Ten years ago or more, Activity-Based Working (ABW) seemed to be the buzzword of workplace consultants and forward-thinking corporate real estate professionals. It represented a seismic shift in office design, moving away from static workstations and rigid hierarchies to more dynamic, flexible environments tailored to the diverse needs of modern employees.
At the time, ABW was heralded as the future of office work. Yet, as we fast forward to today, the phrase “Activity-Based Working” seems to have all but disappeared from workplace vocabulary.
But has ABW really been abandoned as a workplace strategy? Or has it just evolved and been absorbed into more complex approaches to workplace planning and design, especially in a world now dominated by conversations around hybrid work?
The Rise of ABW: A Workplace Revolution
The ABW concept was simple yet transformative: instead of assigning each employee a fixed desk, offices were reimagined as flexible spaces where employees could choose different environments based on the activity they were engaged in—whether it was focused work, team collaboration, or informal meetings.
The flexibility ABW offered was seen as a way to improve productivity, creativity, and employee satisfaction. It also promised cost savings by reducing the amount of unused office space, which was especially appealing as companies sought to optimise their real estate portfolios.
ABW was more than just an office design trend—it represented a cultural shift in how we thought about work itself. The traditional office hierarchy, symbolised by the corner office and rows of cubicles, was giving way to a more democratic and collaborative way of working.
Why Did ABW Fade from the Spotlight?
Despite its initial popularity, ABW as a term has quietly faded from the workplace conversation. There are several reasons why it has seemingly lost its prominence:
- The Overlap with Other Workplace Strategies: In the decade since ABW’s rise, concepts have developed, such as a greater acceptance and adoption of agile working, hybrid work, and of course non-assigned workpoints and desking. These newer workstyles often incorporate aspects of ABW, leading to confusion or a blending of terms. As hybrid work environments, driven by technology and employee preferences, became more complex, ABW was no longer seen as a standalone strategy but rather as part of a broader set of solutions.
- Hybrid Work Takes Centre Stage: The global pandemic fundamentally changed the way we think about workspaces. The shift to remote work and the emergence of hybrid work models have overshadowed the conversation around ABW. Today’s workplace is defined by its flexibility not only in terms of physical space but also in terms of location—something ABW did not fully account for. In a world where employees may spend part of the week working from home, the workplace strategy needs to cater to a different set of needs.
- Focus on Employee Well-being and Sustainability: In recent years, office design has shifted its focus towards employee well-being, sustainability, and inclusivity. Concepts like biophilic design, ergonomics, and mental health considerations have taken the spotlight, perhaps pushing older frameworks like ABW to the background. Today’s workplace strategies aim to create environments that promote health, happiness, and a sense of belonging, which go beyond the task-focused spaces of traditional ABW.
- Evolution of Technology: The technological infrastructure that supports today’s workplaces has drastically evolved. Cloud computing, smart office solutions, and collaboration tools like Microsoft 365 have enabled employees to work from anywhere. While ABW was largely focused on optimising physical spaces, modern workplaces are now as much about virtual collaboration as they are about physical proximity, creating a more complex landscape for workplace planning.
So Has ABW Been Abandoned?
While the specific terminology of “Activity-Based Working” may no longer dominate workplace design conversations, the core principles of ABW are far from obsolete. In fact, many of the foundational ideas of ABW—flexibility, choice, and task-based environments—are still deeply embedded in office design today.
The truth is, ABW has been absorbed into more comprehensive workplace strategies that reflect today’s hybrid, tech-enabled work environment. Rather than being a standalone solution, ABW principles now serve as part of a larger toolkit for designing workplaces.
The Legacy Lives On
In fact ABW’s influence can still be seen in many aspects of workplace design:
- Hybrid Office Layouts: The modern hybrid office incorporates many elements of ABW. Employees can choose between quiet zones for focused work, open spaces for collaboration, and social areas for informal interaction. Hot-desking, a core feature of ABW, has become a common practice in hybrid offices, offering flexibility for employees who don’t need a permanent desk.
- Task-Based Spaces: The idea of creating different environments for different tasks—one of ABW’s central tenets—remains highly relevant. Offices today often feature a mix of spaces: quiet rooms, meeting pods, and breakout areas, all designed to support different working styles. This task-based approach is important for hybrid workers who may come to the office for specific purposes, to meet up with others, rather than daily routine work.
- Collaboration Zones: As organisations adopt more flexible and remote work policies, the office is increasingly seen as a space for collaboration and social interaction. ABW’s focus on creating dynamic, open spaces for teamwork is now a key part of designing offices for hybrid work. The idea of using the office as a space for collaboration, rather than daily desk work, has evolved directly from ABW principles.
- Flexibility and Autonomy: ABW was built on the idea of giving employees choice in where and how they work. This emphasis on employee autonomy has only grown stronger in the hybrid era. Today, employees have more control than ever over their work environment, whether they are choosing to work from home, from a co-working space, or from different areas within the office.
- Technology-Enabled Workspaces: One of the key differences between ABW a decade ago and the flexible workspaces of today is the role of technology. ABW was primarily focused on physical environments, but modern workplace strategies integrate technology to create smart offices that respond to employee needs in real time. From booking hot desks to using IoT sensors to monitor space utilisation, technology has enhanced the flexibility and adaptability of the workplace, expanding on ABW’s foundations.
Looking Ahead
So, what is the future of Activity-Based Working? As work continues to evolve, ABW’s legacy will likely persist, though not in its original form. Instead, we are likely to see an ongoing blending of workplace strategies, with ABW principles acting as one of many ingredients in workplace design.
The future will revolve around creating highly adaptable, tech-enabled environments that support hybrid work patterns, well-being, sustainability, and inclusivity. ABW, as a concept, may no longer be the focal point, but its influence will remain in the background, guiding the creation of flexible, dynamic workspaces for years to come.
While “Activity-Based Working” may no longer be the term we lead with, its core ideas are far from dead. Instead, they’ve been absorbed into more complex, multifaceted workplace strategies that reflect the needs of a hybrid, tech-enabled world. So ABW has not been abandoned—it has simply evolved.
