How Gen Z is inspiring a change in office design

As younger generations challenge traditional norms, the modern workplace is evolving into a space of comfort, creativity and balance

- Ria Gupta

One thing we'd never give up as an organisation is a physical space, a place where real, in-person connections can continue to thrive as we work," says Advait Gupt, co-founder and CEO of Mumbai-based Kulfi Collective, a creative network that produces branded and original IPs for Gen Y and Z audiences.

On the cusp of a seismic shift in work culture, various generations are coexisting under a single roof. Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012, is perceivably more vocal about personal growth in a professional setting.

As the younger generation steps out to work post-pandemic, their non-negotiable ideal of a healthy workplace is causing high attrition and employers are struggling to keep up. The JLL India Future of Work Survey 2024 revealed that in India, 90% of companies now require at least three days of office presence. In this era of conflicting sensibilities, a reimagination of the brick-and-mortar office is helping bridge gaps and retain the love for the workplace.

"A physical intervention can't always be as impactful as a good chat with your team. Real work is built in conversations, not confinements," says Ayushi Jain, a 20-something visual designer from Delhi.

But 39-year-old Gupt is one of the many employers of his generation who believe that if designed thoughtfully, a workplace can embody and cultivate these values that younger professionals believe in. His creative agency was founded in 2012 and recently got a redesign at its address in Mumbai's Nehru Centre. When designing the space (later named Kulfiverse) he and his team capitalized on its circular structure to inspire borderless communication and the transparent culture of collaboration.

CHANGING TIMES