Three design innovations transforming modern offices The way we work has fundamentally changed, and office design is evolving to keep pace. As hybrid work becomes the norm and companies prioritize employee wellbeing and sustainability, businesses are reimagining their workspaces. At JLL offices worldwide, we are embracing three key design trends that are reshaping the modern […]
Three design innovations transforming modern offices
The way we work has fundamentally changed, and office design is evolving to keep pace. As hybrid work becomes the norm and companies prioritize employee wellbeing and sustainability, businesses are reimagining their workspaces. At JLL offices worldwide, we are embracing three key design trends that are reshaping the modern office.
1. Human-Centered Design: Reshaping Workplaces Around People
This approach emphasizes creating spaces that support both collaboration and focused work while seamlessly integrating technology into the employee experience.
JLL San Diego is putting this philosophy into action while planning its new office. The team is creating a space that welcomes employees and helps build a strong, connected culture. The design prioritizes employees’ needs: more collaborative spaces, a larger kitchen, and additional small conference rooms.
This shift addresses a key insight from JLL’s workplace research: while there is a need for collaborative spaces in an office, employees cite the lack of sound privacy and access to focused workspaces as primary reasons for lower satisfaction rates.
2. Sustainable Practices: Essential for Net Zero Goals
Environmental responsibility has moved from nice-to-have to business necessity. Companies are incorporating sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact while creating healthier workspaces.
When JLL Walnut Creek needed to relocate last year, sustainable practices guided every decision. The project diverted more than 70% of construction waste from landfills and achieved a 25% reduction in indoor water use.
The team selected materials with third-party environmental certifications, ensuring low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The design maximized natural light and provided employees with views of greenery and access to a landscaped courtyard, enhancing mental health and reducing stress.
These efforts earned LEED Gold certification, demonstrating that while green solutions may require upfront investment, they deliver long-term returns through energy savings and enhanced employee wellbeing.
Creating hybrid-friendly offices requires better technology and higher fit-out quality to increase employee engagement. Organizations are investing more in multifunctional rooms and virtual meeting technology to support their hybrid models.
In JLL’s Downtown Los Angeles office, all spaces are equipped with the latest technology to ensure efficiency. The space was designed so employees can plug into any workstation, conference room, or open seating area seamlessly. The office features versatile spaces with options ranging from private offices to open concepts and flexible meeting rooms. The reception area opens completely for large events. This technological infrastructure gives employees a choice in how they want to work.
Looking Ahead
These three trends: human-centered design, sustainability, and technology integration are reshaping how we think about office spaces. As companies adapt to hybrid work patterns and prioritize employee wellbeing alongside environmental responsibility, successful office design will be measured not just by aesthetics, but by its ability to support productivity, collaboration, and corporate values.
The future office isn’t just a place to work; it’s a strategic tool for attracting talent, fostering culture, and building sustainable business practices for the long term.
About JLL JLL is a global commercial real estate company with a local footprint. We hold a rank of #193 by Fortune 500 and have been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere 18 years in a row. With over 1,300 lease transactions totaling 18.1 million square feet and $5 billion in sales under our belt since 2022 – our trusted advisors have the local market knowledge and insight you need to address changing business demands, challenges, and risks. Learn more here.
A perfectly designed home rarely happens by accident. Those kitchens that feel effortless and rooms that seem to tell a story the second you walk in? They’re usually the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
It’s knowing which ideas will actually work, which materials will hold up over time, and how to turn a collection of choices into a space that feels intentional. That’s where a professional interior designer comes in.
For the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) California San Diego Chapter, the goal is to help people see interior design as more than just the finished look. Behind every well-designed space is a process built on technical expertise. Designers are educated in everything from professional software and construction details to building codes, space planning, materials, and functionality.
Courtesy of ASID
“People don’t always realize how much goes on behind the scenes,” Kirsten Recce , current president of the ASID California San Diego Chapter, says. “Our designers are not just doing furniture placement and color selection and picking out new fluffy pillows. That’s not what they’re trained for.”
ASID members bring formal education, continued learning, and industry knowledge to their projects, helping create spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to work. A paint color that changes completely depending on the lighting. A material that looks beautiful in a showroom but doesn’t make sense for everyday life. A layout that photographs well but doesn’t function for the people living there. These are the details where professional guidance can make all the difference.
Still, one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring an interior designer is that it’s reserved for massive renovations, luxury homes, or people who already know exactly what they want. The process can feel intimidating. Where do you begin? Is a designer worth the investment? What if you only need help with one room?
ASID’s answer: start with one hour.
ASID’s Spruce Up events break down one of the biggest barriers between homeowners and professional design: knowing where to begin. Held twice a year, the community program gives homeowners the chance to work directly with an ASID designer through a one-hour, $125 consultation in their own home. Whether you’re looking for advice on furniture placement, window treatments, kitchen and bath updates, remodeling ideas, vacation rentals, color selections or something else entirely, the upcoming September 2026 event offers an approachable way to get expert guidance before committing to a full project. Signups are open through Sept. 7, with consultations taking place Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. Proceeds benefit ASID San Diego’s educational and community programs. Register here!
Courtesy of ASID
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are in that exploratory phase,” Recce says. “Maybe they’re not sure they want to hire an interior designer yet, or they think it sounds daunting or expensive. This gives them a chance to discover what working with a designer is actually like.”
Design is personal. A good designer isn’t just creating a beautiful room; they’re helping create a space that fits the way someone lives.
“We’re a resource to all of San Diego County,” Recce says. “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone and call and ask. We’ll answer.”
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
Your feet and ankles probably aren’t something you give much thought to—until something goes wrong. Orthopedic surgeons at Scripps Clinic are on the leading edge of foot and ankle reconstruction, treating patients with sports injuries, deformities, traumatic injuries and other conditions. That includes repairing torn Achilles tendons with a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks the incision site to less than a centimeter, and performing advanced ankle replacement on some patients with ankle arthritis. Read more about Scripps’ innovations in foot and ankle care here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
Mai Vue was just 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered her baby. Her pregnancy had been complicated, and she’d had a recent second trimester pregnancy loss, which led to her receiving specialized care from Sean Daneshmand, MD, a Scripps Clinic perinatologist who oversees high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Daneshmand and his team took care of Mai during her pregnancy, through the birth of her healthy baby girl and beyond. Mai was part of a program Scripps launched to provide support to new moms in the weeks and months after delivery. The postpartum program, known as Scripps Health’s Fourth Trimester Continuum of Care, provides care for women with high-risk pregnancies to optimize their health after childbirth and reduce the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Click here to learn more.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
It’s estimated that one in five people in the U.S. will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. When you factor in living in a sun-soaked city like San Diego and the outdoorsy lifestyle that comes with it, that figure can jump to as high as one in three, which makes early detection and intervention all the more important. Dermatologists at Bighorn Mohs and Dermatology Center are using innovative imaging methods and advanced surgical techniques to diagnose and treat skin cancer. For certain cancers in sensitive spots, like the face, dermatologists perform Mohs surgery, removing skin tissue layer by layer until reaching healthy, cancer-free tissue. They also use a process called immunohistochemistry to view tissue samples taken during Mohs surgery in far greater detail than previous methods. Read more about how Scripps is advancing skin cancer care here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
When endurance athlete Isaac Sanchez learned he had cancer, he felt blindsided. He was healthy, surfed often and was training for an Ironman triathlon. But he had to put that on hold to undergo treatment. His physicians at Scripps Cancer Center developed a plan to treat the cancer in his tonsil and lymph nodes that included six-and-a-half weeks of near-daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy. He also worked with a Scripps Cancer Center dietitian to enhance his nutrition to promote strength and healing. Today, Isaac’s back to doing what he loves. Read more of his story here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
