As hybrid work matures from a temporary response to a long-term strategy, organizations are once again rethinking their real estate – but this time, the conversation isn’t just about square footage. It’s about purpose.
For tenants navigating return-to-office mandates and shrinking footprints, and for landlords trying to futureproof their assets, amenity spaces have emerged as a compelling middle ground – offering the connection, flexibility, and experiential value that hybrid work alone can’t deliver. These shared, thoughtfully programmed spaces are no longer a nice-to-have; they’re a strategic tool for engagement, differentiation, and long-term occupancy.
Redefining the Value of Space
Post-pandemic, many companies downsized their offices in favour of flexible work models – shrinking not only their overall footprint but also eliminating large-scale support spaces in the process. Expansive lunchrooms, training rooms, and multipurpose meeting areas were among the first to go. Before the pandemic, organizations were investing heavily in amenity-rich environments like games rooms, lounge areas, and elaborate work cafés to attract and retain talent. These spaces spoke to a company’s culture and commitment to employee experience. But in the rush to adapt to remote work, many of these experiential zones were deprioritized or removed altogether.
Now, a different trend is emerging. As larger institutions reinstate in-office requirements, that downsizing is revealing its limitations. Organizations are now faced with a new challenge: more people coming in, but fewer square feet to work with. In response, some are removing ancillary and social spaces to make room for more desks – sacrificing the very areas that foster collaboration, wellbeing, and community.
This is where amenity spaces come into play. By offering centralized, tech-enabled lounges, large training rooms, meeting rooms, wellness zones, and social hubs and even gaming areas, landlords can support tenants who no longer have the space – or the budget – to include these features in their own suites. More importantly, these amenities offer flexibility: tenants can access what they need, when they need it, without the burden of maintaining these spaces or giving up valuable square footage in their own layouts.
Extending the Tenant Experience
Amenity spaces aren’t just shared conveniences—they’re an extension of each tenant’s organization. As companies face space constraints due to downsizing or evolving hybrid policies, these landlord-provided environments fill critical gaps. From large-scale meeting rooms and training areas to quiet zones, lounges, and wellness spaces, amenities allow tenants to continue offering a full, engaging workplace experience without needing to house every function internally.
These shared environments help organizations preserve the culture and values they’ve built—reinforcing a sense of community, inclusion, and purpose. A thoughtfully curated amenity space doesn’t feel generic; it feels like part of your workplace. Employees can grab a coffee in a communal café, meet clients in a professional conference space, or take a moment of quiet in a wellness room—all within a setting that supports their company’s brand and rhythm of work. These spaces also act as way to provide large company meetings or social events, without having to curate space in your own office.
As return-to-office momentum grows, these spaces play a strategic role in helping businesses reintroduce the best aspects of in-person work – supporting both the practical and emotional dimensions of being together.
A Living Example: Roserock Place
POI’s work at Roserock Place is a prime example of how amenity design can bring hybrid strategies to life. Developed in collaboration with Crestpoint, the space was envisioned not just as a workplace, but as an extension of one. The shared amenities – from community lounges to dynamic meeting areas – were built to accommodate multiple tenants who had reduced their real estate footprint but still needed access to premium features.
What sets Roserock Place apart is how curated the experience feels. Tenants don’t just walk into a building – they walk into a branded, well-appointed space that encourages chance encounters, supports a wide range of workstyles, and provides a flexible solution to the ever-changing needs of hybrid work.
Amenity Spaces as Strategy
For landlords, these spaces differentiate buildings in a competitive market. For tenants, they offer relief from space constraints without compromising employee experience. And for employees, they reintroduce the best parts of the office – community, wellness, inspiration – in a way that remote work never could.
At POI, we believe amenity spaces are becoming an increasingly important part of workplace success in the hybrid era. As organizations navigate new ways of working, these shared environments offer a valuable way to enhance experience, support flexibility, and extend the impact of a reduced footprint.
By designing with empathy, backed by insight and experience, we help our partners create environments where people want to be – not because they have to, but because it feels right.
Because sometimes, the space between desks is where the real work gets done.