FCA’s community-first approach to workplace design reimagines the office as a dynamic ecosystem that fosters connection, wellness and a new sense of belonging in the era of hybrid work.
This article was written by Shawna McCrimmon, FCA Associate, Senior Interior Designer, NCIDQ.
In the era of hybrid work, the office has taken on new responsibilities, serving not only as a place for individual productivity, but also as an anchor for an organization’s culture and identity. Since we’re spending less time in person with colleagues, our co-workers’ gathering spaces need to be more than just functional. It serves as a source of inspiration, strengthens a sense of belonging, fosters collaboration, and helps communicate a common purpose. Today, the most successful workplace design efforts emphasize a community-first mindset, combining thoughtful amenities, wellness-focused environments, and design elements that inspire employee connection in ways that digital tools can’t.
Repositioning the headquarters as a city-like urban hub
The most forward-thinking organizations are leveraging urban design principles to reimagine their campuses as complete ecosystems, operating more like small cities than just dedicated offices. Every thriving urban space relies on amenities and intuitive circulation, and modern workspaces must offer multi-layered experiences that engage employees and encourage interaction. Amenities like cafes, lounge areas, fitness centers, and outdoor spaces aren’t just perks that are relegated to the periphery of a space’s program. These are key touchpoints for establishing culture and fostering interactions that bond a community-centered workplace.
By strategically placing these amenities, we can not only provide services when needed, but also encourage their use and create opportunities to shape behavior. For example, a cafe positioned as a central hub, rather than tucked away in a corner, is a magnet for organic social interaction. Similarly, a good mix of indoor and outdoor seating can blur the boundaries of the workplace itself, providing retreats to rest and connect with colleagues throughout the day. The intentional placement of these amenities establishes a destination, allows for more spontaneous and impromptu collaboration, and fosters a strong sense of community that helps teams feel energized as they head into the office.
At Fox Rothschild’s Philadelphia headquarters, FCA designed a boutique hotel-inspired employee cafe as the office’s social hub. A centrally located hub fosters spontaneous connections, provides a variety of seating for collaboration, and strengthens the transition to a more community-driven legal workplace. |Photo provided by Jeffrey Tortaro
Design shared experiences and culture
Communities are not formed by chance. Creating experiences requires an intentional approach that transforms a collection of workspaces into a cohesive whole. An important aspect of envisioning a community-first office is providing opportunities for common rituals through design. This might include team meetings spread out in open areas, cross-functional coffee chats, or even cultural events that help reinforce a common identity more intentionally. By leveraging spaces that can be flexible between formal and informal, organizations can foster moments of togetherness that feel organic rather than contrived.
For today’s designers, creating iconic moments of togetherness means thinking beyond function to what a space truly means to the end user. Stair landings that double as stages for all-hands events and shared tables that allow disparate teams to interact regularly are both examples of spatial decisions that communicate to teams that the workplace is not just a place to work and go home, but a stage for creating and sustaining connections. In hybrid environments, physical face-to-face time with colleagues is often at a premium, so relying on the organic interactions that these rituals and spaces provide can anchor a sense of belonging and establish relationships that cannot be reflected in digital work environments.
FCA’s amenity redesign at 2000 Market Street transforms shared spaces into community attractions. Flexible meeting rooms, touchdown zones, cafes and outdoor courtyards encourage spontaneous collaboration and foster a vibrant work culture. |Photo provided by Jeffrey Tortaro
Wellness as a cultural driver
The psychological impact of thoughtful, wellness-focused design elements for each type of workspace is critical to driving broader organizational success. Introducing biocompatible elements, from living walls to natural finishes, first helps improve indoor air quality, but more importantly, creates moments of peaceful respite throughout the day that strengthen your innate connection to the outdoors. Quiet rooms with moody tones and accent lighting help clear the mind and prepare employees for high-energy, collaboration-focused work.
Providing a variety of work environments reinforces the reality that individuals can contribute most meaningfully when they have different spaces to meet different needs and expectations. Creating a true sense of belonging is directly linked to personal well-being in many ways. Communities thrive best when the people within them feel safe, supported, and healthy. Wellness-focused design is no longer optional, but essential to building and sustaining culture. Enhanced access to sunlight, connection to nature/the outdoors, and environments that support restoration can have a direct impact on employee mood, efficiency, and how they interact with each other.
In hybrid work arrangements, wellness spaces serve as a key driver of in-person residence, providing an experience of care and connection that a home office cannot provide.
FCA’s headquarters renovation embodies a people-first approach and features a recovery lounge that offers a variety of postures with furniture selection, a wide variety of workspaces, and thermoresponsive materials in a focus room designed to boost energy levels. The space reflects the company’s broader commitment to wellness as a culture driver. Photo by Jeffrey Tortaro
Circulation and guidance
Equally important to how people feel in a space is how they navigate that space. Wayfinding is an under-recognized means of influencing the overall workplace experience. Borrowing lessons from urban planning, FCA pioneered the integration of the “main street” concept within workspaces, using central connecting pathways to create vibrant, interconnected environments. These downtown thoroughfares are packed with a variety of venues, organized intersections, and other cultural hotspots within an active central space. These streets set the stage for interaction and foster meaningful community building through guided wayfinding experiences.
But any effort to design more intuitive and connected circular experiences must incorporate a deep understanding of natural human behavior. Arranging entrances, adjacent walkways, and other paths in an intuitive pattern allows your team to move beyond simply passing through and engaging with the space and other places within it along the way. For example, a design element like a central staircase serves both as a vertical link throughout the building and as a central point where people naturally stop and exchange ideas. In this community-first approach to workplace design, circulation goes beyond logistics and serves as a means to foster culture, making the workplace a true network of connections.
Modern office as a cultural platform
Incorporating lessons learned from hybrid models and post-pandemic design research, tomorrow’s workplace will be more than just a place to be productive. It is now a catalyst for connection. By approaching each aspect of the workplace with a community-driven mindset, organizations can transform their offices into living environments where employees choose to gather. Not because you have to, but because the benefits of spending time in an office far outweigh other options. Spaces focused on shared experiences, understanding, and belonging continually build culture in ways that are always difficult to match with digital approaches.
Ultimately, the future of workplace design lies in reimagining the modern office as a cultural platform rather than a cultural container. Respecting the power of place, supporting different needs and work styles, and bringing people together through a common purpose, offices consider design to be a consideration beyond aesthetics. It’s a strategy for building long-term communities in a digital-first world where connections are more important than ever.
Fox Philadelphia procurement breakdown:
Furniture: Everything around the desk was Teknion. All conference tables were Nucraft. Glass wall systems: Office glass reception system – Teknion (Focus system) Movable meeting glass partition – Modernfold (Acousti-Clear Single system) Flooring: Custom terrazzo throughout elevator lobby, reception/conference, cafe: Carpet throughout work area – Bentley Mills Woodgrain luxury vinyl tile throughout hallway – Shaw Contract Custom acoustical wood ceiling in reception/conference and hallway: Combination of MCM Acoustical and ASI Custom General lighting for the entire factory workforce – Lumenwerx
FCA Philadelphia headquarters procurement breakdown:
Procurement breakdown for 2000 Market St.:
Chainmail Curtains – Canemail Bronze Mesh Island Pendant – Lucas Lamp Co Sphere Pendant – Pablo / Boro Area Rug – Show / Collection: Method Terrazzo Countertops & Splashes – Coverings & More / Style: Castelo Bakuco Large Format Wall Tile – Crossbill / Style: File Island Stool – Industry West Island Column Tile – Nemo / Style: Glazed Stack Mosaic Lounge Seating Furniture – West Elm / Andes Sofa / Mid-Century Wood Show Chair / Auburn Swivel Chair Lounge Side Table – CB2 / Jax Table Wave Wallpaper – Colosseel / Style: Hillside Wall Sconce – Mitzi / Style: Cadence
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