In recent years, designing office spaces to be more inclusive and supportive of neurodivergent individuals has gained greater attention. Factors such as colour, materials, sound, and artwork are now recognised for their potential to enhance employee wellbeing by creating a more relaxed and creative environment.

However, the idea that office design can improve cognitive function for all employees is still in its early stages of exploration, writes Yetta Reardon, Workplace Stratgiest at Savills and Sarah Brooks, Associate Director at the World Research. 

“Top scientists in the field of neuroarchitecture, the application of neuroscience to built spaces, have found that when people work together in person their brains achieve some form of synchronicity which helps boost the group’s ability to innovate and solve problems,” the authors explains.

Therefore, the authors highlight that it is logical to design workplaces with areas that cater to various types of meetings. For them, offices should incorporate a blend of formal, flexible, and informal breakout spaces, connected by high-traffic walkways that encourage spontaneous, open-ended conversations.

Coffee shop-inspired spaces—small, semi-open areas offering a degree of privacy while remaining slightly detached from the larger environment—can also serve as comfortable spots for idea sharing, the authors write.

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“As is well documented, acoustic design that minimises noisy distractions, plus sympathetic screening that limits sightlines to busy walkways or meeting areas is likely to be useful in preventing distractions,” they write.

But according to them what is less discussed is the effect of both light and temperature on an individual’s ability to focus.

According to research by the University of Liège, which was published earlier in 2024, elevating light levels for short periods can improve cognitive performance during complex tasks, so exploring fitting out some individual work spaces with variable light controls, and explaining to employees how to adapt levels to suit different tasks, is an option here.

Another research by the Berlin Social Science Centre and USC Marshall School of Business in California finds that temperature can also play a role: women perform better with a one-degree Celsius increase in temperature, while men said that they prefer cooler environment.

“Designing spaces which allow for individual working temperatures within a wider open plan environment is challenging, but is likely to be the future,” wrote the authors.

However, Yetta and Sarah add that whether working individually or in teams, cognitive performance improves when employees are encouraged to take regular breaks from screens, with notable enhancements in mental processing and memory. Which is why they encourage businesses to provide dedicated quiet spaces that are free from digital distractions which can facilitate this. Soft lighting, biophilic elements like plants and wood, and comfortable seating can help reduce physiological stress and restore concentration.

“As brain-imaging technology develops and the focus on neuroarchitecture continues to grow, no doubt we will discover more ways that the built environment affects the human brain,” they wrote.