The office is making something of a comeback. Average office occupancy across the 10 largest U.S. metro areas has risen to 51.6% during the week ending Dec. 6, a record high since the start of the pandemic, according to Kastle Systems’ Back to Work Barometer. That’s still a nearly 50% decline from pre-pandemic office occupancy, however, showing the dominance of hybrid work. Facilities managers are tasked with making offices more attractive to entice workers out of their homes. 

“What we've learned is that some of the older, traditional-type amenities are not what people are necessarily looking for anymore,” Francisco Acoba, corporate real estate consulting and technology practice co-lead at EY, told Facilities Dive. Instead, companies are prioritizing tech-enabled spaces and enhanced amenities, including lounges, collaboration spaces and wellness areas. Take a look at Facilities Dive’s top corporate office space stories in the second half of this year.