Episode 23: If hybrid working is here to stay, why are the best London offices thriving?

Episode 23

Overview

“I think the office is becoming more important. It’s not shrinking at all.”

It’s a view that may surprise anyone who has spent the past few years reading headlines predicting the decline of the office.

But according to Sam McClary, Chief Executive of the British Council for Offices, the real story is very different. So if the office isn’t disappearing, what exactly is it becoming?

In this episode of the BE Sustainable podcast, presenter Mike Speight explores why some workplaces are flourishing in the age of flexible working while others risk being left behind.

Joining the discussion are three guests with very different perspectives on the future of the workplace. Alexander Morris, Managing Director at BGO, brings the investor viewpoint. Sam McClary offers an industry-wide perspective on the changing office market. Meanwhile, Gustaf Sedihn, a current student at The London School of Architecture, shares fresh thinking from the next generation of workplace designers, including research into how offices could incorporate childcare and wider social infrastructure.

Together, the panel examines the growing divide between prime and secondary office stock, asking what separates a thriving office from one that risks becoming obsolete. They discuss whether the role of the office has fundamentally changed, how employers increasingly view workplaces as part of their talent strategy, and why occupiers are placing greater emphasis on quality, sustainability and employee experience.

Walk And Talk Track At 105 Victoria Street The walk and talk track, 105 Victoria Street

Featured in the discussion is BGO’s landmark 105 Victoria Street development in Westminster. Described by BGO as the UK’s largest 100% electric, net zero carbon office development, the scheme combines premium workspace with 25,000 sq ft of greenspace and terracing, a 200-metre walk-and-talk track, an urban farm, extensive cycling facilities and community-focused public spaces. Rather than simply adding amenities, the development reflects a broader shift in thinking: that successful offices must function as destinations that support wellbeing, sustainability, social connection and everyday life, giving people a compelling reason to spend time there.

The conversation also explores whether offices could play a much broader role in society. Could workplace design help tackle challenges such as childcare? What responsibility do offices have to the neighbourhoods around them? And how can developers create places that people actively choose to visit rather than simply attend out of obligation?

Whether you believe the office is being reinvented or merely refined, this episode explores what the workplace of the future might look like, and why the buildings attracting the most demand today may offer important clues about where the sector is heading next.