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.
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
Takeaway:
The office is no longer a fixed headcount problem. It’s a behavioral one. Right size for purpose, not for bodies.
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
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.
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
Takeaway:
Design for global consistency but local authenticity. Flexibility only works when it feels relevant.
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
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
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
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
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.
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.