When you think about the modern workplace, kindergarten probably isn’t the first model that comes to mind. Yet according to Alana F. Dunoff, a facilities strategist, Temple University adjunct professor, and principal of AFD Professional Services, it might just be the perfect blueprint for how we should think about offices in a hybrid world.
In her recent conversation on The Real Finds Podcast with host Gordon Lamphere, Alana shared how her background in environmental psychology and facilities planning shaped her philosophy that the best workplaces function the way kindergarten classrooms do: they offer variety, flexibility, and moments of genuine human connection. And in an era defined by empty cubicles and “return to office” fatigue, that lesson feels overdue.
Alana has spent more than 30 years helping organizations align people, process, and place. She describes the current return-to-office landscape as “the wild west,” where companies are still chasing the right mix of flexibility and structure. Some organizations have corralled their “horses” with strict mandates. Others are letting them run free with fully remote options. The result is a patchwork of policies, spaces, and cultures that reflect just how unsettled the future of work remains.
She argues that this chaos isn’t all bad. For the first time in decades, companies are questioning what kind of work environment truly fits their mission, their workforce, and their culture. “If the goal of business is success and innovation,” she explains, “then the workplace should be designed to support the people who create that success.” That means moving away from square footage metrics and head counts and toward outcomes like engagement, collaboration, and creativity.
If you walk into a kindergarten classroom, you’ll see a design philosophy that most office spaces forgot long ago. There’s a big rug for group discussions, small tables for teamwork, quiet nooks for reading, and creative corners filled with art supplies. Every zone serves a purpose, and children move fluidly between them throughout the day depending on what they need to do.
That, says Alana, is what the modern office should emulate. “We told people after kindergarten to sit at a desk and stay there,” she laughs, “and that’s basically how offices evolved. But humans aren’t built for that.”
The best workplaces now mirror that diversity of space. Employees need rooms for heads-down focus, open areas for team huddles, and casual zones that encourage spontaneous interaction. These design choices don’t just support productivity. They also signal trust and autonomy, giving people permission to work the way that suits them best.
For decades, facility managers measured success by utilization rates and cost per square foot. Alana believes those numbers still matter, but they no longer tell the full story. “Companies don’t thrive because every desk is full,” she explains. “They thrive because people feel connected, engaged, and creative.”
That shift requires a broader understanding of what the office is for. Rather than a space where work simply happens, the office is becoming a hub for collaboration and culture. Employees come in to brainstorm, mentor, and build relationships that can’t be replicated through screens. In that context, empty desks are not a sign of failure but evidence of flexibility.
Alana also points to the generational change happening in the workforce. Gen Z employees, she says, are surprisingly eager to be in the office. “They want to learn, to be mentored, to feel part of something,” she notes. For them, office space isn’t a burden; it’s a gateway to growth. The challenge for employers is to make that space feel worth the commute.
Culture used to happen by accident. It was shaped by coffee breaks, hallway chats, and post-meeting conversations that carried ideas forward. In a hybrid world, those unplanned interactions are harder to come by, which means companies have to design for them intentionally.
That starts with space. “Even coffee matters,” Alana says. “If no one knows when the coffee was made because the person who used to brew it isn’t in every day, people stop gathering there. And you lose that social fabric.”
Her advice is to design micro-moments that pull people together. A communal puzzle in the breakroom. A whiteboard wall that invites spontaneous ideation. Comfortable chairs that encourage conversation without turning the office into a lounge. These small touches help rebuild a sense of belonging that has eroded in recent years.
Technology plays a role too. Smart whiteboards and seamless video conferencing tools ensure that remote teammates aren’t left out of the creative process. In Alana’s view, the key to hybrid success is inclusion. Making sure everyone, whether in person or virtual, can contribute to the same conversation.
One of the more surprising insights from Alana’s consulting work is that many organizations underinvest in their physical space precisely when they need it most. After years of uncertainty, companies often hesitate to spend on office improvements. Yet this is exactly the moment to reinvest strategically.
Refreshing paint, lighting, and layout can have an outsized impact on morale and retention. “You don’t have to knock down every wall,” Alana explains. “A small reconfiguration that adds collaborative areas or wellness spaces can completely change how people feel about being there.”
Some of her clients have even found creative ways to repurpose underused square footage—adding fitness rooms, focus pods, or community zones rather than defaulting to sublease space. The message to employees is simple: we value you, and we’re designing for how you actually work.
Beyond design, leadership plays a critical role in making hybrid work succeed. Many managers, Alana notes, were never trained to lead distributed teams. They struggle with visibility, accountability, and trust. “Having team meetings isn’t enough,” she says. “Managers need regular one-on-one check-ins to understand how each person is doing and to build relationships that keep people engaged.”
She encourages leaders to balance structure with empathy. Set clear expectations about when and why people come in, but give them ownership over their schedules. The best hybrid models emerge from conversation, not top-down mandates.
Asked where she thinks work is headed, Alana predicts a continued mix of approaches. “Everything is going to change, and nothing is going to change,” she says. Large corporations like Amazon may push five-day office weeks, while smaller and mid-market companies experiment with flexible frameworks. The pendulum will keep swinging, but the core idea will stay the same: the office is not dead. It just needs to evolve.
That evolution will be driven by younger generations who value sustainability, balance, and purpose. They want offices that reflect those values, from green building design to equitable work policies. For commercial real estate owners and investors, that means the next competitive advantage will come not from location alone but from experience—how a space makes people feel.
The kindergarten analogy is more than a clever metaphor. It’s a reminder that learning, play, and community are essential parts of human performance. The best offices in the coming decade will borrow those lessons, open yet structured, playful yet productive, flexible yet grounded in purpose.
In other words, the future of work might look a lot like our first classroom: a place designed for curiosity, collaboration, and connection.
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