselves: what behaviours are we trying to encourage and enable, and what culture are we designing for? Get that right, and the space will naturally support it.”

Designing Forward, Together

As the discussion closed, one question was posed: will we ever return to a five-day office week?

The silence in the room was telling.

But what followed was more important than any prediction. The group didn’t speak in absolutes. Instead, they spoke about adaptability, about workplaces that respond not just to market trends or technology, but to the needs of real people, at every stage of their lives.

Because designing a multigenerational workplace isn’t about compromise. It’s about care. It’s about listening, evolving, and most importantly, designing for difference.