How to Improve Your Hybrid Work Strategy: 7 Lessons from Autodesk’s Real Estate & Workplace Playbook

Designing workplaces for a hybrid-first world means planning for unpredictability: balancing connection, flexibility, and data-driven design without losing sight of the employee experience.

At the 8th Occupancy Intelligence Summit, Jenny Lum, Senior Manager of Design and Construction and Workplace Technology at Autodesk, shared how her team reimagined their 1.3 million-square-foot global portfolio for a workforce of 15,000 hybrid employees. Her approach blends deep data literacy with empathy for how people actually work, creating spaces that flex as fast as culture changes.

Here are seven lessons from her playbook every workplace leader can learn from.

1. Redefine “Right-Sizing” for a Hybrid-First World

Autodesk is committed to a hybrid-first future, and Jenny’s team rebuilt the company’s planning approach to bring that vision to life.

“Desks are less relevant in our world,” she said. “Our employees are coming in for connection, for that collaboration, not for focus work.”

Before its hybrid-first approach, Autodesk used a 1:1 desk ratio and planned space based on headcount growth forecasts. Now, they focus on attendance trends and utilization patterns to forecast real demand.

What that looks like in practice

• Collect attendance and utilization data from sensors and badge systems.
• Find the true “peak average” use days instead of static ratios that mask the real trends.
• Design space for connection, not presenteeism.

Takeaway:
The office is no longer a fixed headcount problem. It’s a behavioral one. Right size for purpose, not for bodies.

2. Shift the Space Mix to 80/20

When Autodesk realized employees were coming in primarily to connect, they rebuilt their mix: 80% collaboration and social space, 20% focus space. This was a meaningful shift from their previous 60/40 model, and their data confirmed the new ratio better reflected how teams were actually working.

“That 80/20 has been our sweet spot,” Jenny shared. “Because people are coming in for connection, people are coming in for collaboration, they have learned how to do focused work at home.”

The shift wasn’t just conceptual — it required redesigning entire neighborhoods and introducing a new program called Flex Spaces to support fluid, activity-based work.

What that looks like in practice

• Replace rows of desks with multi-use collaboration zones.
• Use sensor data to verify if the mix is right and rebalance as needed.
• Frame design around how people choose to connect.

Takeaway:
Design for why people come in, not why they used to. When connection is the draw, your environment should put connection at the center.

3. Plan for Diversity Across Roles and Regions

Jenny manages a global portfolio spanning different cultures, commutes, and work habits. That means there is no single formula, but rather they use their standards as a starting point, and adapt accordingly.

“Everywhere we go, it’s all very different,” she said. “So I think with the data we also learned that there's not one size fits all.”

Autodesk uses attendance and collaboration data to understand local behaviors, then customizes its space mix to fit each site’s culture while keeping a consistent employee experience across regions.

What that looks like in practice

• Adjust formulas for local commuting patterns and cultural habits.
• Use the same design principles, but customize execution.
• Keep experience consistent — so no office feels “less than.”

Takeaway:
Design for global consistency but local authenticity. Flexibility only works when it feels relevant.

4. Use Data to Drive Every Conversation

In Jenny’s view, data is what transforms emotion-driven debates into clear, evidence-based conversations.

“We are a data-driven company,” she said. “It’s how we speak to our employees and leadership on the changes we recommend.”

By pairing VergeSense sensor data with badge and booking data, Autodesk can show leaders exactly where space is under-utilized or over-pressured — replacing guesswork with proof.

What that looks like in practice

• Use data to build the story behind each change.
• Keep dashboards open to local managers to build trust.
• Pair quantitative data with qualitative feedback for full context.

Takeaway:
Data is not just for analysts — it’s your best storytelling tool.

5. Customize Metrics by Space Type

Autodesk doesn’t treat every room the same. A conference suite used for week-long sessions needs different targets than a day-use room.

“We definitely have a different set of metrics for our ACE spaces,” Jenny explained. “When you book for a week, you might lose the first and last day, or be off-site for team building. We account for that.”

What that looks like in practice

• Calibrate utilization targets by function and expected pattern.
• Use VergeSense data to spot when rooms consistently break capacity.
• Recognize travel and setup time in your performance metrics.

Takeaway:
Success looks different for every room type. Measure performance based on the work the space is meant to support, not a single universal standard.

6. Turn Off-Sites into In-House Moments

The most talked-about Autodesk initiative is the ACE program — short for Autodesk Conference Experience.

Out of the pandemic, Jenny’s team saw departments spending heavily on external off-sites. So they created dedicated in-office spaces for teams of 12 to 20 to host multi-day gatherings with concierge support and travel coordination.

“The program has been very popular,” she said. “It really sparks conversations and innovation and all that good stuff we want to see for people to come in.”

What that looks like in practice

• Offer high-amenity spaces for team gatherings.
• Include support services like catering and travel help.
• Measure success differently: participation and engagement, not daily occupancy.

Takeaway:
Hospitality thinking is the new workplace strategy.

7. Keep Experimenting — It’s Safe to Try

Jenny’s final advice to workplace leaders was refreshingly simple.

“Have a safe-to-try mindset,” she said. “Take a little risk and sometimes the data will help you support that.”

Autodesk treats each space as a living prototype. They pilot layouts, observe behaviors, and iterate quickly using real feedback and utilization data.

What that looks like in practice

• Pilot new layouts before rolling them out broadly.
• Share findings with local teams to build confidence.
• Frame every change as a test, not a forever decision.

Takeaway:
The best workplaces aren’t perfect—they’re curious.

Final Thought: Data as a Friend, Not a Report

Jenny closed her session with a reminder that ties it all together: “Data is data—but garbage in, garbage out. Make sure it’s clean so you can use it effectively. Treat it as a friend, because it’s going to take you places and help you tell your story.”

Autodesk’s approach proves that hybrid planning is not about permanence—it’s about precision and possibility. When you combine accurate data with a safe-to-try mindset, you turn the office into what it should be: a dynamic extension of how people actually work.

Interested in learning how data can drive your hybrid-first strategy?

Set up a time to talk with a VergeSense specialist to see how Predictive Planning and occupancy insights can help you measure smarter, plan faster, and create spaces that keep people coming back.