Stay, Regear or Relocate

"Stay, Regear or Relocate", hosted by Dominic Dugan of Oktra, examined how that case is made when the numbers are rarely clear-cut. The Tribe covered the financial and emotional drivers of a move, how employees really work, lease flexibility, the adaptability of existing space and how workplace success should be measured.

Tribe Host: Dominic Dugan

Co-Hosts: Toby Chapman (WSP), Maud Santamaria (GWI), Penny Tonks (Cognizant), Jason Peckmore (Shell), Ira Chopra (MSD)

Scribe: Shakira Ahmed

Big Themes

Financial Decisions and Attachment to the Workplace

Lease expiry dates, portfolio costs and market conditions are usually the main drivers of a decision to stay, regear or relocate. One member of the Tribe described a global portfolio transformation that committed to reducing real estate costs and space by 30% and achieved approximately 35%.

The Tribe largely agreed that these decisions are not purely financial. Employees form strong connections to their office locations, the surrounding communities and established routines, often building commuting patterns and personal lives around a particular location over many years. A workplace can also become part of an organisation’s identity and history, which makes relocation a significant cultural change.

Financial performance remains a deciding factor. Several members of the Tribe believed, however, that the emotional impact of moving, and the value of familiar environments, should not be underestimated.

Understanding How Employees Actually Work

Does asking employees what they want from an office tell you enough to build an effective workplace strategy? Many of the Tribe doubted it and stressed the need to understand individual roles, working behaviours and the challenges people face in their current environments.

One member described regularly visiting offices to observe how people use the space, rather than relying only on surveys or reported utilisation figures. Engaging team leaders helps to establish the requirements and working practices of each department.

There was broad agreement that organisations should define what workplace success looks like before making investment decisions, using both employee feedback and measurable data. The Tribe largely believed organisations should design for what people need to work effectively rather than only the facilities they request.

Planning for Uncertainty and the Case for Lease Flexibility

Long-term commitments are hard to make when future business requirements are uncertain. Changing working patterns, business growth and emerging technologies such as AI are all making office needs harder to predict. One member of the Tribe explained that the potential impact of automation on workforce size and working practices is already creating uncertainty around future portfolio needs.

The group questioned whether the traditional ten-year lease remains appropriate when organisations cannot confidently forecast their requirements even a few years ahead. One of the Tribe members said that securing break clauses and exit options had become more important than negotiating additional rent-free periods, reflecting a growing preference for flexibility over short-term incentives.

Many of the Tribe advised reviewing portfolios early and negotiating lease structures that let organisations respond to change without being held by long-term commitments.

Making Workplaces More Flexible and Adaptable

Several of the Tribe members saw scope to make existing workplaces more adaptable rather than defaulting to relocation or major refurbishment. Organisations invest heavily in their offices, only for those spaces to be refurbished or replaced as business needs change. One member shared an example of modular partitions and meeting pods that can be reconfigured over a weekend, avoiding a refurbishment that would last several months.

Concerns were raised about poor handover processes and the loss of information about existing workplace designs, which makes it harder for future teams to understand how a space was meant to function.

Reusable materials, modular building systems and higher-quality products can extend the life of existing assets. Architecture has a part to play: better building access and closer integration with surrounding neighbourhoods could support longer and more varied use of a space. The Tribe largely agreed that adaptability should be built into the design from the start to reduce unnecessary expenditure, disruption and waste.

Defining Workplace Success

Many of the Tribe held that clear workplace objectives are needed for investment to deliver its intended outcomes. Many also challenged the assumption that a modern office with extensive amenities will automatically improve attendance, productivity or employee satisfaction. Google’s King’s Cross headquarters was cited as an example where questions remained over whether employees would use the new facilities despite the scale of investment.

Different employee groups also need different things: engineering teams, for example, may prefer dedicated desks and high-quality technical equipment to additional social space. Leadership and culture came up repeatedly, with members of the Tribe asking whether employees feel encouraged and empowered to use the spaces provided.

The Tribe largely agreed that workplace success should be measured through utilisation, employee experience and business performance, rather than by how a new office looks or how many facilities it has.

Biggest Opportunity: Using Existing Space Better and Planning Earlier

Many of the Tribe believed organisations can get more value from the workplaces they already have, rather than relocating by default. Adaptable design, reusable materials and flexible layouts extend the life of a space and reduce refurbishment cost, disruption and waste.

The second opportunity is a more proactive approach to portfolio review: regularly assessing market conditions, lease commitments and workplace utilisation instead of waiting until a lease approaches expiry. Many saw earlier planning as giving greater negotiating power and more flexibility when deciding whether to stay, regear or relocate.

Biggest Challenge: Uncertainty and Losing Sight of the Original Objectives

Many of the Tribe saw predicting how organisations will operate in the future as the hardest part. AI, automation and changing working patterns could significantly affect workforce size and office requirements, which makes long-term property decisions difficult when needs cannot be forecast over even the next few years.

A related risk is that organisations lose sight of why a workplace project was set up. Changes in leadership, employee requirements and working practices can leave spaces no longer used as intended. Poor handover and limited ongoing evaluation make existing workplaces harder to adapt, which can lead to unnecessary refurbishment or relocation.

OCCUPEERS took place on 13 October 2026 at Fulham Pier, London.

Find out more about the event at space-plus.org/occupeers