The secret to designing the perfect office space

On any given day in the Surry Hills offices of architectural firm SJB, you might find five or six dogs wandering the corridors. While some people have taken their pooches to work since the early 2000s, like so many social trends, this once has accelerated post-COVID as businesses aim to entice workers back to the office.

Director of SJB’s Sydney office, Emily Wombwell, says it is one of the ways to make it easier to work from the office.

Lachlan Champley with his dog Bear and Holly Julian with her dog Judy at the pet-friendly Sydney offices of architectural firm SJB.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

“We love the dogs being here. It helps people connect with each other,” she says.

Although the lockdowns of the pandemic are very much in the rearview mirror, the desire to work from home has persisted.

A recent study by the Australian HR Institute on hybrid work practices in 2025 reveals minimum mandatory days for “return to office” are falling, despite concerns from employers that working from home impacts the ability of staff to connect and collaborate effectively.

So, how to make the office a desirable place to be? Architects and design professionals say the answer is clear: good design. For Wombwell, that starts with the environment.

“People want to be coming to a lively space,” she says. “The destination is an important part of it.”

Vibrant precincts, with cafes, services and good transport make for practical, multipurpose venues for staff who may not have the same experience or access to amenities at home.

Wombwell says a well-designed office should be making home-based workers wonder what they are missing. That includes being able to bring your pup with you.

“It is about creating a place of comfort and connecting with others to incite joy and draw people out of their home studios,” says Wombwell. “[Our office] feels homey. We’re embedding creature comforts from home into the workplace with carpet, beautiful curtains, a lovely veranda and adding colour.”

Optimising the possibilities for collaboration means considering the design of office spaces from the moment you walk in.

Emily Wombwell from SJB says a well-designed environment can entice staff back to the office. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

“Arriving at work, even the journey from the front door to your desk [is important]. How likely are you to meet new people? As you journey through the place, how do you slow that down and make people want to stop?”

Designer Kate Nixon has taken the notion of comfort a step further, creating a space for her team that is not only appealing, but a showcase for her studio’s work.

The meeting room at designer Kate Nixon’s studio is both a beautiful office environment for her staff and a showcase for her work.Credit: Maree Homer/Kate Nixon Studio

“It was very much about the environment for the team, with a holistic approach to comfort and creating a meaningful environment,” she says.

Much like residential design, spaces are multi-functional and partitions can open and close according to need. The emphasis is on beautiful, inspiring spaces where everyone is happy.

“We spend so much time at work and I want to enjoy it,” says Nixon, “And I want my team to enjoy it.”

The farmhouse-style kitchen at Kate Nixon Studio also serves as a breakout space.Credit: Maree Homer/Kate Nixon Studio

Brooke Aitken from Brooke Aitken Design says while creating more residential-style work spaces is a welcome shift, good office design should also create moments for incidental collaboration between colleagues.

“I understand how easy it is to work from home, but you lose that connection, that real physical connection,” she says. “Even though you are looking at each other [over Zoom], you are not sharing a space or walking past their desk and seeing something unexpected that might spark an idea. Those chance moments are so important.

“Good design can meld those moments into something significant.”

Brooke Aitken says modern office environments need flexible spaces that are not only functional, but a pleasure to be in.Credit: Brooke Aitken Design

While there are limits to full open-plan office design, with critics citing everything from too many distractions to a greater likelihood of catching colds and flu, cubicle-style work spaces are not ideal for the exchange of ideas either. Instead, Aitken says the modern workplace requires a flexible floorplan to reflect the multitude of tasks required, as well as the needs of staff.

“A well-designed office can make or break the time you spend there,” she says. “It can also make or break how you relate to your team. If it is only separate offices, break out spaces make it feel comfortable.”

And while home has made room for work, Wombwell says work environments should equally become more home-like.

“We recently had a family day. I brought my two daughters and my mum in and it made me proud of what we are doing here. It is like sharing a home.”

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