That shift changes who gets hired. When the challenge is bigger than solely furniture and finishes, architects start to play a larger role. They are asked to rethink circulation, bring light deeper into buildings, expose structure, and find new uses for spaces that were never designed as offices in the first place.

The emergence is a growing overlap between workplace design and adaptive reuse. These firms prove that sometimes the best new office is an old building with a second life.

O+A

Few firms have shaped the modern office as much as Studio O+A. Based in San Francisco, the firm has designed workplaces for companies including Facebook, Uber, Slack, Yelp, McDonald's, and Square.

The adidas GOLD Building in Portland is a good example of O+A's approach. Designed alongside LEVER Architecture, the project combines office space with maker labs, meeting areas, lounges, and communal gathering spaces.

While many workplace projects rely heavily on branding, the GOLD Building draws much of its character from the architecture itself. Exposed mass timber, generous daylight, and flexible floor plates create a workplace that is durable and adaptable. The architecture carries much of the project's identity.

Clive Wilkinson

Clive Wilkinson Architects has spent much of the last two decades designing workplaces for major technology and media companies. Based in Los Angeles, the practice has completed workplace projects for clients including Google, Microsoft, Disney, and Intuit.

The Intuit Marine Way Building in Mountain View was designed around movement and shared space. Rather than organizing employees into isolated departments, the project uses interconnected floors, large communal areas, and a range of work settings to encourage people to move throughout the building.

Completed at a time when many offices still prioritized private workstations and fixed hierarchies, the project helped establish ideas that would later become common across workplace design.

Olson Kundig

While Olson Kundig is best known for its residential and cultural work, the Seattle-based firm has also completed a number of thoughtful workplace renovations. Across much of its portfolio, the focus is less on creating a branded office environment and more on revealing the qualities of an existing building through carefully placed interventions.

For the Chicago headquarters of creative studio Sarofsky, Olson Kundig transformed a dark warehouse into a bright and flexible workspace. The project restored the building's original clerestory windows and removed a portion of the roof to create a 750-square-foot courtyard at the rear of the building. New glazing connects the studio to the garden while bringing natural light deeper into the space.

The renovation is relatively simple, but it demonstrates how targeted architectural moves can dramatically change the experience of a workplace.

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is known for projects that prioritize materiality, daylight, and a strong connection to place. While the firm has designed workplaces for clients including Apple and Pixar, its office projects often feel closer to architecture than corporate interiors.

For its San Francisco studio, BCJ transformed a former gallery space by removing a series of small rooms and exposing the building's original concrete structure. Large skylights bring daylight deep into the workspace, while furniture and materials from the firm's previous office were reused throughout.

The project is a simple but effective example of how adaptive reuse can create a workplace with character without requiring major additions or reconstruction.

Dubbeldam Architecture + Design

Toronto-based Dubbeldam Architecture + Design is known for projects that combine thoughtful renovations with a strong urban sensibility. Rather than treating buildings as isolated objects, many of the firm's projects explore how architecture can contribute to the life of a neighbourhood.

Dubbeldam's own office is located within a renovated century-old brick building in Toronto's Corso Italia neighbourhood. What was once an underused and deteriorating property has been transformed into a mixed-use hub containing the firm's studio, a coworking space, retail tenants, and a residential unit. By introducing a mix of uses under one roof, the building contributes to the surrounding neighbourhood while giving new life to an existing structure.