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.
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The new Brooklyn Tower, a mix of luxury condos and rentals, rises from the historic Dime Savings Bank building.
3 min
Listing of the Day
Location: Downtown Brooklyn, New York
Price: $16.75 million
Boasting 360-degree panoramic views across New York City, this new 92nd-floor penthouse is the highest residence in Brooklyn.
The full-floor apartment stands atop the new Brooklyn Tower, which encompasses 143 condos and 398 rentals in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, said Katie Sachsenmaier, senior sales director, Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group.
The condos begin on the 53rd floor, and the penthouses begin on the 88th floor. This one, Penthouse 92, is the only full-floor penthouse.
“The building is coming into its own now,” she said. “It feels very busy when you step into the lobby.”
Developed by Silverstein Properties, the building at 85 Fleet Street rises from the historic Dime Savings Bank building, according to a news release.
It was designed by SHoP Architects with interiors curated by Gachot Studios, and it is the borough’s only super tall skyscraper.
Penthouse 92 features custom interiors by Brooklyn-based Susan Clark of design firm Radnor, Sachsenmaier said. “Her selections have made it really beautiful. It feels very warm and inviting.”
Architectural details include 12-foot ceilings, European white oak floors in a custom honey stain, mahogany millwork, bronze detailing and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The eat-in kitchen features Absolute Black stone countertops, an island with seating, oil-rubbed bronze Waterworks fixtures and integrated Miele appliances, according to the listing.
The primary en suite bathroom showcases large-format Honed Breccia Capraia marble. There is also a separate laundry room as well as a wet bar and a butler’s pantry.
The views are spectacular, Sachsenmaier said. “If you’re standing in the living room, you take in the Statue of Liberty and all the way up through Midtown. On a clear day, you can see the planes take off at LaGuardia (Airport).”
Photo: Sean Hemmerle
Moving around the apartment, you see south over the harbor and then north and east over the whole city, she said.
From the front door, “you’re immediately greeted with the expansive living room and the view,” she said. “It’s really the first thing you see.”
The primary suite features a dressing room, multiple walk-in closets, two bathrooms (one with a cedar sauna) and southwest-facing windows, Sachsenmaier said. “You get those really beautiful harbour views.
The amenities will be ready by the end of summer, she said. A Life Time club will occupy the entire sixth and seventh floors, and an outdoor pool deck wraps around the dome of the bank building.
Stats
The 5,891-square-foot home has four bedrooms, five full bathrooms and one partial bathroom.
Amenities
Residents will have access to over 100,000 square feet of exclusive indoor and outdoor leisure spaces.
Fitness company Life Time will manage an array of amenities that include a 75-foot indoor lap pool, outdoor pools, a poolside lounge and atrium, a billiards room, a library lounge, a conference room, a theatre with a wet bar, a children’s playground and playroom and limited off-site parking.
The Sky Park offers an open-air loggia with a basketball court, foosball, a playground and a dog run.
Photo: Gabriel Saunders
Neighbourhood Notes
Downtown Brooklyn is at the centre of a number of neighbourhoods, including Fort Greene, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights. The tower has access to 13 subway lines, 11 commuter trains, the city’s ferry network and 22 Citi Bike stations.
“You can walk to Fort Greene Park in less than 10 minutes,” and Dekalb Market Hall, which has a Trader Joe’s, a Target and a food hall, is “right next door,” Sachsenmaier said.
Agent: Katie Sachsenmaier, senior sales director, Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group
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