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Articles by Kay Sargent
Inclusion has to be designed in
A new hire steps off a packed lift into the reception on their first day. Conversations echo off hard floors. A logo flashes in their peripheral vision. The overhead lighting feels like it’s pulsing through their body. There’s no landmark to cue them where to go. By the time they reach their desk, which looks like every other one, they feel like they’ve already spent a day’s worth of energy arriving. An experience like this is merely an annoyance for many employees.
Wired for Beauty: Neuroaesthetics in the Built Environment
Wired for Beauty: Neuroaesthetics in the Built Environment Spaces are not passive backdrops. They are active agents in human health and well-being. This means that the design decisions we make influence how people feel and function inside them. This year’s HOK Forward explores the science behind that reality and suggests what designers can do about it.
Future-Casting to Be Future Ready
How HOK’s three-horizon scenario planning helps organizations design future-ready buildings by anticipating socio-economic shifts, technology, trends, and long-term workplace needs. “When it comes to the future, there are three types of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen and those who wonder what happened,” observed John M. Richardson Jr. Organizations today should aspire to be in the second category; regrettably, many will find themselves in the third.
Designing neuroinclusive workplaces: how to get started
Many companies have a desire to create a flourishing workplace for all but are struggling to make it happen. A new book by Kay Sargent of architects HOK demystifies the process Neurodiversity is a difference, not a deficit. Today it is estimated that one in five individuals is neurodivergent, which is a natural reoccurring variation in neurocognitive functioning. When we started our research into this topic eight years ago, the statistic was one in eight.
Materials That Make Workplaces Work for Everyone
Traditional workplace design often unintentionally excludes the estimated 1-in-5 employees who are neurodivergent. Yet these individuals often possess exceptional abilities in pattern recognition, creative problem-solving and focused work - talents organizations desperately need. There is a strong business case for neuroinclusive design that prioritizes choice, variety and control.
Beyond Ramps and Rails: Designing for Cognitive Inclusion in the Workplace
Most workplaces still fail to accommodate neurodivergent employees—discover how neuroinclusive design can transform offices into spaces that support focus, well-being, and productivity for all. In the 1990s, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) finally tackled physical barriers in workplace design. This legislation changed how we design building by requiring features like ramps, wider doorways and hallways, and accessible restrooms.
Why Your Workplace May Be Failing Our Best Minds and the Case for Neuroinclusive Design
Picture a typical morning in the office. The fluorescent lights hum overhead while conversations about everything ranging from the Yellowstone finale to tomorrow's big client presentation echo across the open floor plan. A printer whirs, the HVAC system drones, and your neighbor's heavy perfume triggers a sneeze. For many employees, these are just mild annoyances.
Sensory Stimulation: The Root of Performance and Wellbeing
Have you ever found yourself in a space you couldn’t wait to get out of? Perhaps it was a noisy, bustling work environments with bold images and vibrant colors but no way to orient yourself.
Study: Traditional Scientific Workplaces Don’t Meet Needs of Neurodivergent Employees — Lab Design News
Gary Clark, Regional Leader of Science + Technology in HOK’s London studio, is co-author of this piece. It has been theorized that the analytical and often independent nature of scientific and research work caters to people who identify as neurodivergent. But what percentage of scientific workers are truly neurodivergent? And what type of scientific workspaces would best cater to their needs?
The Designer Perspective with Kay Sargent Episode 11.2
I do not believe that we are leveraging technology nearly as much as we should be in the built environment and that the auto industry is kicking our butt right now. My neighbors have a car where they can start the car inside their house and get it nice and warm. They can walk down to the car. They don’t even have to touch it. It automatically unlocks because the fob in their pocket sinks with the door.
The Designer Perspective with Kay Sargent Episode 11.1
Curious about the future of workplace design? With Kay Sargent’s help, discover how understanding an organization’s “DNA” can lead to tailored solutions that go beyond physical spaces to address the operational and cultural shifts essential for hybrid work success. Watch the interview to learn about creating a balanced and inclusive work environment that truly supports both employees and organizational goals.
Set Up For Failure
COVID was a Black Swan event, a rare, unpredictable, and impactful event that was the final straw for a long coming shift in how we work. And we are still in the wake of that storm. Yet while we are all in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat. It’s estimated that approximately 74% of public sector companies have adopted a hybrid model (Smith, 2022).
Three Key Insights for Workplace Design & Strategy from IFMA World Workplace ‘23
Veldhoen + Company’s Kristin Reed breaks down three standout topics from the Workplace Evolutionaries’ sessions at IFMA’s World Workplace. A vital component for the health and sustainability of our profession, for the businesses & clients we advise, and for the people whom we design work experiences, is this: workplace strategists and designers need a forum for groundbreaking discussions and bold experiments in strategy, design, and the wider built environment.
2023 Trends: People are the New Amenity
Companies that are eager to get their teams back into shared spaces are looking for what amenity will prove to be the magnet that entices the workforce back. But the reality is – we can create amazing spaces with lots of “nice-to-have” amenities that enhance the experience, but if they are empty, they won’t make an impact. HOK’s Kay Sargent shares why people are the amenity that is the draw back to shared space.
How employers are designing neurodiverse workplaces
About 20% of people are neurodivergent, meaning they have autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia or another learning or mental health difference. In other words, there are most likely at least a handful of people in every workplace who might identify as neurodivergent. Accommodating neurodiverse employees in the workplace is necessary for employers who want to have inclusive workforces.
How to Make Your Hybrid Office the Best of Both Worlds
Companies are re-evaluating the purpose of the office. HOK’s Beate Mellwig and Kay Sargent explain how to put in place an effective hybrid work model that balances employees’ “wants” with the needs of the business. How is your company’s return-to-office (RTO) going? We’ve all seen surveys reporting on the latest workplace preferences of knowledge workers. Factors like age, gender, job type, geographic location and industry can skew the results.
Office Design for Neurodiverse Employees: Remain Fluid and Adaptable
To understand how companies can better serve neurodiverse employees, HOK, a global design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm, partnered with Tarkett, a workplace design company, to survey 202 neurodiverse individuals, focusing on women and workers older than 30. The survey found that these individuals suffer from sensory challenges, and employers should consider this when designing a more supportive and inclusive workplace.
Creating a neurodiverse workplace
Even before COVID-19 changed everything, more organizations were looking to create workplaces that help neurodiverse employees feel comfortable. About one in eight people are neurodiverse. This means they have one of a range of conditions that include autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, Parkinson’s and other cognitive disorders.
Returning To The Office: Are We Asking the Right Questions?
HOK’s Kay Sargent explores why companies are struggling with finding the right balance with their return to the office strategy. As we see a post-pandemic future on the horizon, companies have been contemplating what their return to the office strategy (RTO) should be. For many, the announcement of their go-forward approach is met with pushback from their workforce.
2021 Trends: Reimagining an Ecosystem for Work
HOK’s Kay Sargent kicks off our 2021 trends series exploring why we must evolve beyond the notion of the office to reimagining an ecosystem for work. Stay tuned for more 2021 trend predictions all month long! Patelco’s Headquarters in Dublin, California. Photo courtesy of David Wakely. This article was developed as a collaboration between HOK and Steelcase. The Case for Change For the past several years we have watched as industry after industry has disrupted and forced to evolve.
2021 Trends: Reimaging an Ecosystem for Work
HOK’s Kay Sargent kicks off our 2021 trends series exploring why we must evolve beyond the notion of the office to reimagining an ecosystem for work. Stay tuned for more 2021 trend predictions all month long! Patelco’s Headquarters in Dublin, California. Photo courtesy of David Wakely. This article was developed as a collaboration between HOK and Steelcase. The Case for Change For the past several years we have watched as industry after industry has disrupted and forced to evolve.
Mindful Places: Addressing Mental Health, Neurodiversity
We are living in a time of increased numbers of neurodivergent people and awareness about ADHD, dyslexia, autistic, and other neurological states. In fact, one in eight people are considered neurodiverse, but fewer than 50% know it. Neurodivergents tend to be high energy, out-of-the-box thinkers, excel in a crisis, and be bold problem-solvers, but navigating the modern workplace can be a challenge.
The Latest Workplace Design Initiative? Neurodiversity
In a world of heightened sensitivity, designers who pay attention to workers’ sensory intelligence will create environments where people can thrive. Neurodiversity will be part of what defines the future of the workplace, says HOK’s Kay Sargent. Illustration by Rose Wong For many office-goers at the moment, work is happening at home and online. But eventually, we will agree on guidelines, establish protocols, and find a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
Mindful Places: Shared Spaces, Like Attitudes
Attitude is often cited as playing a major role within workplace engagement, with people influencing people assumed as a truism — as entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn once noted, “we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” And in their work, longevity researcher Dan Buettner and the Blue Zones project team identified nine specific characteristics of places where people live longer.
Disruption in Commercial Real Estate: Is this our Kodak Moment?
Kay Sargent explains why the workplace design industry needs to embrace disruption, otherwise this could be our Kodak moment. For the past several years we have watched as industry after industry has disrupted and forced to evolve. Be it the hotel sector impacted by Airbnb, or the taxi service changed by Uber and Lyft. But there has also been disruption in the commercial real estate industry, thanks to coworking, WeWork, and changes to the design profession are emerging as well.
12 Days of Trends: Gig Pool / Just-in-Time Staffing
We’re counting down to 2020 by sharing 12 days of emerging workplace trends! Learn what trends our top global contributors are most excited to see evolve in the new year. Trend 9 of 12: Kay Sargent believes that as labor shortages intensify, companies will increasingly consider part-time workers to meet current and future staffing demands.
Designing for Neurodiversity and Inclusion
“We need to ensure that our best asset, and the true currency of business – people – are in spaces where they can ALL thrive.” Convene, Los Angeles, CA – Photo credit: © 2018 Bilyana Dimitrova. The crisp white furniture, dropped ceiling, soft materials, and saturated colors make this area of Convene’s coworking space in Los Angeles an oasis from the workspace—a place where people can go to refresh.
How AI is Impacting Human Experience at Work Today and Beyond
In honor of our August theme of AI and the Human Experience, HOK’s Kay Sargent shares an informative video exploring how AI is impacting work today and beyond. New technologies and innovations are emerging rapidly and will forever impact the way we work, how we manage space and the human experience. We need to look to the future to see the shift that is on the horizon, how these shifts and disruptions will impact the way we work.
Making Work Work
We are living in a time in which exponential change is driven by advances in technology, automation, the emergence of the sharing economy and the fall of siloed space, all of which is having profound impact on the spaces and places that we create. Regardless of the abundance of innovation, many of us are still working in spaces where technology is frustrating at best.
Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Tech Sector
New research from HOK explores the challenges and opportunities facing the tech sector today. Check out their informative video and key takeaways below! HOK’s Workplace group has just released their annual report which explores a crucial issue in workplace and interior design.
Open and shut case: why critics of open plan are behind the times
Bashing the open plan office has become a global sport. But, as Kay Sargent of design firm HOK suggests, the game has moved on and many new open environments are now skilfully tailored to user needs There has been a lot of talk about ‘open plan’ environments of late. Let’s all agree on something – open plan is NOT for everyone and for many, it’s a bad solution.
Understand Where You Are Headed And Why
Excerpts from HOK’s upcoming whitepaper “Tech Workplace: From Frontier to Center Stage.” An investigation of the forces reshaping the tech industry and how workplace design can position companies for success. CISCO Waterpark Place Toronto.
How to Accomodate Styles of All Regions
It depends where in the world you are planning for and who you are Just two years ago HOK surveyed 50 corporate real estate managers worldwide about their workplace solutions and published the results in a Work Design magazine article entitled “Global CRE Challenges and Opportunities.” (1) In that article we described how many companies were developing and implementing workplace standards in locations all over the world.
Los Angeles Annual Office Forum
Mr. Adler, as President and CEO of Adler Realty Investments, Inc., is actively involved in a broad spectrum of real estate investment and development projects. His market insight, analysis and leadership skills enable the firm to consistently exceed market returns on its investments. While serving as President of Adler, Mr. Adler has acted as general partner, manager and investor in over 50 real estate projects worth over $750 million.
Moving Beyond Open Plan Spaces
Recently, numerous articles within the design media have called into question the effectiveness of open plan workspaces. A more critical inquiry into the topic, however, might explore the following: Why are so many companies still using an outdated planning approach that doesn’t suit their employees’ needs? The open plan concept popular more than a decade ago has since been enhanced with smarter, more advanced planning models.
Why the Financial Workplace is Different
Financial institutions have grown accustomed to traversing continuous economic, regulatory, and geopolitical shifts. Today, though, rapid advances in technology—including cryptocurrencies, biometrics, artificial intelligence, open banking, and blockchain—are further disrupting the sector and threatening legacy players in unprecedented ways.
It's Time for a Workplace Attitude Adjustment
People are the chief currency and greatest asset of any business. With up to 80 percent of a company’s expenses coming from human resources, it’s vital that their workforce is productive, engaged, and empowered. Unfortunately, 68 percent of U.S. workers are disengaged, according to the latest edition of Gallup’s annual engagement survey. Though there are many factors contributing to this alarming statistic, attitude plays a major role in workplace engagement.
Global CRE Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing Effective Workplace Solutions
We live in an interconnected world. With unprecedented rates of global transit — whether for business, pleasure, or immigration — culture is crossing boundaries at an astounding pace, impacting the way we live and work. In the U.S., especially, we are becoming a “minority of majorities” with a heightened awareness of the cultural aspects of various countries. This cognizance is having a ripple effect on how we design.
A Deeper Look into that Recent WaPo Piece about Open Offices
In the wake of the latest diatribe against open office plans, Kay Sargent, director of workplace strategies for Lend Lease, says the vitriol is misguided. Google didn’t “get it wrong” and the open office trend isn’t “destroying the workplace”. Here are six approaches to creating more harmonious workspaces, open or otherwise. In 2008, companies across the nation were forced to dramatically cut costs and reduce space.
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