Designing for Growth and Contraction: How Raleigh Workplaces Are Adapting

In a city growing as quickly and dynamically as Raleigh, the conversation around workplace design can’t stay stuck in the past. We’re well beyond the early debates over whether remote work is here to stay. It is — but so are offices. The question in 2025 isn’t if we need space. It’s about the kind of space businesses need to grow, adapt and retain talent in a region that’s evolving by the day.

Across industries, we’re seeing a shift in how organizations view their physical environment. It’s not about filling floors with desks anymore. It’s about designing with agility for growth and contraction, clarity and ambiguity, quiet focus and spontaneous collaboration. In other words, designing for real life.

More than growth: Designing for both sides of change

In a city with one of the highest population growth rates in the country, it’s easy to assume demand is all about scaling up. But in reality, many Raleigh businesses are also confronting tough questions about long-term strategy and cost control.

Commercial real estate trends reflect this. Office vacancies remain high, yet sublease inventory is declining, a signal that tenants are regaining stability and becoming more intentional about how they use space. Companies aren’t walking away from the office; they’re reshaping it.

That’s why flexibility is no longer optional. Multipurpose spaces, movable elements and adaptable layouts are helping organizations future-proof their environments against whatever comes next.

Asking better questions leads to smarter design

When we kick off a project, we don’t start with square footage. We start with motivation. Why are you changing your space? What’s shifting in your business — structure, leadership, priorities? These upstream questions lead to better downstream design.

Especially in hybrid work environments, answers are often complex. Companies want more heads-down work and more collaboration. Less space but better amenities. These contradictions aren’t problems — they’re signals. They help shape a more nuanced, tailored solution.

What employees actually want (and what they don’t)

We’ve all heard the phrase: “Give people a reason to come back to the office.” But what does that mean in practice?

In Raleigh, where hybrid models are the norm and industries like tech and life sciences continue to grow, employees expect more than just a place to plug in. They’re looking for an experience. That includes quiet zones for deep focus, communal areas that encourage informal interaction and meeting spaces that actually support hybrid collaboration.

The common thread is choice. Employees want autonomy to work how and where they’re most effective. Top-performing workplaces offer a wide range of settings, and giving people control over how they work drives both satisfaction and performance. This has fueled a rise in hospitality-inspired design: environments that prioritize comfort, variety and wellness. These aren’t perks — they’re becoming standard expectations in competitive hiring markets.

Tenant experience is becoming a differentiator

Developers and tenants alike are rethinking what they need from their spaces. While some companies continue to gravitate toward Class A buildings with high-end amenities, others are finding value in Class B locations on the periphery. For growing organizations, affordability and shorter commutes are often as important as polished lobbies and downtown walkability.

What’s clear is that interior design plays an essential role no matter the setting. It’s not just about aesthetics — it’s about making spaces functional, flexible and intuitive. For many businesses, thoughtful design can be the deciding factor in whether a space supports their people and operations effectively over time.

The role of design in business agility

The workplace conversation isn’t static — and neither are the companies driving it. In a time defined by momentum and uncertainty, interior design is emerging as more than a finishing touch. It’s a tool for navigating change, communicating culture and supporting people.

Here’s what we’ve learned from designing for business agility:

• Flexibility isn’t a feature; it’s a foundation. When we work with clients to design their next space, we help them anticipate future needs. Planning for what’s next is the best way to build flexibility from the start.
  
  
• Better inputs lead to better outcomes. Asking why change is happening (not just what’s changing) leads to smarter design decisions.
  
  
• Employees value autonomy. Offices that offer choice are the ones people actually want to return to.

The spaces we shape today will influence how businesses evolve tomorrow. That’s a responsibility designers share — and an opportunity worth getting right.

About the Author – Mason Waldo, RID, NCIDQ, is Managing Director of S. Tipton Studio and leads the firm’s Raleigh office. With more than 20 years of design and project management experience across corporate, higher education and healthcare markets, he is passionate about creating environments that reflect and support each client’s unique goals. Contact him at mason@stiptonstudio.com.