Futureproofing the Workplace: Inside the Offices of 2050
Geyer Valmont CEO Marcel Zalloua explains how AI, data and design intelligence are reshaping today’s commercial spaces so they remain fit for purpose in 2050 and beyond.
3 min
As companies rethink how their offices should function in an age of rapid tech shifts, Geyer Valmont is spending its time reworking the buildings we already have.
CEO Marcel Zalloua says most of the structures dominating our skylines will still be here in 2050, but the way we use them will look nothing like today.
In this Q and A, he breaks down how AI, data and smarter design are set to transform the workplace.
Q: How are businesses futureproofing offices and buildings for 2050?
A: When we think about the future of the commercial building environment, it’s interesting to note that in 2050, most of the buildings making up our current horizon will still be standing, however what’s inside them will be completely transformed.
When we talk about future proofing commercial office spaces, our job really is to reshape the existing built world so that it continues to be fit for purpose, and incorporates infrastructure and design that enables our future state.
At Geyer Valmont, our remit is primarily to reimagine and redesign current spaces to be smarter, more sustainable and more efficient.
Q: How is technology influencing the way companies design and manage their office spaces, and how do you see this evolving in the next few years?
A: Offices are growing increasingly complex, incorporating new technologies, spaces and tools which continue to challenge traditional office design.
At the same time, technology has dramatically changed how we can enhance increasingly available data, to leverage many years of design intelligence, streamline processes and optimise performance.
This abundance of data has unlocked the ability to utilise new forms of technology that help companies visualise, simulate and redesign spaces with greater agility.
At Geyer Valmont, we’re using these technology advances to create new tools that can simulate office layouts, like our recently launched GVi tool.
GVi is an AI-powered ‘digital twin’ platform that can test design changes in real-time and forecast how spaces will perform before clients have to commit committing to physical adjustments, turning risk into evidence.
As Geyer Valmont is a fully integrated design and construction firm, GVi was developed as a critical tool to streamline the complexity of this process into one platform, and one simple, easy to use interface.
Our clients now only need to focus on their needs and the design outcome, as the delivery programme and costs are automatically calculated through the tool.
In the coming years, we expect AI to continue to play a deeper role in office design, taking the rapidly evolving needs of the business into consideration and helping companies accelerate the design process, with cost savings and efficiencies along the way.
Q: In 2026 and beyond, how do you see client expectations from their physical workplaces evolving?
The physical workplace is no longer just a place to work and meet, it can actively shape culture and performance through hyper-personalisation driven through AI tools and data.
As AI continues evolving, physical workplaces will too. AI will be used as a predictive tool to adapt to human needs in real time, using real data – lowering risk and recommending improvements.
This has the dual use of tailoring environments to individual preferences, for example lighting and temperature, as well as driving efficiencies for the business.
We believe that AI is a tool that should be embraced to streamline processes, as it enables us to spend more time with our clients, getting to know their businesses, so we can ensure we get under the hood of their operations to deliver workplace solutions that are right for now and for the future.
Formula 1 may be the world’s most glamorous sport, but for Oscar Piastri, it’s also one of the most lucrative. At just 24, Australia’s highest-paid athlete is earning more than US$40 million a year.
From gorilla encounters in Uganda to a reimagined Okavango retreat, Abercrombie & Kent elevates its African journeys with two spectacular lodge transformations.
Ray White senior data analyst Atom Go Tian says Sydney’s elite postcodes are pulling further ahead, with Bellevue Hill dominating the nation’s most expensive streets in 2025.
3 min
Sydney has cemented its status as the nation’s luxury capital, with Kambala Road in Bellevue Hill being Australia’s most expensive street this year, posting a median house price of $39.35 million.
And, according to Ray White senior data analyst Atom Go Tian, last year’s leader, Wolseley Road, was excluded from this year’s rankings due to limited sales.
“Wolseley Road recorded only three sales this year and was therefore excluded from the rankings, though its $51.5 million median would have otherwise retained the top position,” he says.
Bellevue Hill continues its dominance, accounting for six of the nation’s top 10 streets. Tian says the suburb’s appeal lies in its rare blend of location and lifestyle advantages.
“The suburb’s enduring appeal lies in its rare combination of proximity to both the CBD and multiple beaches, harbour views, and large estate-sized blocks on tree-lined streets.”
Vaucluse remains a powerhouse in its own right. “Vaucluse extends this harbourside premium with even more direct beach access and panoramic water views,” he says.
The gulf between Sydney and the rest of the country remains striking.
According to Tian, “Sydney’s most expensive streets are more than five times more expensive than the leading streets in Perth and Brisbane, and more than 10 times the premium streets in Canberra and Adelaide.”
He attributes this to Sydney’s economic role and geographic constraints, describing it as “Australia’s financial capital and its most internationally connected city.”
Beyond Sydney, each capital city has developed its own luxury hierarchy. Tian highlights Melbourne’s stronghold in Toorak, noting that “Melbourne’s luxury market remains centred around Toorak, led by Clendon Road, St Georges Road and Linlithgow Road.”
Brisbane’s prestige pockets are more dispersed: “Brisbane’s luxury real estate shows a more diverse pattern,” he says, led by Laidlaw Parade at $6.5 million. Perth’s top-end market remains anchored in the Peppermint Grove–Dalkeith corridor, with Forrest Street at $7.5 million.
He also points to the stark contrast at the lower end of the spectrum. “Darwin presents a mirror image, hosting all 10 of the country’s cheapest streets,” Tian says. Austin Street in Southport sits at just $117,500.
The national spread reaches its extreme in New South Wales. “Sydney emerges as the most polarised market, spanning an extraordinary range from Railway Parade in Katoomba at $385,000 to Kambala Road’s $39.35 million,” Tian says.
Methodology: Tian’s analysis examines residential house sales between November 2022 and November 2025, with only streets recording at least five sales included. Several streets with higher medians, including Black Street, Queens Avenue and Clairvaux Road in Vaucluse, were excluded because they did not meet the sales threshold.
A divide has opened in the tech job market between those with artificial-intelligence skills and everyone else.
Micro-needling promises glow and firmness, but timing can make all the difference.
