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Workplace dictionary 2: fit out, Cat A, Cat B and office technical specifications

BURGG — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:42:37 +0000

In summary

Cat A and Cat B are market conventions: professional industry literature explicitly states that no standard definition exists and that the scope must be specified in the contractual documents.
In Milan and Rome, a mid-standard fit out costs €1,250/sqm in 2026, with reinstatement estimated at €135/sqm (Cushman & Wakefield, Office Fit-Out Cost Guide 2026, Italy).
The EMEA average for a mid-quality corporate office is €1,960/sqm, up 5–7% year on year; mechanical and electrical systems, security, IT and audiovisual systems account for more than 40% of the total cost (JLL, May 2026).
The building management system has a reference standard (ISO 16484 series) and is subject to a European requirement: Directive (EU) 2024/1275 requires automation and control systems in non-residential buildings above 290 kW from 31 December 2024 and above 70 kW from 31 December 2029.
Meeting pods and phone booths have had a comparable measurement method since 2020 with ISO 23351-1, which classifies speech level reduction into classes from A+ to D. Of eleven booths tested in the laboratory, the measured values range from 15.0 to 30.3 dB, with five products in the lowest class and none in A+.

Why these six terms belong together

Anyone fitting out an office encounters these six terms in the same quote. The first three describe the layers of the work: fit out is the process, while Cat A and Cat B are the two levels into which the UK market divides it, with direct implications for who pays and what remains at the end of the contract. The other three describe the equipment: the system that manages building systems and energy consumption, and the two acoustic furnishings that have changed the ergonomics of open-plan offices.

Part 1 of this dictionary covers management and service models. Part 2 moves into fit-out works and technical equipment, with 2026 costs for Milan and Rome where available.

Office Fit out

Definition. The process of making a building’s interiors suitable for occupation after completion of the shell and core. The most widely used operational definition in the UK market describes it as the completion of the internal spaces after the developer has delivered the building envelope. No ISO or EN standard defines the term. The professional reference is the British Council for Offices’ BCO Guide to Fit-Out.

History. The BCO published an edition of the Guide to Fit-Out in 2011. On 30 January 2025, it launched the third edition, the first update in fourteen years, developed under the leadership of Neil Pennell (Landsec) and Peter Williams (Stanhope) with contributions from more than one hundred professionals, and with an explicit focus on hybrid working models and the net zero transition. For end-of-lease obligations, the reference is the RICS Dilapidations standard, seventh edition, published in September 2016 and effective from 1 December 2016, reissued as a professional standard in December 2023.

Usage. Fit out is contractually defined around three points: the scope of works, who finances them, and what happens at the end of the lease. The latter is addressed through dilapidations, which RICS defines as the process associated with alleging a breach of lease obligations concerning the condition or use of the property, typically formalized in a Schedule of Dilapidations. RICS distinguishes between an interim schedule, prepared during the lease, and a terminal schedule, prepared at expiry and setting out handback and reinstatement obligations.

Advantages. A well-specified fit out aligns the space with actual work processes, brings building systems and furnishings into a single budget, and produces the technical documentation needed for certifications and maintenance. The prerequisite is contractual clarity on the scope, since market terminology leaves room for interpretation.

Bibliography.

British Council for Offices, Guide to Fit-Out, 3rd edition, 2025. bco.org.uk/publications/about-our-guides/guide-to-fit-out
JLL, EMEA office fit-out costs guide 2026, May 14, 2026. jll.com/en-uk/guides/emea-fit-out-costs-guide
RICS, Dilapidations, RICS professional standard, England and Wales, 7ª ed., 2016, reissued 2023. rics.org

Category A fit out

Definition. Fit-out level that makes a space marketable, delivered by the landlord or developer. Typical elements include raised floors, basic suspended ceilings, lighting (usually linear), mechanical and electrical services distribution, heating and cooling, fire protection systems, basic surface finishes and window coverings.

The most important point about this category is its nature: industry literature states that no standard definition exists and that the contractual documentation must specify the exact scope. Treating Cat A as a standardized specification leads to comparisons between non-equivalent offers.

History. The BCO document that guides the specification of office buildings is the Guide to Specification, in the 2019 edition, with an update announced on 16 February 2023. That update increased the reference occupancy density from 8 to 10 sqm per person, set BREEAM Excellent and five-star NABERS UK as the minimum targets for new buildings, reduced small power from 100 to 60 W per person, and extended structural spans to 6.0 and 7.5 meters to facilitate the use of alternative materials such as timber. The Cat A+ appears in professional literature in 2023, described by Brodies LLP as a hybrid between Cat A and Cat B, often referred to as plug-and-play space, with kitchens, amenities, partitions, IT infrastructure, furniture and fully completed building systems.

Usage. In a negotiation, Cat A defines the starting condition delivered by the landlord. With Cat A+, the landlord also funds the final fit out, and as Brodies notes, the tenant does not incur upfront fit-out costs, while the financial terms change in terms of rent and incentives because the landlord must recover its investment.

Advantages. For occupiers, a well-documented Cat A space reduces uncertainty around the building systems baseline and makes it possible to estimate customization works accurately. Cat A+ eliminates the construction phase and shortens move-in times.

Bibliography.

British Council for Offices, Guide to Specification, ed. 2019 with the 2023 update. bco.org.uk/publications/about-our-guides/guide-to-specification
British Council for Offices, BCO announces new recommendations for greener and healthier offices, February 16, 2023. bco.org.uk
Hall, L. e Hunter, P., Plug and play (Cat A+) fit-out, Brodies LLP, October 23, 2023. brodies.com/insights/real-estate/plug-and-play-cat-a-fit-out/
Designing Buildings Wiki, Fit out of buildings (on the absence of a standard definition). designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Fit_out_of_buildings

Category B Fit-Out

Definition. Completion of the space according to the specific needs of the occupier. Typical elements include partitions for enclosed offices and meeting rooms, final finishes, branding, signage and wayfinding, furniture and FF&E, kitchens and refreshment areas, reception, dedicated lighting, power and data distribution, access control, ICT and audiovisual equipment.

Storia. La nomenclatura Cat A e Cat B si è consolidata nella pratica del mercato britannico degli uffici e viene descritta in modo convergente dalla letteratura professionale, con la precisazione che una fonte normativa non esiste. Nessun documento reperibile attribuisce la coniatura della coppia terminologica a un ente o a una data.

Usage. Cat B is financed by the occupier, while Cat A remains the landlord’s responsibility. With Cat A+, the landlord funds the fit out upfront and recovers the investment through rent and incentives. Three elements should be defined during negotiations: the exact scope of works, any landlord contribution, and the obligation to remove the fit out at the end of the lease, which the market quantifies as reinstatement.

Advantages. Cat B is the part that translates the organization of work into space: the ratio between workstations and meeting rooms, density, focus areas and brand expression. When managed well, it is also the lever that reduces the total floor area required, because it allows functions to be sized according to actual use.

Bibliography.

Durksen, J. e Rimmer, J., Office fit-out: what’s the difference between a Cat A and Cat B?, M Moser Associates, October 25, 2023. mmoser.com/ideas/office-fit-out-difference-cat-a-and-cat-b/
Cushman & Wakefield, Office Fit-Out Cost Guide, Italy, 2026. cushmanwakefield.com/en/italy/insights/office-fit-out-cost-guide
RICS, Dilapidations, 7ª ed., 2016, riemessa 2023. rics.org

Methodological note: typical Cat B construction timelines and the quantitative relationship between landlord contributions and rent-free months circulate in anecdotal form. The primary sources consulted do not provide verifiable benchmark values, so they should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Building management system (BMS)

Definition. A system that monitors and controls a building’s systems (heating and cooling, ventilation, lighting, energy, access and fire safety) from a single supervisory platform. The internationally standardized term is BACS, Building Automation and Control Systems, covered by the ISO 16484 series. Part 1, in the ISO 16484-1:2024 edition, specifies the guiding principles for system design, engineering, installation and completion, as well as for integrating other systems into it.

History. In 1883, Warren S. Johnson patented the electric tele-thermoscope, the first electric room thermostat; in 1885, he founded the Johnson Electric Service Company in Milwaukee with William Plankinton. In 1922, the pneumatic system was introduced, with claimed fuel savings of up to 35%. In 1972, the JC/80 became the first minicomputer for building systems control, with a claimed 30% reduction in energy consumption. In 1990, Metasys debuted, integrating climate control, energy, lighting, fire safety and security.

On the protocol side: in June 1987, the BACnet project committee met for the first time in Nashville; in 1995, the first publication of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135 (BACnet) was issued, with the current ANSI/ASHRAE 135-2024 edition published on 31 December 2024. On 19 November 2003, ISO 16484-5:2003 on the data communication protocol was published, now replaced by the 2022 edition. KNX was established as an association in 1999 through the convergence of EHS, BatiBUS and EIB/Instabus, and its application layer is standardized by ISO/IEC 14543-3-1:2006. LonWorks is standardized by ISO/IEC 14908-1:2012.

Usage and European requirement. Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings requires BACS in non-residential buildings with an effective rated output above 290 kW from 31 December 2024, and above 70 kW from 31 December 2029, with a general transposition deadline of 29 May 2026. The required capabilities include continuous monitoring, logging, analysis and adjustment of energy consumption, efficiency benchmarking, fault detection, interoperability between systems from different manufacturers, and indoor environmental quality monitoring by 29 May 2026. The framework originates from Directive 2010/31/EU, as amended by Directive 2018/844/EU, and is linked to the voluntary European smart readiness rating scheme established by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2155 of 14 October 2020.

Advantages. Measured rather than estimated consumption, faults detected before service disruption, comfort regulated by zone and time of day, and historical data that can be used for energy certifications and sustainability reporting. For occupiers in a building equipped with a BMS, the most immediate practical benefits are greater stability in thermal and acoustic comfort and greater transparency around energy costs.

Bibliography.

ISO, ISO 16484-1:2024 Building automation and control systems (BACS).Part 1: Project specification and implementation, 2024. iso.org/standard/84890.html
European Parliament and Council, Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings (recast), 24 April 2024. eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1275/oj
BACnet Committee, About the BACnet Standard. bacnet.org/about-bacnet-standard/
Johnson Controls, Our Founder e History. johnsoncontrols.com/about-us/history

Meeting pod

Definition. An enclosed booth located within an open environment, sized for short meetings of two to six people, with acoustic insulation, ventilation, lighting and power supply. The international reference standard for performance is ISO 23351-1:2020, published on 30 June 2020, which establishes the laboratory method for measuring the reduction in occupants’ speech level provided by furniture assemblies and enclosures, excluding individual components such as screens and panels. The measured quantity is speech level reduction, indicated as D(S,A) and expressed in decibels.

History. Framery was founded in Finland in 2010 following an episode documented by the company: the founders were working in an open-plan office, asked their boss to move elsewhere to make phone calls, and were told, “buy me a phone booth.” The first prototype was called Pömpeli, Finnish for box, and the first customer was that same boss. Framery O followed in 2013, with a claimed 30 dB reduction. In 2021, Framery One introduced the connected generation. In 2024, the company reported having produced more than 110,000 booths in total. The publication of ISO 23351-1 in 2020 marked the point at which the category’s acoustic performance claims became comparable.

Usage. Pods are sized according to the ratio between workstations and booth seats, and serve two distinct functions: calls and video calls that would otherwise disturb the open environment, and short meetings that do not justify using a meeting room. The technical selection criteria are the declared ISO class and corresponding decibel value, together with air exchange and ventilation noise levels.

Advantages. Reduced noise pollution in the open-plan office, immediate availability of a private space without booking, installation without construction work, and the ability to reposition the booth. From a real estate perspective, pods provide privacy within an open layout without altering partitions, thereby avoiding reinstatement obligations.

Bibliography.

ISO, ISO 23351-1:2020 Acoustics. Measurement of speech level reduction of furniture ensembles and enclosures.Part 1: Laboratory method, 2020. iso.org/standard/75299.html
Hongisto, V. e Keränen, J., Acoustic performance of eleven commercial phone booths according to ISO 23351-1, Research Reports from Turku University of Applied Sciences 51, 2020.
Framery, 15 Years of Inventing Quiet: How Framery Created the Office Pod, June 4, 2025. framery.com

Framery’s claim to have produced the world’s first commercial booth is a statement made by the company about itself and should be attributed accordingly.

Phone booth

Definition. An acoustic booth for one person, sometimes two, located in an open office for phone calls and video calls, with ventilation, lighting and power supply. Performance is measured and classified under ISO 23351-1:2020, as with meeting pods. No standard defines the term itself, and ISO refers to furniture ensembles and enclosures.

History. The product’s origin is a literal reference to the phone booth, as recounted in Framery’s 2010 story. On 15 August 2018, TechCrunch documented the launch of ROOM, founded in New York by Morten Meisner-Jensen and Brian Chen: ROOM One was priced at $3,495 with free shipping, compared with $6,000–$12,000 for competitors at the time, made from recycled plastic bottles and designed to be assembled in under thirty minutes. At the time, the company was less than a year old, had a revenue run rate of $10 million and around 200 customers. The same article cites Harvard research showing that open-plan offices had reduced face-to-face interaction by 73%, shifting communication to email. With ISO 23351-1 in 2020, the category gained a comparable measurement method.

Usage. The typical setup for an open-plan floor provides one booth for every ten to twenty workstations, calibrated according to the intensity of video calls. The key selection criterion is the measured speech level reduction declared under ISO 23351-1: across eleven commercial booths tested in the laboratory, values range from 15.0 to 30.3 dB, with five products in class D, two in C, three in B, one in A and none in A+. The same study found a statistical correlation between booth floor thickness and acoustic performance, while total mass and external volume were not correlated.

Advantages. Immediate privacy without booking, reduced disturbance for nearby workers, reversible installation, and a unit cost comparable to that of a furnished workstation. In serviced office contracts, booths are provided as part of the shared space, so they do not fall within the occupier’s CAPEX.

Bibliography.

ISO, ISO 23351-1:2020, 2020. iso.org/standard/75299.html
Hongisto, V. e Keränen, J., Acoustic performance of eleven commercial phone booths according to ISO 23351-1, Turku University of Applied Sciences, 2020.
TechCrunch, To fight the scourge of open offices, ROOM sells rooms, August 15, 2018. techcrunch.com/2018/08/15/room-phone-booths/

How much does it cost to fit out an office in Italy in 2026

Item	Value	Source,year,scope
Low-standard fit out	850 €/sqm	Cushman & Wakefield, 2026, Milan and Rome
Mid-standard fit out	1.250 €/sqm	Cushman & Wakefield, 2026, Milan and Rome
High-standard fit out	1.600 €/sqm	Cushman & Wakefield, 2026, Milan and Rome
Reinstatement	85 / 135 / 210 €/sqm	Cushman & Wakefield, 2026, Milan and Rome
Cost increase compared with 2025	+3.8% average, mainly driven by labor costs	Cushman & Wakefield, 2026, Italy
EMEA average, mid-quality corporate office	€1,960/sqm, +5–7% year on year	JLL, 14 May 2026, EMEA
Share of M&E, systems, security, IT and AV	more than 40% of total expenditure	JLL, 2026, EMEA
FF&E	share approximately 14% of project costs	JLL, 2026, EMEA

FAQ

Who pays for an office fit out?

Workplace dictionary 1: who manages the office and under which service model

BURGG — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:22:28 +0000

In summary

Office terminology mixes three different levels: roles (office management, facility management), measured experiences (tenant experience), and commercial models (flex office, Office as a Service, plug & play office). Confusing them leads to comparisons between offers that are not actually comparable.
Only one of these six terms has an internationally standardized definition: facility management, codified by ISO 41011:2024 and the ISO 41001:2018 management system.
Flex office and Office as a Service describe the same direction through two different lenses: the former concerns the contract and scalability, while the latter concerns the scope of services included in the fee.
In Europe, the share of corporate portfolios allocated to flexible space increased from 12% in 2024 to 21% in 2025 (CBRE, October 2025, pan-European scope).
The term “plug & play” describes a state of immediate usability; in English-language industry terminology, the closest concept is the spec suite, fitted out by the landlord before a tenant is secured.

How to read this dictionary

This series brings together the terms that recur in office proposals, tenders and negotiations, organized by semantic field. Part 1 covers the six terms that answer two operational questions: who manages the space and under what contractual model it is delivered.

Office management

Definition. Day-to-day oversight of how an office operates: reception, supplies, supplier relationships, scheduling of shared spaces, document security, operating budget, and coordination of the people who work there. No standards body has codified the role. The relevant professional association, IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals), describes administrative professionals as people responsible for completing administrative tasks and coordinating information and people in an office environment.

History. The foundational text of the discipline is Scientific Office Management by William Henry Leffingwell, published in 1917: it applied to office work the principles of scientific management then being used in factories. The professional association’s history begins in 1942 with the founding of the National Secretaries Association, which in 1951 introduced the first Certified Professional Secretary examination, administered to 281 candidates. The association became Professional Secretaries International in 1981, IAAP in 1998, and in 2001 launched the CAP (Certified Administrative Professional) credential. The shift in terminology from secretarial work to office management accompanied that trajectory, although there is no single document that dates it precisely.

Usage. In Italian organizations, the office manager often covers a hybrid scope: procurement, light facility management, internal events, onboarding, and relations with the workspace provider. In serviced office contracts, this is the person who liaises with the house management team and measures the quality perceived by colleagues.

Advantages. Structured office management reduces the time technical and commercial teams spend on non-core activities, tracks recurring costs in a way that can be compared year over year, and maintains a single point of contact with workspace suppliers. In companies with fewer than fifty employees, it is the function that makes the true cost of an office visible.

Bibliography.

Leffingwell, W. H., Scientific Office Management, A. W. Shaw Company, Chicago/New York, 1917. Full text: archive.org/details/scientificoffice00leff
IAAP, IAAP History, International Association of Administrative Professionals. iaap-hq.org/page/iaap_history

Facility management

Definition. ISO 41011:2024, clause 3.1.1, defines facility management as the organizational function that integrates people, place and process within the built environment, with the aim of improving people’s quality of life and the productivity of the organization’s core business. The same wording already appeared in ISO 41011:2017. The certifiable management system is ISO 41001:2018.

History. In 1978, Herman Miller Research Corporation hosted the Facility Influence on Productivity conference, which brought together the founders of the industry association. In May 1980, the National Facility Management Association was established in Houston, with 47 participants attending its first meeting in October. The name IFMA was adopted in 1982, with the chartering of the Toronto chapter and incorporation in Ann Arbor. IFMA issued its first official definition of FM in 1986. In Europe, the network originated from an exploratory meeting in the Netherlands in 1987 and was formally registered in 1993 as the European Facility Management Network. For many years, the European standard EN 15221-1:2006 provided the reference definition across the continent, before being replaced by EN ISO 41011:2018.

Usage. The scope ranges from hard services (building systems, planned and corrective maintenance, energy) to soft services (cleaning, reception and house management, security, landscaping, catering, waste management). These services may be provided under fixed-fee, consumption-based or outcome-based contracts, with service-level indicators. In the Italian office market, they are outsourced as individual services, bundled packages or under a global service contract.

Advantages. ISO standardization makes specifications and offers comparable, something that rarely happens elsewhere in workplace terminology. Facility management governed through performance indicators shifts spending from repair to prevention, extends the useful life of building systems, and creates the historical data needed for energy certifications and sustainability reporting.

Bibliography.

ISO, ISO 41011:2024 Facility management. Vocabulary , 2ª ed., 2024. iso.org/standard/82405.html
ISO, ISO 41001:2018 Facility management. Management systems , 2018. iso.org/standard/68021.html
IFMA, History. ifma.org/about/about-ifma/history/

Tenant experience

Definition. Overall quality of the experience of those who occupy a property, measured from the perspective of the people using it: access, services, comfort, communication, community, and time lost on ancillary activities. No standards body has codified the term, and the most common definitions come from technology providers. The strongest institutional reference is the British Council for Offices’ 2017 research, Office Service Standards and Customer Experience, which proposes a Building Performance Scorecard to assess performance from the perspective of owners, property managers and occupiers, and calls on the real estate sector to rethink service delivery starting from customer requirements.

History. History. In 2010, Tim Oldman founded Leesman to measure the impact of the workplace on employees: the Leesman Index is a score from 0 to 100 based on an anonymous questionnaire of around eighty questions. In 2013, WiredScore was founded in New York to certify the digital connectivity of buildings. On 17 October 2017, the BCO presented the research cited above in London, commissioned by its Occupier Group together with British Land, Broadgate Estates, CBRE and Legal & General, and that work led to the creation of the BCO Customer Experience Award. On 20 April 2021, WiredScore launched SmartScore, a smart building certification that debuted with 44 property owners covering 70 buildings across seven countries.

Usage. In practice, tenant experience is measured through three categories of data: periodic occupier surveys, space utilization data, and service indicators (response times to requests, meeting room availability, connectivity uptime). In multi-tenant business centers, operational oversight is handled by the house management team, which brings together reception, services and community life.

Advantages. For the occupying company, measuring the experience makes something negotiable that would otherwise remain a matter of personal perception. For the property owner, measured experience correlates with tenant retention and reduces the cost of re-letting the space.

Bibliography.

British Council for Offices, Office Service Standards and Customer Experience, 2017. bco.org.uk
WiredScore, 44 landlords commit 70 buildings to SmartScore, April 22, 2021. wiredscore.com/blog/2021/04/22/new-certification-for-smart-buildings/
Leesman, official website, employee experience benchmark. leesmanindex.com

Flex office

Definition. An office available under shorter-term contracts, with adjustable space and services included in the fee. It includes coworking, serviced private offices, business centers and hybrid spaces. The institutional reference is the BCO’s 2019 research The Rise of Flexible Workspace in the Corporate Sector, which analyzes five business models applicable to large organizations in the United Kingdom.

History. In 1978, Alf Moufarrige launched Servcorp in Sydney by dividing up space in the MLC Centre, with the stated aim of reducing overhead costs through shared office resources; in 1980, the same company introduced the virtual office concept. In 1979, the first business centre in the United Kingdom opened in Northampton. In 1989, Mark Dixon founded Regus in Brussels, which listed in London in 2000 at a valuation of £1.6 billion, filed for Chapter 11 protection for its US operations in 2003 after the dot-com bubble, acquired HQ Global Workplaces in 2004 and Spaces in 2015. In December 2016, the holding company IWG was established, headquartered in Zug. Some industry sources trace the first executive suites in the United States back to the 1960s, citing OmniOffices in 1962 and Paul Fegen’s furnished law suites in 1966: these dates are reported by AllWork.Space but are not confirmed by independent historical documentation.

Usage. Companies use flex space for three recurring reasons: entering a new market without capital commitments, absorbing growth or contraction between two planning cycles, and covering the need for collaborative spaces that the main lease does not provide. In Italy, office take-up remains concentrated on smaller units: in the first quarter of 2025, more than 60% of transactions in Rome involved spaces of less than 1,000 sqm (JLL, April 2025).

Advantages. A single predictable fee, no upfront fit-out investment, reconfigurable space, pay-per-use meeting rooms, and activation times measured in days. The economic benefit becomes clear when calculating the total cost of occupancy, which combines rent, services, utilities and internal management hours.

Bibliography.

CBRE, European Flex Market Update 2025, October 20, 2025, pan-European scope. cbre.com/insights/reports/business-insights-european-flex-market-update-2025
Cushman & Wakefield, Global Flexible Office Trends 2025, 2025, global scope. cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights/global-flexible-office-trends
British Council for Offices, The Rise of Flexible Workspace in the Corporate Sector, October 16, 2019, scope UK. bco.org.uk
JLL, In Q1 2025, the office leasing market recorded nearly 130,000 sqm of take-up across Milan and Rome, 11 April 2025. jll.com

Office as a Service (OaaS)

Definition. A model in which the workspace is delivered as an ongoing service, with a defined scope of included services (space, furniture, connectivity, energy, cleaning, reception, maintenance, meeting rooms, community) and a single recurring fee. The term is used commercially without a standardized definition. The most authoritative document supporting this approach is the BCO’s 2017 research cited above, which calls on the sector to treat the office as a service rather than as a commodity.

History. The “space as a service” framing became established in industry literature around 2017 and 2018. On 6 April 2018, Antony Slumbers published Space As A Service, but bigger than that, in which he described it as a philosophy of space, summarized by the phrase “Service not Product, long not short term”. In the same article, Slumbers stated that he had not coined the term, referring to a discussion about priority with Duke Long. The morphological link with Software as a Service is plausible but remains undocumented.

Usage. When comparing offers, OaaS describes the scope: which cost items are included in the fee and which remain the company’s responsibility. It is the right lens for building a Total Cost of Occupancy table, adding together rent, utilities, facility management, cleaning, IT, amortized furniture, meeting rooms and the internal working hours absorbed by management.

Advantages. Predictable spending, a single invoice, no fit-out CAPEX, responsibility for service levels resting with the provider, and the ability to shift into the operating budget what would be a multi-year investment under the traditional model.

Bibliography.

British Council for Offices, Office Service Standards and Customer Experience, 2017. bco.org.uk
Slumbers, A., Space As A Service, but bigger than that, April 6, 2018. antonyslumbers.com/theblog/2018/4/6/space-as-a-service-but-bigger-than-that

Plug & play office

Definition. Space delivered ready to use: fitted out, furnished, wired, with building systems, restrooms and a break area fully operational, and occupiable without any further work. No standards body has defined the term. The closest technical term in commercial real estate is spec suite, which Colliers describes as space fitted out by the landlord on a speculative basis, before a tenant has been identified, and delivered move-in-ready.

History. Spec suites have been an established offering for decades in English-speaking markets and have returned to prominence following post-pandemic shifts in demand, with documented concentrations in the US markets of Charlotte, Miami and Nashville (Colliers, 2024). In the United Kingdom, the contractual variant is Cat A+, discussed in professional literature since 2023 as a hybrid between Cat A and Cat B and explicitly described as plug-and-play space (Brodies LLP, 23 October 2023).

Usage. In US markets, the typical spec suite is under 10,000 sq ft, approximately 930 sqm, with demand concentrated between 1,500 and 6,000 sq ft, approximately 140–560 sqm, and lease terms of three to five years for smaller tenants (Colliers, 16 October 2024). In the Italian market, the equivalent format can be found in business centers and serviced offices.

Advantages. Activation time reduced to days, no construction work to manage, no risk of cost overruns during fit-out, and no obligation to restore the space at the end of the lease. The trade-off lies in the financial terms: the landlord, having funded the fit-out upfront, recovers that investment through rent and incentives, as the literature on Cat A+ notes.

Bibliography.

Skorupski, M., The Popularity of Spec Suites, Colliers Knowledge Leader, October 16, 2024. knowledge-leader.colliers.com/marianne-skorupski/the-popularity-of-spec-suites/
Hall, L. e Hunter, P., Plug and play (Cat A+) fit-out, Brodies LLP, October 23, 2023. brodies.com/insights/real-estate/plug-and-play-cat-a-fit-out/

A useful clarification in negotiations: spec suite and plug & play are not synonyms. The former describes the landlord’s investment decision, while the latter describes the space’s state of readiness for use.

How the six terms fit together

The first three terms describe who is responsible for the space: office management sits within the occupying organization, facility management oversees the building’s systems and services, and tenant experience is the outcome perceived by the people who work there. The other three describe how the space is brought to market: flex office defines the contract, Office as a Service defines the scope of services, and plug & play defines the condition in which the space is delivered.

An offer can be flex but not plug & play, for example a basic floor with a short-term contract. It can be plug & play but not flex, for example a spec suite with a five-year lease. Checking the three dimensions separately helps avoid paying twice for the same promise.

FAQ

Are facility management and office management the same thing?

Hybrid work and spaces: when the office gets in the way instead of enabling work

BURGG — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 10:33:40 +0000

In summary

Hybrid work has concentrated office attendance into two or three days, leaving the space underused for the rest of the week.
A layout designed around full daily occupancy does not respond well to this pattern and begins to hinder, rather than enable, the way people work.
The Workspace Alignment Index measures this gap across two of its four dimensions: Spatial & Operational Fit and Flexibility & Future Readiness.
The problem does not stem from choosing hybrid work: it stems from the gap between the existing layout and the behaviours that layout is supposed to support.
Reducing this gap starts with an operational question: what is the space actually used for, every day, and how often?

When office attendance is concentrated on just a few days of the week while the layout remains designed for full daily occupancy, the space stops supporting people’s actual activities and begins to restrict them. For a company with a hybrid team, this gap between layout and behaviour is the most common reason why an office, even if well located and well furnished, no longer works as it should. The first article in this series introduced the Workspace Alignment Index (WAI) and its four dimensions; this article looks more closely at the two dimensions that specifically capture the gap between the office and hybrid work.

What happens when the layout does not adapt to hybrid work

Most offices in use today were designed when working on-site was the daily norm: one desk per person, meeting rooms sized for the busiest day of the year, and a mix of spaces designed for consistent occupancy from Monday to Friday. Hybrid work has changed behaviour without, in most cases, changing the layout as well.

The result is a gap that builds up day after day, rather than a sudden breakdown: on peak days (typically Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), meeting rooms are booked at the last minute, informal work areas are in short supply, and phone booths are always occupied. On low-attendance days, the same floor space remains empty while still being paid for. The office, originally designed to enable work, begins to buckle under the weight of behaviours it was never designed to accommodate.

Why it matters for those managing people and spaces

For HR managers, office managers and operations managers, the gap between layout and actual attendance has two direct consequences. The first is economic: companies continue to pay for space sized for full occupancy, while actual usage is concentrated on two or three days. The second concerns employee experience: on peak days, people struggle to find the right space for the activity they need to carry out, which affects focus, collaboration and the perception of the company as an employer that cares about its team.

The combination of these two consequences is what makes the issue urgent for those making decisions today about lease renewals, reorganizations or new locations: a misaligned office costs more and performs worse at the same time.

Hybrid work changes attendance patterns: the data

According to CBRE data (2026), already referenced in the first article in this series, projects adopting Activity-Based Working principles doubled in one year, rising from 17% to 40% of the total analyzed: demand for spaces aligned with actual work patterns is already taking shape, not a future hypothesis.

On the occupancy side, Basking.io’s Q1 2026 Global Workplace Occupancy Benchmarks report records an average global building utilization rate of 53%, up from 38% in 2024, with peak utilization reaching 80% against a typical target of 65%. Over the same period, the share of employees attending the office three or four days a week rose to 55%, an increase of 19 percentage points in just one year: working on-site on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with Monday and Friday remote, has become the most common pattern of structured hybrid work.

These are global figures, but the trend is the same as that observed in the Italian market: office attendance is concentrated rather than evenly distributed throughout the week. A layout that fails to account for this concentration works against its own objectives.

The two dimensions of the Workspace Alignment Index that capture the gap

The Workspace Alignment Index measures workspace performance across four dimensions, each scored from 1 to 5. Two of these dimensions directly address hybrid work and space.

Spatial & Operational Fit assesses how closely the layout aligns with actual work patterns. An office with a low score in this dimension shows exactly the symptoms described above: meeting rooms that are always full on certain days, empty spaces on others, and a mix of work settings that does not reflect how people actually work throughout the day.

Flexibility & Future Readiness assesses the scalability of the space, contractual flexibility, the role of enabling technology and readiness for change over a two- to three-year horizon. A company whose team changes in composition or ways of working needs to know whether its space can adapt, or whether every change requires a lengthy and rigid contract renegotiation.

The two dimensions should be considered together: a misaligned layout (low Spatial & Operational Fit) becomes a structural problem when the contractual structure does not allow it to be corrected within a reasonable timeframe (low Flexibility & Future Readiness).

What to do when the office is no longer aligned

The first step is to measure, not assume. Before making changes to the layout, it is useful to map actual attendance patterns: which days, which times and which activities (individual focus work, calls, team meetings, spontaneous collaboration). This map provides the direct input for reassessing your profile across the two WAI dimensions.

The second step is to rethink the mix of spaces according to Activity-Based Working principles: fewer assigned fixed workstations, more shared spaces sized around actual peak demand, and a balance between private and communal areas based on collected data rather than on a layout inherited from the pre-hybrid era.

The third step concerns the contractual structure: space that can expand or contract as the team changes, with meeting rooms and shared spaces paid for based on actual usage, reduces the risk of remaining tied to a layout that hybrid work has already outgrown. The same principle was addressed from a cost perspective in the article “From the office as a fixed cost to the office as a governable system”.

An applied example: a hybrid team in Milan

Imagine a fifteen-person team based in a center like The Hive at MIND in Milan, working in a hybrid model with peak attendance on Tuesday and Wednesday. In a traditional layout, the company would have fifteen assigned desks, occupied on average only 40–50% of the week and overcrowded on the two peak days, with meeting rooms booked weeks in advance and no room for spontaneous work.

In the shared-space and Social Floor model, the same team has access to a mix of informal workstations, meeting rooms bookable based on actual usage, and individual focus areas, sized around peak attendance on Tuesday and Wednesday rather than full daily occupancy. Costs remain proportional to usage, peak days no longer create competition for space, and the workspace can grow with the team without renegotiating a rigid multi-year contract.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the problem only affect large companies with multiple locations?

From the office as a fixed cost to the office as a manageable system

BURGG — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:31:02 +0000

In summary

For many companies, the office remains a static cost item: rent, operating expenses and fit-out, with little visibility into what happens over time. Today, that model is showing its limitations.
Hybrid work, variable occupancy and changing employee expectations have transformed the office into a dynamic infrastructure that needs to be actively managed.
Managing the workspace means aligning cost, usage and value generated, rather than simply recording a fixed expense on the balance sheet.
Those who manage the workspace now have the tools to move from passive management to active governance, with a direct impact on costs, performance and team well-being.

From a static balance-sheet item to dynamic infrastructure

In the first article in this series, we broke down the office’s Total Cost of Occupancy item by item: rent, operating expenses, fit-out, technology and hidden costs. Once that cost becomes transparent, the question moves one step further: how do you manage, day by day, what was previously just a line item on the balance sheet?

For decades, office real estate was managed as a relatively stable cost line: rent, operating expenses, upfront investments and limited visibility into what happened afterwards. That model worked as long as work itself remained stable.

The landscape has changed. This issue is explored in an analysis by Limitless Workspace, the advisory platform within the Stella editorial ecosystem dedicated to the economics of the workplace: the workspace has become one of the most complex infrastructures to manage within organizations. Hybrid work models, fluctuating occupancy, cost pressures and evolving employee expectations have transformed the office from a stable asset into a dynamic system. Hybrid work has exposed a fundamental contradiction: companies have changed the way they work, but not always the way they manage space. This is where structural inefficiencies arise—inefficiencies that marginal adjustments cannot solve.

What it means to manage the office rather than be constrained by it

There is a clear difference between managing a cost and governing a system. Managing means paying bills, renewing contracts and keeping spaces in order. Governing means understanding how space is used, aligning spending with actual usage and directing decisions toward the value the office generates for people and the business.

Limitless Workspace brings the key question to the forefront: how manageable is the cost of the office? A well-governed office has transparent costs, a flexible contractual structure and alignment between the space being paid for and the space actually used. An office that is merely managed remains opaque, rigid and generally oversized compared with the work that actually takes place within it.

The three levers of workspace governance

Workspace governance is built on three practical levers.

Cost transparency is the foundation. As long as expenses remain scattered across contracts, suppliers and functions, every decision is based on partial information. Bringing the Total Cost of Occupancy together into a single framework makes what was previously fragmented clear and understandable.

Aligning cost with usage is the lever that hybrid work has made increasingly urgent. Paying for space sized for full occupancy when actual usage is lower creates underused capacity. Adjusting space and services to actual demand brings spending back into proportion with value.

Structural flexibility completes the picture. A contract that allows companies to expand or reduce their space as the team changes turns a multi-year constraint into an adaptable resource. Limitless Workspace describes this shift as the move from passive management to active governance, and from fragmented visibility to integrated understanding.

Spending better before spending less

A common mistake is to view the workspace purely as a cost-cutting exercise. More mature organizations take a different approach: their goal is to spend better. This means aligning costs with actual usage, introducing more flexible cost structures, reducing hidden inefficiencies and turning the workplace into a driver of performance.

This is where the cultural shift takes place. The guiding question becomes: how can every euro invested in the office generate value in terms of productivity, well-being and the ability to attract and retain talent? Stella33 applies the same principle through a management model that puts the client at the center and adapts the product-service offering to their actual needs, creating a competitive advantage over alternative workspaces.

How Stella33 turns space into a manageable system

Stella33 designs workplace ecosystems that integrate space, services, technology and community into a single model. For those managing the workspace, this means having a system that is governable by design, rather than a space that has to be pieced together contract by contract.

Costs are consolidated into a single invoice, with charges aligned to actual usage: shared spaces and meeting rooms are paid for based on how much they are used, bringing spending in line with real occupancy. The amount of space can expand or contract as the team changes, introducing the contractual flexibility that a traditional 6+6 lease does not offer. Day-to-day management, from house management to digital space booking via app, is included, freeing up internal time that would otherwise be absorbed by operational tasks.

The principle guiding our approach is that every space is a strategic lever for the company. Our offices in Milan and the services included are designed accordingly: as components of a system that is transparent, adaptable and focused on the performance of the team using it.

An applied example: rethinking the office for a hybrid team in Milan

Imagine a twelve-person team working in a hybrid model in Milan, with office attendance concentrated on two or three days a week. In a static model, the company pays in full for a space sized around peak occupancy, including large meeting rooms used only a few hours each week. Underused space becomes a pure cost, while a rigid contractual structure makes it difficult to adjust.

In a governable model, the same company sizes its private offices around actual attendance, uses coworking spaces and meeting rooms according to real demand, and adjusts the amount of space as the team changes. Spending becomes proportional to occupancy, internal time is freed from day-to-day operational management, and the office stops being a fixed cost to be endured and becomes a tool that supports the way people work. The result is the same quality of space, with far greater control over costs and flexibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

What distinguishes a “governed” office from a “managed” one?

Workspace Alignment Index: Measuring Workspace Performance

BURGG — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:32:02 +0000

In summary

The Workspace Alignment Index (WAI) is a self-assessment tool designed to measure workspace performance across four dimensions: cost efficiency, space adequacy, impact on people, and flexibility.
The result is a composite score from 1 to 5 for each dimension, highlighting the gap between what is paid and the value received.
It is a diagnostic tool: it does not prescribe solutions, but provides the data needed to inform any decision about the workspace.
It is designed for HR managers, office managers, CFOs, and operations leaders who want to move beyond intuition-based workspace management.
The WAI is available on Limitless Workspace; this article explains its underlying rationale and how to interpret the results.

How many companies truly know whether their office is working? Most assess the workspace in terms of cost per square metre and number of workstations—useful metrics, but insufficient to determine whether the office supports people, productivity, and the organisation’s growth ambitions. The Workspace Alignment Index was created to bridge this gap.

What Is the Workspace Alignment Index?

The WAI is a structured self-assessment framework developed by Limitless Workspace to measure workspace performance across four key dimensions. Each dimension receives a score from 1 to 5, resulting in an overall diagnostic profile of the office. It is not a judgement, but a map showing where the workspace performs well and where it is leaving value on the table.

It is described as a self-assessment tool because the company itself completes it by answering structured questions about its own context. The aim is not to rank offices in absolute terms, but to make visible the gap between the workspace a company has and the workspace it needs.

The Four Dimensions of the WAI

1.Economic Efficiency

This dimension measures how effectively the company manages its Total Cost of Occupancy (TCO): how well it understands the true cost of its workspace, how predictable that cost is, and how closely it aligns with actual usage. Underused offices paid for at full cost, hidden expenses embedded in traditional contracts, and limited visibility into the cost structure are all brought to the surface.

2.Spatial & Operational Fit

This dimension assesses how closely the layout reflects actual work patterns. An office designed for everyone to be present full-time is poorly suited to hybrid teams whose attendance peaks on three days a week and whose activities change throughout the day. It measures the extent to which the physical workspace is designed around people’s behaviours, in line with the principles of Activity-Based Working.

3.People & Performance

This dimension measures the impact of the workplace environment on employee experience, focus, engagement, and the ability to attract talent. The workspace influences both well-being and the company’s attractiveness as an employer. It brings the employee perspective into workspace decision-making, complementing the economic dimension with the lived experience of the people who use the space.

4.Flexibility & Future Readiness

This dimension assesses workspace scalability, contractual flexibility, the role of enabling technology, and readiness for change over a two- to three-year horizon. A growing company, or one undergoing reorganisation, needs to know whether its workspace is supporting or constraining it. This dimension measures the environment’s capacity to adapt.

Why a Score Changes Decision-Making

Workspace management often suffers from three structural weaknesses: fragmented data across different functions—HR, finance, operations, and facilities—disconnects between cost and actual usage, and a lack of visibility into hidden costs. The WAI addresses these three weaknesses through a systematic approach.

When the result is expressed as a number, the conversation changes. A score of 2.8 out of 4 in the Spatial & Operational Fit dimension becomes a starting point for a discussion between HR and real estate, whereas “the layout does not work” remains a subjective impression. The score does not make the decision, but it gives structure to the discussion and makes it possible to compare different situations over time or across locations.

According to CBRE data (2026), Activity-Based Working concepts more than doubled within a year across the projects analysed, rising from 17% to 40%. Demand for workspaces that better reflect actual working patterns is already growing; the WAI helps organisations understand that demand within their own context before making structural decisions.

How It Works in Practice

The WAI is completed as a structured questionnaire, with questions covering each of the four dimensions. It does not require complex technical data: it draws on information that HR managers, office managers, and operations leaders already have or can easily collect.

The assessment takes relatively little time to complete—approximately 20 to 30 minutes. The result is a profile for each dimension and a composite score that can be reviewed over time, to track how the profile evolves, or comparatively, to assess differences across multiple locations within the same company.

The tool is hosted on Limitless Workspace, Stella33’s editorial and methodological platform, where it is available in a self-service format. For organisations seeking a deeper analysis, the WAI output can serve as the starting point for a guided assessment with the Stella33 team, which operates business centres in Milan and Venice and has first-hand knowledge of the variables highlighted by the questionnaire.

What to Do with the Results

A low score in Economic Efficiency indicates that the workspace’s overall TCO should be analysed, including costs that do not appear under the “rent” line in the financial statements. A low score in Spatial & Operational Fit suggests mapping employees’ actual behaviours before making any changes to the workspace. A weak People & Performance profile is a signal that should be brought to the attention of those responsible for employee engagement and talent retention.

The WAI does not prescribe a solution; it indicates where to look. What an organisation does with the insights depends on its specific context, including company size, growth stage, existing real estate contract, and team composition. This is why the WAI works best as the starting point for a conversation rather than as a checklist to complete and file away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the WAI Suitable for Every Type of Company?

How Much Does Your Office Really Cost? The Total Cost of Occupancy Many Businesses Overlook

BURGG — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:24:31 +0000

Quick summary

Total Cost of Occupancy (TCO): the sum of all the costs associated with an office, including rent, operating expenses, fit-out, services, technology, and the hidden costs that rarely appear under a single line item in the budget.
In most companies, office costs are fragmented across different contracts, suppliers, and departments, making it easy to underestimate the true cost of the workplace.
For a company with 6–12 employees, in the same area of Milan, a serviced office can reduce occupancy costs by around 30% compared to a traditional lease, thanks to the elimination of upfront investment, day-to-day operational management, and unexpected expenses.
Those managing the workspace should start by looking at the total cost, rather than just the rent, when deciding between a traditional lease and a serviced office.

Workspace managers should consider total costs, not just rent, when choosing between a traditional lease and a serviced office.

The true cost of your office is almost always higher than the rent stated in the contract. Beyond the rent, there are shared expenses, utilities, maintenance, cleaning, reception, meeting rooms, connectivity, furniture, and internal time spent on tasks unrelated to your core business. The sum of all these costs is known as the Total Cost of Occupancy. Calculating it fully is the first step to understanding whether your current office is truly working in your favor.

What is Total Cost of Occupancy

The Total Cost of Occupancy (TCO) measures everything a company spends to occupy and operate its workspace throughout the entire period of use. It includes explicit costs, first and foremost rent, as well as all related expenses such as operational services, technology, fit-out, and indirect costs that often remain hidden.

The concept originated in the corporate real estate sector and is now one of the key metrics closely monitored by CFOs, as office costs are often among the most significant items in the income statement, second only to personnel expenses. According to the analysis by [ ], a workspace evolution advisory platform, the real challenge for companies is not only how much the office costs, but also how manageable that cost is.

Why rent only tells part of the story

Anyone evaluating an office by looking only at the price per square metre is only seeing the beginning of the story. Rent is the most visible and easiest cost to compare, which is why it often drives the decision-making process. However, the true cost impacting the balance sheet includes much more.

Three weaknesses are common across almost all companies:

Data fragmentation: expenses are spread across rent, facilities, technology, services, human resources, and indirect costs, and are rarely consolidated into a single, coherent overview.
Misalignment between cost and usage: many companies still pay for office spaces designed for full occupancy, while hybrid work has reduced the actual use of available square metres.
Hidden costs: from operational inefficiencies to the time spent on non-core activities and administrative tasks.

Limitless Workspace identifies these three factors as the reason why many office-related decisions are made based on incomplete information.

The five components of the true cost of an office

To fully understand the Total Cost of Occupancy, it is useful to group it into five main cost categories.

Direct real estate costs

Rent, operating expenses, and service charges. These are the most visible costs and the easiest to forecast.

Operational costs

Utilities, maintenance, cleaning, reception, and day-to-day workspace management. In a traditional lease, these costs are entirely the company’s responsibility and are managed through separate contracts.

Technology costs

Connectivity, IT infrastructure, booking systems, access control, and digital tools for workspace management.

Capital costs (CAPEX)

Fit-out, furniture, systems, and adaptation works. These represent an upfront investment that impacts a long-term lease from day one, even before the office becomes fully operational.

Indirect and opportunity costs

The hardest costs to quantify: internal time spent managing the office, underutilized spaces, and limited flexibility when the team grows or downsizes. Limitless Workspace refers to these as hidden cost exposure and identifies them as the portion that most often remains out of control.

Hidden costs: the portion of expenses that escapes control

Hidden costs deserve a dedicated section because they are what make the difference between an estimate and a reliable calculation.

A large meeting room used only a few hours a week is space you are paying for but not fully using.
A team that spends entire days coordinating cleaning suppliers, maintenance providers, and connectivity contracts is using valuable time that could be dedicated to core business activities.
A rigid lease that prevents a company from reducing or expanding its office space as the team changes creates an opportunity cost that never appears on any invoice.

Making these costs visible is exactly the goal of a thorough Total Cost of Occupancy calculation. The value of this exercise lies in bringing to light what usually remains hidden.

How Stella33 makes Total Cost of Occupancy predictable

Stella33 designs work ecosystems that integrate space, services, technology, and community into a single serviced office solution. For workspace managers, this translates into a Total Cost of Occupancy that is easier to understand, predict, and manage.

Stella33’s offices for rent in Milan come fully furnished and ready to use, with services included in a single fee: reception (managed according to the Stella33 house management approach), meeting rooms, lounges, phone booths, connectivity, and digital workspace management through an app. The costs that, in a traditional lease, are spread across multiple suppliers are consolidated into a single invoice, with expenses aligned with the actual use of the space. The upfront investment in fit-out and furniture is absorbed by the serviced office model, freeing up capital that can be allocated to the business.

The principle behind our approach is simple: every workspace is a strategic asset for a company, and office costs become a clear, predictable figure aligned with how the space is actually used.

An applied example: a 6–12 person team in Milan

Let’s imagine a nine-person company evaluating two options in the same area of Milan: a traditional leased office and a Stella33 serviced office.

Traditional lease

The budget starts with the rent, but the true cost grows item by item: service charges, initial fit-out, furniture, connectivity contracts, cleaning, maintenance, and the share of internal time someone in the company will need to dedicate to managing it all. On top of this comes the constraint of a long-term lease, typically 6+6 years, based on a fixed amount of space.

Stella33 serviced office

The fee includes furniture, services, technology, and management. Meeting rooms are charged based on actual usage, and the workspace can expand or shrink as the team changes. In the same area, for a company of this size, a serviced office can deliver average savings of around 30% on Total Cost of Occupancy, by eliminating upfront investment, fragmented operational management, and a significant share of hidden costs.

Stella33 data: companies with 6–12 employees, compared within the same area. Figures to be verified against the client’s specific contractual scope.

Checklist: the questions to ask before signing

Do I know my complete Total Cost of Occupancy — beyond just rent — including services, technology, and indirect costs?
How much of my office space is actually being used compared to the amount of space I am paying for?
What is the ratio between fixed and variable costs in my current contract?
How much internal time do we dedicate to the operational management of the workspace?
Does my contract allow me to adjust the office space if the team grows or shrinks?

Do you want to know the true cost of your office?

Measuring the Total Cost of Occupancy is the first step to understanding whether your workspace is working in your favour. Limitless Workspace, an advisory platform and partner of the Stella editorial ecosystem, has developed the Economic Efficiency Score, a free tool that measures the financial health of your workspace.

When you want to turn that result into a concrete solution, iscover the Stella33 offices in Milan or explore the included services: our team will help you understand your total cost and make it predictable.

FAQ

Is Total Cost of Occupancy only relevant for large companies?

The Stella33 App: The Smart Coworking & Workspace Management Platform

Giorgia — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:05:24 +0000

A Smart Digital Platform for Business Center

The Stella33 app is a complete coworking management platform designed for tenants and frequent users of flexible workspaces in Milan. It centralizes all essential workspace operations into one seamless digital experience, from bookings and services to billing and community updates.

Whether working from The Hive or Stella Santa Giulia, and Palazzo Isolanova users can manage their entire workspace experience through a single platform.

Coworking Dashboard & Workspace Updates

The home dashboard provides users with a clear overview of their workspace activity and community environment:

Upcoming bookings and reservations
Real-time news and announcements
Community events and workspace updates
Multi-location selection across Stella workspace centers

This ensures users remain connected to both their schedule and the coworking community.

Meeting Room Booking System in Milan

The Stella33 app includes an advanced and intuitive meeting room booking system designed for professionals and companies.

Users can:

Search and filter rooms by date, time, and duration
Book spaces ranging from small meeting rooms to large conference halls
Access detailed room information (capacity, photos, pricing, and availability)
View transparent hourly pricing before booking
Benefit from clear cancellation policies

Each booking follows a step-by-step flow with a final cost summary before confirmation, ensuring full transparency and ease of use.

Coworking Services & Flexible Workspace Options

The app goes beyond room booking by offering a full range of coworking services designed for flexibility and productivity:

Daily coworking passes
Multi-day carnet packages
Membership subscriptions
Printing credit purchases
Parking space reservations
Podcast and media room bookings

Parking Reservations process

Parking spaces at locations such as The Hive and Stella Santa Giulia can be booked directly through the app.

The parking reservation process follows the same booking and payment flow as meeting rooms, ensuring a consistent and unified user experience across all services.

SEO keywords: coworking parking Milan, flexible office services, workspace booking app, coworking membership Milan

Billing, Invoices & Account Management

The Stella33 app also includes full administrative tools for individuals and companies:

Monthly invoicing for tenants and organizations
Complete payment and invoice history
Secure payment method management
Personal user profiles (photo, bio, skills)
Team management for company accounts

This transforms the app into a complete workspace management and operational tool.

Both provide fast and stable high-speed internet, comfortable ergonomic workstations, quiet focus areas, collaborative zones, bookable meeting rooms (by the hour), and pleasant common/lounge spaces. You get everything needed for productive days—without endless coffee purchases—just a professional environment that supports flow and reduces isolation.

Have we sparked your interest and would you like to receive more information? Please fill out the form.

Designed for a Seamless User Experience

The Stella33 app is built with usability and efficiency in mind:

Clean, modern interface
Bottom navigation for fast access (Home, Calendar, Services, Profile)
Step-by-step booking wizard
Full cost and time summary before confirmation
Smooth navigation across all workspace features

Every detail is designed to reduce friction and enhance productivity.

The Future of Coworking in Milan

The Stella33 app represents the next generation of coworking in Milan, combining workspace access, digital services, and community engagement into one unified platform.

By simplifying how users book spaces, manage services, and interact with their workplace, it enables a more efficient, flexible, and connected work experience across Milan’s leading business centers.

L'articolo The Stella33 App: The Smart Coworking & Workspace Management Platform proviene da Stella33 Workspace.

11 tips to make the office more productive

Maria Roberta — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 08:01:46 +0000

Discover what can improve office productivity with Stella33’s eleven tips.

What's productivity?

The fact that, for example, there are different types of workplace productivity already begins to make the answer less immediate, despite being an ostensibly straightforward question. Indeed, the discussion on productivity is one of the main topics concerning the office and its evolutions in relation to the well-being of workers towards the so called destination office; but to truly understand how to implement changes or intensify existing practices to improve productivity, it’s important to start familiarizing oneself with the real scope of the concept.

Firstly, it should be noted that individual productivity and organizational productivity are distinct concepts, with the former often based on the quality of work and other subjective factors. For instance, in customer service, individual productivity can be measured through customer satisfaction rather than numerical data.

To achieve a highly productive office, it’s essential to consider both individual and organizational productivity. Efficiency in task completion and quality of work are crucial, influenced by various factors including employee well-being.

Improving productivity holistically not only enhances work performance but also fosters stronger internal relationships, conveying an image of attentiveness to the entire work process. This approach benefits both the company and the employees, enhancing satisfaction and overall performance.

How does a productive workplace look like?

It’s a question that requires a thorough analysis from various perspectives: design, spatial organization, management, time and resource planning.

Stella33 adopts an innovative approach to the office, considering a combination of factors to create a functional, efficient, and mindful working experience.

Here are eleven tips to optimize your office productivity.

11 tips to make the office more productive

1. Establishing your company culture before intervening on the office layout

Clearly defining the company’s mission actively involves employees and influences corporate productivity. According to Business News Daily, company culture, including values and vision, should be defined before office design and technology to ensure consistency and meet specific needs. There is no one-size-fits-all model for a productive office; each company culture requires personalized approaches. For example, open-plan offices promote constant interaction but may cause disruptions in other areas. Considering the company culture and sector helps in choosing targeted improvements to the office layout.

2. Including dedicated socialization areas

Taking into account the first point, it’s important to consider the significance of socialization for creativity and communication, thus dedicating lounge spaces is essential to these activities. To maximize the utilization of such areas, it is recommended to organize the space so that it’s flexible, including sofas, armchairs, and tables of various sizes to accommodate groups of different sizes. Using modular furniture offers versatility; the ability to move tables and chairs can transform informal meetings into moments of collaborative creativity, fostering the generation of new ideas.

3. Opting for modular design furniture components

The case of the lounge area illustrates a broader concept: thanks to modular furniture, brainstorming sessions with colleagues don’t have to be interrupted or moved elsewhere.. Simply moving a table (equipped with wheels) and rearranging the chairs to adapt to the current needs, maintaining the creative flow. Besides moveable tables (on wheels), modular monitor arms are another example of smart furniture that promotes productivity.

4. Introducing a variety of spaces and areas to work

With the advancement of technology, work becomes increasingly mobile and less bound to the desk.. Many workers recognize that changing locations, even within the office, is beneficial to maintaining the creative flow and high energy levels. A flexible layout with various seating options and different work areas, including lounges, informal spaces, terraces, creative areas, and meeting rooms, can fully leverage this trend.

5. Creating spaces explicitly dedicated to collaboration and areas for individual work

In a productive office, activity-based working is fundamental: each activity requires a dedicated space. According to Bond Collective, teamwork and individual focus can benefit from connected areas, such as having a separate individual productivity area from the collaboration space, This creates a buffer between noisy and quiet areas, helping to reduce noise and improve concentration.

6. Personalizing the space

Studies indicate that personalizing the office space can foster an emotional connection with the work and the workplace. According to Jamie Fertsch, director and co-founder of Xdesk, finding a balance between practical and personal items can stimulate aesthetic sense and a sense of belonging. We suggest to choose items that inspire productivity, such as a photo of loved ones on the desk, as she herself does.

7. Creating opportunities for movement

This point is closely related to the importance of active breaks, which involve movement and changing positions within the office. This promotes a mental refresh and can stimulate new ideas. Indeed suggests taking breaks every 90 minutes of work, as this is the maximum period during which the brain can maintain optimal concentration.” During breaks, it is advisable to move, step away from the desk, and, if possible, go outside. Jamie Fertsch, director of Xdesk, suggests incorporating movement spaces in the office, for example, using height-adjustable desks that allow for changes in position. Placing common elements like printers or water fountains in central areas of the office can encourage movement.” However, the best solution is to introduce a variety of environments in the office to promote changing positions and active breaks as part of the work routine.

8. Incorporating natural elements and paying attention to the lighting component

“Natural elements” in the office, such as plants and green areas, can improve productivity, according to Ron Radu of Léon & George. In addition to better air quality, plants reduce stress and stimulate creativity. Natural elements such as wooden floors and materials in earthy tones bring a sense of well-being and inspiration. Natural light is preferable, and windows help save on artificial lighting. However, artificial lighting can be optimized with technologies such as adaptive lighting, which emulates natural light to maintain high energy levels throughout the day.

9. Avoiding micromanagement

“Micromanagement” is a managerial practice that involves excessive control over employees’ work, with continuous interventions on how tasks should be carried out. Although it may increase short-term productivity, in the long run, it is counterproductive: it limits creativity, undermines employees’ confidence and self-esteem, and can lead to high turnover. The solution is to balance support and autonomy, focus on the overall vision of company productivity, and promote performance management based on trust in the team and problem-solving through teamwork.

10. Utilizing flexible and hybrid work

Workplace flexibility is increasingly widespread and expected by employees, according to Kristin Kelly from CareerBuilder.com. Offering freedom to work from wherever, by leveraging technology, promotes productivity and fosters a company culture based on autonomy. An AirTasker research shows that smart or hybrid workers have 27 non productive minutes per day, against 37 minuted counted by those who work in traditional offices, which is equivalent to 1.4 days a month. Smart working isn’t limited to remote work, but means working in different places, often less distracting than traditional offices.

11. Using the Pomodoro technique

Time management is crucial for improving productivity in the office. The Pomodoro technique involves short breaks after every 30 minutes of work on a task. Some prefer to use a timer, while others plan shorter breaks every 30 minutes and a longer one every 100 minutes. This method helps manage time and recognize the value of breaks, especially if they include movement and a break from the workstation.

One fits one: personalizing the office according to specific needs

Every company has its own culture and office setup, as we believe here at Stella33: one fits one, and this influences the methods for enhancing productivity. It is crucial to adapt to employees’ needs to make the work environment more functional.

The eleven suggestions listed here provide guidelines for promoting workplace well-being and increasing productivity. Following them can help managers assess their office situations and make targeted changes.

Stella33 offers personalized consulting services for workplace revolution.

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What’s a destination office?

Maria Roberta — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 14:46:53 +0000

With the decentralization of work, it has been realized that a large portion of employees can work from anywhere, and therefore, many of them do not need to go to the office. But if they don’t need to go, why should they still do it? The answer must be: because they want to. And here is where the discussion on the destination office starts.

An investment for both employees and businesses.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the rise of remote and hybrid work have confirmed a process that was already underway: the transformation of the office. Nowadays, work can be done from multiple locations, which has raised questions about the significance of the office, even though it has long been the quintessential workplace. Today, what is becoming increasingly essential is to offer added value to employees through the office and within the office itself, which is transforming into a place where workers can find experiences and facilities that transforms the workspace into a true destination; from this originates the vision of the destination office, a place that emphasizes community and collaboration as foundational elements and also proves to be a valuable tool in attracting and retaining new talents.

According to Becky Turner, in-house psychologist at Claremont, the destination office “provides employees with a significant dose of company culture and keeps them engaged, motivated, and loyal”: many companies use the creation of unique spaces tailored to their needs and employees as an efficient tool to build their reputation — internationally as well — as a comfortable place to work, which, in turn, positevely influences productivity and competitiveness within the companies.

The term destination office was coined by Claremont in 2020 as a prediction made by observing the changes triggered by the pandemic and remote work: there was an attempt to envision the future, imagining what would convince employees to return to the office once the restrictions imposed by the pandemic were lifted. The destination office was one of the solutions found to bring employees back to the office while also supporting hybrid work. Indeed, when implemented effectively, the destination office becomes a true hub where socialization, culture, belonging, skill development, and idea generation are fostered. For this reason, it was clear from the outset that it would contain a variety of settings that would embody and meet the new needs of the hybrid worker. Claremont has based much of its research on data, finding that 84% of modern workers expect the office to provide an experience to its users;in addition, 23% of office workers argue that having a wider choice of workspaces makes the office more inviting and attractive.

According to Claremont, the destination office consists of a variety of environments ranging from areas dedicated to personal well-being like the Coffee Shop or the Retreat Area, to zones focused on collaboration, as the Co-working or Library. It appears relevant to underline how, for example, the Retreat Area mentioned by Claremont is designed as a highly versatile space within the office, designed to meet workers’ needs for their own well-being: for example, it is suggested to include a welcoming and serene environment dedicated to religious or spiritual practices but also a gym and services for new moms; such an area caters to the diverse needs of employees by providing a space where they can recharge and focus on themselves, contributing to the creation of a balanced working environment..

Particularly interesting from Stella’s perspective is the reasoning dedicated to co-working which offers shared and flexible work areas, entirely designed to support agile work: this area is conceived, by Claremont as well as by Stella, to include a variety of working solutions that leaves nothing out: from team collaboration to individual productivity, the co-working areas are equipped to meet every need of hybrid workers, focusing on providing a flexible and adaptable work environment tailored toincrement productivity and cooperation. We can bring an example relevant to this discussion, such as the new Stella-branded location in Venice, Palazzo Isola Nova, a multifunctional structure , rich with flexible spaces, for a wide range of needs for workers and businesses: from smaller meeting rooms to spaces dedicated to learning and events, Palazzo Isola Nova embraces this logic of destination, to support agile but above all functional work, aimed at fostering a community and mindful of the needs of workers beyond just the work-related component.

Reasons to switch to a destination office

Andrew Carmichael, Senior Director at Cushman & Wakefield, describes the transition to the destination office with the term “hotelification,” which doesn’t mean designing offices as if they were hotels, but designing them “so that employees choose to go there spontaneously“. According to him, hybrid workers choose to go to a workplace reimagined as a destination office for the richnessin connections and relationships that can be triggered in a place that has been studied to satisfy every need, not only from the point of view of work, because the destination office does’t overlook mental and physical weelbeing of users and, in fact, it is designed precisely to allow the coexistence of work and leisure/socialization in a productive balance.

According to Patrick Ames, author and director of Claremont, the reasons to tranform a “standard” office in a destination office are many: we have already mentioned how attracting and retaining talent is an achievable objective through the remodeling of the office and this is also confirmed for Ames as a primary reason in transitioning from a standard type of office to a destination; we’ve also already discussed employee well-being as it’s directly linked to productivity: if you work in a place that not only offers a wide range of areas dedicated to socialization and leisure but also allows individual productivity — in quiet and private areas — but also collaboraztion and teamwork, you’re more likely to feel more comfortable and therefore inclined to work better; as the architect of Palazzo Isola Nova, Daniela Carta, told us,, in a recent interview, places influence the perceptions of the people who inhabit them and therefore their mood.

But the reasons in support of the destination office don’t end here: promoting creativity, innovation, and corporate culture is indeed the central objective of the new type of office. Creativity and innovation in continuous ascent allow companies to stay competitive and are part of the same company culture often talked about , which is the ideal tool to help employees develop a sense of belonging and pride for their company. Finally, Ames does not overlook one last motivation of considerable importance: the transition to the destination office ensures the ability to make the most of the potential of hybrid and agile work and to remain flexible in the face of a continuously changing and evolving work environment.

Some practical suggestions for transitioning to the destination office

The destination office should be functional and, at the same time, inspire its users to work there and to work better than they would remotely: this can be achieved, for example, by incorporating natural light, artistic elements, and green areas into the environments: Stella also finds these elements useful for creating an atmosphere that conveys a sense of comfort and transforms the environment in terms of the perception of those who work there; however, there are other measures and strategies to implement to transition your office into a place that can truly be called a true destination:

1. Define where space and company culture intersect

Asking what is important for your company and your employees, and why, is the foundation for defining the transition strategy to a destination office; the reason being that the office must embody and reflect the values of the company and its culture. Booqued brings as a paradigm in this sense the offices of Google: the US giant has significantly focused on its headquarters, establishing that each destination office branded by Google had to convoy the idea of “googliness”, as they called it on their website, namely the set of values that form their company culture.. The space chosen by a company always speaks about that company, to its employees and beyond, and not leveraging this characteristic to one’s advantage is a loss of value and opportunity.

2. Get inspiration from hospitality

Carmichael means exactly this when he speaks of “hotelification”, e Stella knows that: for some time now, we’ve been studying how to bring together the elements of lounge, reception, concierge and areas dedicated to leisure with elements that belong to the work sphere, and we do this by looking at the world of hospitality as a reference for the former; it’s a matter of user experience: the world of hospitality, specifically with the hotels, has become a top player in building unique experiences to attract and retain customers.. The Hyatt Group, for example, has analyzed the customer experience in its hotels and divided it into seven steps or phases, from the customer’s arrival to departure, considering every moment and place of their stay: social spaces, areas dedicated to food, rooms, activitirs plus services and ultimately events. This research has also served for the realization of The Hyatt Hub, the main headquarters of the group in Chicago: in this context, the only difference in the seven stages of the user experience compared to hotels is represented by the rooms, which have clearly been replaced by offices and work environments. The final result is an “office beyond the office”, which incorporates all the elements and services offered by a hotel to its guests but adapts them to a working context, which therefore appears oriented towards the well-being and satisfaction of employees, which play a fundamental role in increasing productivity and the sense of belonging to the company.

3. Create a comunity and added value

The increase in remote work brought about by the pandemic has eroded the sense of community and belonging in many offices: according to some statistics, by the end of the pandemic, 57% of employees reported having lost their sense of connection with their colleagues. The destination office bases much of its success on building a strong working community, and this reasoning goes beyond the need to pay more attention to the design of socialization spaces: engaging employees in community activities especially in the form of events, can have a strong impact on strengthening the community. But the destination office goes beyond creating community and focusing on employee well-being and deeply reflects on added value offered by a workplace to the work day of its users: : giving back practices, which means returning value to the community, for example, supporting sustainable initiatives makes the office a place full of value. For example, a company may choose to be completely transparent about office emissions and work with users to reduce them.

4. Harnessing technology to the fullest

Technology remains a central element in the destination office, supporting the flexibility and adaptability of the space to individuals. An example is the creation of apps that assist in organization (for example, to know which offices are occupied) or real-time data collection systems to regulate emissions. The guiding principle, however, remains the same: use technology to meet the needs — even variable — of employees and make their work more immediate and enjoyable.

5. Take business centers into consideration

This is a strategy that is especially suitable — but not exclusively — for small and medium-sized enterprises, which, by renting spaces in a business center, such as our new and already mentioned Palazzo Isola Nova, can find all the aforementioned elements in a place tailored to the work well-being (and beyond) and to be as customizable as possible. Business centers allow to save money on the long term to rely on certain services and have them ready for use, without having to rearrange the office to be more flexible or sustainable; once the needs of the company and its employees are understood, the business center can be the best solution to make the most of your budget, support hybrid and flexible work, and also immerse yourself in a community beyond that of your own company and opens up to a considerably broader context: in this way, among the advantages, there is also the concrete possibility of establishing connections and relationships with professionals and sectors different from one’s own..

Tailored to the worker

Craig Sharland, Regional Estates Manager of Shoosmiths, one of the many companies now opting for a destination office, talks about the london headquarters of his company, emphasizing how the space has been designed “with employees in mind”, to fully adapt to them, “because ultimately, they are the ones who bring value to the business”.

At the age of forty, on average, each of us will have lived thirty-six of them indoor with our home and workplace topping the list of places where we spend most of our time. Therefore, focusing on those who work in offices and rethinking the latter. considering the various needs of those who spend their day there, make the destination office the place that offers something more o those who live and use it, something that justifies the journey to the workplace and that is able to take into account and put on the same level both work-related and personal needs.

Employees’ wellbeing has always been the primary goal that the destination office has, initially to respond to the aftermath of the pandemic, but it continues to do so now, in the ever-evolving process of the creation of a workplace that truly caters to the needs of the workers, their job and work experiences.

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L'articolo What’s a destination office? proviene da Stella33 Workspace.

Open space in the office: pros and cons

Maria Roberta — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 13:57:45 +0000

How does the office of the future look like?

Until a few years ago, no one would have been surprised if, when asked “how do you envision the office of the future?”, the majority of people had answered “open space”. The situation, however, began to change a few years ago, even before the wave of redefining workspaces implemented during and especially after the pandemic. The offices commonly referred to as open spaces are typically structured with a large open area, indeed, intended for the majority of a company’s workforce and typically surrounded by spaces designated as meeting rooms and breakrooms; furthermore, while in some cases managers and CEOs have private offices near the open-plan area, in other cases, private offices are not provided, and everyone works in the open-plan area.. This office model was originally designed to increase collaboration levels and improve communication quality in the workplace among members of the same department or team, or more broadly, to break down physical and communicative barriers between different departments and levels within some companies. This trend, dating back to the 1960s, demonstrated the benefits of closer working relationships among employees.

Indeed, in the Sixties, the open space office has experienced a real surge in popularity: the so-called bürolandschaft is based on a concept of German origin that refers to the “landscape” of the office created through design, with the primary goal of “making the workplace more democratic and fostering more interactions among colleagues”; altough, it is worth noting that, in fact, already in the early twentieth century, there were architects who had recognized the potential of an “open” design for the office: a well-known example is Frank Lloyd Wright, who in 1936, designed the first office building entirely conceived according to an open space architectural plan for the SC Johnson Wax company. The objective behind the modernization of office design and the shift towards openness was certainly to maximize productivity, also under the conceptual drive of business consultants — such as Frederick Taylor — who adopted it as a fundamental advice for companies seeking ways to improve their employees’ performance.

If we move from the 1960s to the present day, the numbers speak for themselves: in 2017, the BBC reported that open space offices had been chosen by approximately 70% of companies in the United States, for example. However, research into the functionality and effectiveness of the choice of an open space office: according to some of these, the data would show that those who work in an open space office are 15% less productive mainly (but not only) due to concentration issues and distractions, which are more frequent in this type of space (the research shows that even minor distractions can lead to a loss of concentration of more than twenty minutes). Per questi motivi, soprattutto oggi che è in atto un processo di ridefinizione e riconcettualizzazione dello spazio dell’ufficio, il ragionamento sugli uffici open continua a innescare dibattiti che prendono in considerazione vantaggi e svantaggi di un modello che ha goduto per decenni di una vasta popolarità. Our choice is to examine these advantages and disadvantages, referring to the research that over the years has defended or criticized theopen space area in the office, but also to clarify which compromises or solutions can be adopted to overcome the drawbacks of the model without losing its advantages, and to definitively move towards the office of the future.

Advantages of open space

1. Communication is key
This was advocated as far back as the Sixties, when there was the real launch of theopen space office.. It’s a matter of accessibility: physically positioning employees in the same space, at relatively close distances, puts them in rapid and immediate contact with each other, encouraging exchanges of opinions and idea and “cultural collisions”, thus improving teamwork and consequently productivity.

2. Thinking about saving
Whether considering the costs of furnishing— with typically interchangeable and customizable furniture— a single, albeit large area, rather than many “cubicle” offices, or calculating the savings in the purchase of technical equipment (such as printers, projectors, and photocopiers), the end result is the same: the office’s open space area has competitive costs compared to the so-called “standard” office. It’s not surprising that the open space model is still extremely popular among startups and small companies taking their first steps in the business world.

3. Seeking flexibility and transparency
As far as flexibility in the office goes for open space areas, in this context, the emphasis is mainly on the observation that, in most workplaces of this type, the basic concept is that no worker is assigned to a specific desk or area of theopen space .; this characteristic is also facilitated by the furnishings, which, as mentioned earlier, tend to be modular and as adaptable as possible to different needs. Moving on to transparency, the explanation becomes even more immediate: if all employees, from all teams and levels of a company, are located and work in the same place, work is visible to everyone, in a very literal sense. Therefore, it is believed that this sharing of spaces pushes members of each team to perform their role appropriately and in accordance with the company’s requirements.

4. The manager’s office
In the cases already mentioned where managers and leaders of a company choose the same workspace as their employees, open space , in these cases, the message to the employees is clear: in this company, we opt for democratizing the workplace, thus putting all staff on the same level.

Disadvantages of the open space

1. Communication, yes, but what kind?
We have already discussed what kind of communication is seen as best in the open space, , also because it has always been the primary and strongest argument in favor of adopting this office model; but, apparently, it is not always true and it cannot be taken for granted that choosing theopen space, makes communication levels (and quality) skyrocket: a review on open spaceand communication in the company has found that in some cases face-to-face interactions drop by 70% when a company switches from a traditional office to an open space office.. The main theory behind these data is that employees placed in close proximity to each other in the same environment tend to create a sort of fourth wall around their personal space, and everyone is instinctively inclined to respect it.

2. Amongst noises and distractions
Two of the most evident cons ofopen space office,, and, anyways, those that are immediately noticeable are not the only ones; it is not surprising, therefore, that in a survey from 2019 , 99% of the interviewees stated that they easily get distracted due to the shared environment or that in a 2018 report regarding distractions in the workplace, 80% of the participants mentioned “chatter” among colleagues and surrounding noises as the major distractions in the context of open space office..

3. The truth about productivity
This point directly relates to the first two and dismantles the beliefs that have long presented theof open space office. as the ideal choice to give a significant boost to employees’ productivity; the effect of noise, distractions, and a type of communication directly influenced by the context of open space office can lead employees to be overall less satisfied with their work and their company’s culture. Indeed reports that many people encounter difficulty working and being productive in a noisy and distracting environment, even if everyone around them is there to work.

4. What about privacy?
Let’s suppose we have created an environment of open space office , where distractions and noises are minimized, we would find ourselves in an environment where working side by side with colleagues—and in some cases even with one’s boss—could encourage everyone to give their best and to focus entirely. However, this place would still present a significant lack of privacy. This can create serious psychological issues, for example, for introverted employees—who find open spaces intimidating and oppressive—but it can’t be said that extroverts thrive in an environment where they are under constant observation. Indeed, a Chinese study from 2018 confirmed that being constantly under someone’s observation, especially from one’s boss, slowed down productivity.

5. Weelbeing, stress and anxiety
Indeed, the previous point already introduced the important discussion about the well-being, both in terms of work and psychology, of a company’s employees, a factor that is becoming increasingly crucial in the pursuit of a balance that not only enhances corporate culture but also aims to improve the perception that current and potential employees have of the company itself. Distractions, lack of privacy, and the pressure of constantly being watched by everyone, indeed, combine to create a space that can trigger a certain level of anxiety. In addition, some research has shown that open-plan offices can also lead to the generation of generational and age-related barriers and gaps, which more senior workers may respond to by changing jobs or resigning.

6. Health comes first
The Covid-19 pandemic has made this even clearer: in an environment where everyone is in contact with everyone else, the ease with which germs can spread and proliferate is significant. Even before the pandemic, in fact, some studies had suggested that there was a very clear link between open-plan offices and a higher number of sick days taken, compared to traditional offices.

7. The floor is given to the workers
Do workers like open space offices? A 2019 research by Gensler answered with a fairly clear “no,” reporting that only about 7% of respondents identified theopen space as the ideal office model, while 28% said they preferred open space equipped with private spaces for privacy or specific roles. The majority —around 40%— preferred private or semi-private offices, with 25% opting for spaces suitable for teams of up to six people.

Suggestions, compromises, solutions

Indeed, the costs of open office spaces are very competitive and represent an important attraction when choosing which office model suits one’s needs. But the disadvantages listed show that the portfolio must also deal with issues of workers’ well-being, concentration, and health, which are difficult to put a price on. However, there are measures and compromises that can be implemented to find the best solution for each office.

First and foremost, it’s important to understand whether the concept of open space is suitable for the type of work and industry involved. For example, sectors such as banking, healthcare, and finance are less conducive to open space due to various confidentiality and privacy concerns. Other aspects need considering: the number of employees, as well as the potential presence of remote workers or alternating in-office and remote work arrangements with smart working, as smaller teams or larger teams with a fixed and regulated alternation between hybrid and in-person work, may adapt betterto the open space scenario.. An effective strategy can certainly be to survey our employees about their needs, in order to identify the best solutions to shared problems that may concern the open space but also, more broadly, the company culture.

From a perspective of balancing the advantages and disadvantages of open space, a functional choice is to also include various private spaces, perhaps on request or by reservation, so as to always offer an alternative for roles and needs that may require it. Furthermore, it can be forward-thinking to install services aimed at optimizing work, valuing the fact that those who perform at high levels tend to prefer a certain degree of freedom on the workplace and demonstrates working well both in the workplace and outside it: in this regard, co-working areas are a powerful tool that should be used as part — and not as a substitute — of the traditional office experience. The data shows that the opportunity to work in a co-working space is directly associated with an improvement in work experience and performance.

Stella rethinks the office in terms of corporate and individual well-being.

Having considered the advantages and disadvantages of the open space model, at Stella, we want to go further and advocate for a cultural revolution in the office and more generally in the dynamics concerning the workspace. Our idea is to create spaces and services that can offer the variety of spaces and amenities necessary to provide the best possible working experience for employees. For instance, Palazzo Isola Nova, our Venetian location, fully embodies this ideal by offering a wide range of services that range from aclubhouse to serviced offices, of various sizes and highly customizable, to dedicated spaces for co-working, meeting rooms e event spaces; all complemented by essential ancillary services to complete the working experience, such as parking, food delivery, and event management services.

An organization can find every service in the same place, dealing with a single point of contact, and, above all, benefiting from a high level of customization based on their needs and a community context. Indeed, our “ecosystemic” culture pursues a model where there is space for every need: teamwork, individual productivity, long-term savings, and precise consideration of the well-being of those who work.

The office of the future is neither open space nor private, we would say; rather, it is a blend of models, obtained by taking from each what proves functional to the work and the people who perform it every day. The office of the future is many offices, each tailored to the companies and individuals who use it.

L'articolo Open space in the office: pros and cons proviene da Stella33 Workspace.

How do I create an agile office?

Maria Roberta — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 15:10:44 +0000

Having completed twenty-something agile offices in my career, I know that the devil is in the details, or, more appropriately, in the hidden folds of design!

After what many consider a terrible year, with only a few glimmers of hope, I am showered daily with the same question by friends and colleagues: our company has excess office space, how do we reduce cost? Or even, with foresight: how do we transform it to create value for our business? Or even, with foresight: how do we transform it to create value for our business?

After the tenth time, I decided to grab pen and inkwell and share with everyone my personal answer to these questions. Below is a checklist to read from top to bottom so as not to miss crucial pieces in the creation of an agile office.

Analysis

Is the agile office aimed at employees of the company or third parties? In this second scenario, what does the lease say? Does it allow for subletting? Has there been any communication with the landlord? Does the space lend itself to hosting subtenants or other companies with which to share costs?

The first step is to undergo an analysis (audit) of the real estate and contractual constraints, and define the room for maneuver that is available.

It is imperative to also have a conversation with the owner and, as the Constitutional Court advises us, come to an “understanding”… but I would only do this at the end of the checklist, once well aware of the model of agile office chosen: a commuter sedan, Ferrari or Tesla? Who’s going to be using the car?

The analysis has a second, more internal, organizational phase, which, for example, a Tree Canvas would divide between intangible (>> roots) and tangible (> > branches) elements: culture, values, objectives, imperatives on the one hand – mapping of the structure and organizational dynamics on the other, enriched by surveys regarding logistics, psychological factors and willingness to work remotely for each individual, mapping of stakeholders, definition of financial choices and benchmarking, which is useful.

*How to conduct the Audit?

An in-house audit may not be too complex, or else with the use of expert advice: a good real estate expert along with an organization consultant. It is wise to consult thoroughly with the decision makers in the company first, to ensure the boat is steered in the right direction, keeping in mind that the process of creating an agile office can be an important strategic lever!

Design

Having completed twenty-something agile offices in my career, I know that the devil is in the details, or, more appropriately, in the hidden folds of design! Let’s really question the present and prospective flow of employees-how will individuals and teams work today or ten years from now? Who do we want to support with the agile office? What messages do we want to send?

Design is about space (space planning), decor, furniture, orientation messaging (wayfinding, digital signage and information screens) but also about the tools made available for people to work. Sometimes we are able to improve air quality, light quality, and even bring some nature into the office.

*How do we plan design?

Technology

The Technology chapter is complex for most to decipher, but at the same time essential to characterize the new office as agile. Let us therefore try to functionally segment technology into three compartments:

Physical space
First, we need to know for sure who “inhabits” and who visits the space, in other words, we need to crystallize and maintain the digital identities of the users. This “database” must dialogue with everything else starting with the access system > automated and customized to specific permissions. We must then enable people to securely connect to the Internet, including reinforcing security and connectivity for specific individuals and time periods. Users need to be informed about the availability of the space through screens and digital signals, and they need to be able to print securely and modulate their environmental comfort.

In an advanced model, the space could “feel” individuals and respond in a personalized way, could collect data and transfer information to managers to optimize layouts, tools and even services.

Back office
The scenario of an agile space open to third parties implies the adoption of specific management tools for each process: administration, marketing, sales, CRM and property management.

If the space is not large, the back office can be managed “artisanally,” with the awareness that the effect on the client will be quite different than professionally managed spaces and the scalability of the initiative limited by the management infrastructure.

Front office
Comprehensive digitized customer service entails that much if not all of the following be available on an easy-to-access interface: workstation or meeting room reservations, physical access to the office, request of secretarial support, maintenance and technical assistance (e.g. PC support), guest hospitality, printing and value-added services, booking parking and assistance for car maintenance and cleaning.

An increasingly popular service involves delivery of food for lunch or catering for meetings. The challenge is to integrate app functions readily in use with available food production.

Some advanced tools support professional activity, highlighting personal and/or business skills, and facilitating people-to-people matching to generate collaboration and business opportunities.

Management

Once the space and positioning goals have been identified, the company is faced with the need to choose between managing the business on its own or outsourcing it. More and more operators are offering “Coworking” services-among the big ones, Regus and IWG Group’s Spaces, Copernico, Wework-but many small local businesses may also be able to manage flexible workplaces.

The choice of outsourcer is necessarily related to the strategic goals, the intended function of the agile office, and the speed of execution. In some cases, for spaces that are small and unattractive to tenants, there is no choice but to manage them in-house.

For “do-it-yourself” management, it is essential to consider legal and administrative aspects. It is necessary to have defined ad hoc contracts, data management policy, privacy, and finally to have the relevant IT supports in place. At the same time, it is advisable to identify the team that should care of each activity and that this team has the necessary administrative, business, service management and maintenance skills.

Support functions

An agile office open to third parties involves providing for three services that customers today consider essential:

Food service

Traditionally, organizations of a certain size are equipped with a company cafeteria, often standard across companies and linked to pre-remote working companies of the time card and cubicle kind. New-generation cafeterias resemble modern, pleasant restaurants, but lend themselves little to coaxing people together for informal meetings around coffee and supporting an agile workday.

More evolved forms are cafeterias (in some cases with even limited food choices) open all day and located in the center of the agile office’s “social” space.

When choosing these services, it is crucial to consider the interaction between the service manager and the companies’ employees and to define standards and mechanisms for table and food reservations integrated with apps available to users.

Mail and storage

Work and private lives today have blurred boundaries; we work at home, form relationships and perform private activities in the office. These include package delivery. E-commerce has entered our daily routines, as individuals and as businesses, so the flow of packages into the office is perpetual and abundant. In some cases, organizations prohibit it so as not to overburden poorly equipped reception desks. The agile, well-equipped office puts the customer first. It equips itself with a mailroom or smart closets, tools for managing the process and notifying users.

The same goes for the warehouse and “lockers.” In an agile world, people need spaces where they can store their items and documents. Ideally, the warehouse has a few storage units that can be rented on a time pay basis.

Parkings

My service design experience here takes us back to 2015, when we implemented an innovative service in the parking lot of Italy’s largest agile office at Via Copernico 38: 15,000 square meters of office space, 1,300 average daily users, with less than 100 spots available.

The service is based on 24/7 hours with valet parking, that is, one or two people always present to place cars in the best possible formation, saturating parking capacity and always ensuring service for customers, whether they have a monthly subscription or are passing through daily.

This type of attendant service can come combined with assistance for security and monitoring of the entire building 24/7, with personal services related to car management, electric charging of vehicles, even possibly management of the mail office.

Positioning and Marketing

Whether the agile office is run independently or through a third party, it should have the best possible position in the marketplace. Ideally we should generate income while creating a place that is compatible for our employees and other companies.

In my experience, the most successful initiatives have been led by companies that have followed the following principles:

The agile space is not core to, but still a part of, their own offices so that employees can make use of it in the same way as third parties
The functions provided are additional to and do not duplicate traditional office functions
Design focuses on elements of pleasantness, attention to art, greenery, light, quality ventilation and the presence of outdoor spaces
Positioning is strategically thought-out with respect to business objectives
The target market starts from the company’s supply chain, seeking close synergies with important stakeholders.

In other words, opening the company’s doors on the supply chain by making the company more collaborative, transparent and osmotic is a best practice already known before the upheavals of 2020. Today, remote working, along with the widespread desire to reduce corporate real estate costs, gives us the opportunity to leverage excess space to build a new dialogue in the company among employees and externally with relevant audiences. The effect of this can lead to cost savings, but, more importantly increased collaboration, creativity and strength of value chain linkages.

Agile office project management

This concise and non-exhaustive check list is intended to transmit a message: do not underestimate the implementation of an agile space within the company.

The path requires expertise and the activation of various experts depending on the implementation phase. My advice is to identify a project manager who has awareness of the entire process, shared goals with management, is strongly results oriented and has access to the best suppliers for each task.

L'articolo How do I create an agile office? proviene da Stella33 Workspace.

Tools Archivi - Stella33 Workspace

Workplace dictionary 2: fit out, Cat A, Cat B and office technical specifications

In summary

Why these six terms belong together

Office Fit out

Category A fit out

Category B Fit-Out

Building management system (BMS)

Meeting pod

Phone booth

How much does it cost to fit out an office in Italy in 2026

FAQ

Workplace dictionary 1: who manages the office and under which service model

In summary

How to read this dictionary

Office management

Facility management

Tenant experience

Flex office

Office as a Service (OaaS)

Plug & play office

How the six terms fit together

FAQ

Hybrid work and spaces: when the office gets in the way instead of enabling work

In summary

What happens when the layout does not adapt to hybrid work

Why it matters for those managing people and spaces

Hybrid work changes attendance patterns: the data

The two dimensions of the Workspace Alignment Index that capture the gap

What to do when the office is no longer aligned

An applied example: a hybrid team in Milan

Frequently Asked Questions

From the office as a fixed cost to the office as a manageable system

In summary

From a static balance-sheet item to dynamic infrastructure

What it means to manage the office rather than be constrained by it

The three levers of workspace governance

Spending better before spending less

How Stella33 turns space into a manageable system

An applied example: rethinking the office for a hybrid team in Milan

Frequently Asked Questions

Workspace Alignment Index: Measuring Workspace Performance

In summary

What Is the Workspace Alignment Index?

The Four Dimensions of the WAI

Why a Score Changes Decision-Making

How It Works in Practice

What to Do with the Results

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does Your Office Really Cost? The Total Cost of Occupancy Many Businesses Overlook

Quick summary

Workspace managers should consider total costs, not just rent, when choosing between a traditional lease and a serviced office.

What is Total Cost of Occupancy

Why rent only tells part of the story

The five components of the true cost of an office

Hidden costs: the portion of expenses that escapes control

How Stella33 makes Total Cost of Occupancy predictable

An applied example: a 6–12 person team in Milan

Checklist: the questions to ask before signing

Do you want to know the true cost of your office?

FAQ

The Stella33 App: The Smart Coworking & Workspace Management Platform

A Smart Digital Platform for Business Center

Coworking Dashboard & Workspace Updates

Meeting Room Booking System in Milan

Coworking Services & Flexible Workspace Options

Parking Reservations process

Billing, Invoices & Account Management

Designed for a Seamless User Experience

The Future of Coworking in Milan

11 tips to make the office more productive

Table of Contents

What's productivity?

How does a productive workplace look like?

11 tips to make the office more productive

1. Establishing your company culture before intervening on the office layout

2. Including dedicated socialization areas

3. Opting for modular design furniture components

4. Introducing a variety of spaces and areas to work

5. Creating spaces explicitly dedicated to collaboration and areas for individual work