Beyond the Standard: Rethinking Inclusive Workplace Design

Designing the workplace for everyone

As part of our Studio Lates event for the London Festival of Architecture, we developed Beyond the Standard – an exhibition that explores how thoughtful design can help workplaces evolve to meet the diverse needs of today’s workforce.

While office design has moved forward in terms of aesthetics and layouts, many of the standards that still guide it are based on outdated assumptions, often derived from studies of the ‘average’ male worker. These biases affect everything from thermal comfort and ergonomics to layout, lighting, acoustics and toilet provision, often leading to environments that unintentionally exclude.

This exhibition reflects LOM’s experience designing modern workplaces and draws on the research of Tegan Blakey, Architectural Assistant and Level 7 Apprentice at LOM. Her master’s dissertation examines how office design has developed over 125 years, and how long-standing standards continue to shape spaces today.

Small changes, big impact

The exhibition highlights how modest adjustments can make a meaningful difference. Designing flexible layouts that support both introverted and extroverted working styles, giving people access to natural light and allowing for varied brightness levels, and integrating quiet spaces for focused work all contribute to a more comfortable and supportive office environment. Adjustable furniture that suits a range of body types, not just the statistical average, helps promote long-term health and productivity. Equally, careful acoustic planning can balance the need for collaboration with the need for quiet. Inclusive amenities, such as parent rooms, prayer rooms and better-proportioned toilet facilities, ensure that more people feel seen, supported and able to thrive at work.

At Unity Place, Santander’s HQ, LOM incorporated many of these principles: desks positioned to maximise daylight, neighbourhood-based layouts for flexibility, a mix of enclosed and open zones, and quiet spaces for focus, all designed to reflect the varied needs of modern workers.

“None of us are average! We can all benefit from environments that support everyone, regardless of gender, age, physical ability or neurodiversity”

Simon Bird, LOM Director

A digital version of the Beyond the Standard exhibition boards is available here: Beyond the Standard

We’d love to hear from you

As part of the event, we invited guests to reflect on their own workplace experience, and we’d love to hear from you too.

Please complete the anonymous short survey below and linked here. We’re asking what works in your current workplace, what doesn’t, and what a better space might look like for you.