As Chair of the NLA Work Expert Panel, much of our 2025 discussion has focused on this: can the workplace actively support social connection, inclusion and productivity, particularly at a time when loneliness is rising and work patterns continue to shift? 

There are clear indicators that employee health and wellbeing drives performance, so why do we still talk about the workplace mainly in terms of attendance? We have also explored what building fundamentals have become non-negotiables for office development, forming the backbone for flexibility and sustainability. 

The evidence is increasingly clear that wellbeing and connection are not “soft” issues. They have a direct impact on business performance. Yet are we always designing workplaces with the end-user firmly at the centre, or are we still trying to be all things to all people? 

Our discussions were informed by desktop research, providing some critical insights.  

These findings raise an important challenge for our sector: how can we influence workplace design and office offerings to genuinely support social connection, wellbeing and productivity?  The fundamentals of office development must support businesses and their people, while also demonstrating clear benefits to company performance. 

We also considered the wider ecosystem. Evolving perceptions of the workplace cannot rest with the office building alone. A holistic approach is required, involving collaboration between developers, architects, local authorities, BIDs and neighbouring developments. The Square Mile already accounts for £109 billion in annual economic output. Initiatives such as *Destination City5* demonstrate how workplaces can connect with culture, retail and local communities to diversify business attraction and increase engagement. 

A recurring panel debate has been whether increasingly multi-purpose office spaces dilute wellbeing outcomes by trying to meet all needs. In striving to deliver flexibility, connection and wellness amenities, what trade-offs are we making? For example, with around 15% of the UK population being neurodivergent, open-plan and hot-desking environments have shown negative and non-inclusive impacts6. This brings us back to a fundamental question: who is the ultimate client? Focusing on the end-user drives leasing success and positive investor sentiment, particularly as the City workforce is projected to reach 1.2 million by 2040. 

The panel toured a range of schemes to explore these themes in practice, including Worship Square (HB Reavis), 40 Leadenhall (M&G) and 25 Baker Street (Derwent). While differing in scale, each scheme placed occupier needs at its core: 40 Leadenhall provides a vertical campus with dedicated amenities, cinema, library, wellness facilities and private events spaces, balancing publicly accessible areas and heritage elements. Worship Square, which achieved 98% pre-leasing at practical completion, demonstrates how community can be supported through a lobby café, flexible workspace, rooftop terrace, and events auditorium. Both schemes, designed pre- and during the pandemic, show how anticipating and evolving occupier needs drives commercial success. 

We also discussed the commercial viability of speculative amenity delivery and how internal business cases can justify it, through planned leasing strategies, recovering costs through amenity fees, service charges and if trade-offs with lettable area are justifiable. 

Conclusion & Look Ahead 

The panel believes that in good partnership with clients and project stakeholders, we can shift the conversation away from simply debating “days in the office” and towards articulating the health, social and economic benefits of the workplace to justify the business case for unlocking office development. 

The thinking developed in 2025 provides a foundation for a more holistic study of *Work* in 2026. With an estimated workforce of 800,000 in the City alone by 2030, rising to 1.2 million by 2040, and with forthcoming challenges in committed speculative office development versus occupier demand, we will explore what will unlock development opportunities for office-led schemes across Central London. 

Key areas of interest for our 2026 exploration will include: 

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