January 19, 2026

In this issue:   Creative Office Resources pushes further west with its acquisition of HB Workplaces, while DIRTT Environmental Solutions reshuffles its leadership to double down on technology and industrialized construction. An ethics controversy involving a sitting state senator and furniture contracts raises uncomfortable questions about competition and regulation in the interiors industry. Office demand shows renewed momentum, from AI-driven leasing activity in Silicon Valley to declining prime downtown vacancies nationwide, even as nonresidential construction remains uneven outside of booming data centers. Momentum expands its acoustic reach through an exclusive partnership with Autex, as Knoll rolls out a new system aimed at privacy, ergonomics, and flexibility in evolving workplaces. Broader forces—from Elon Musk’s sweeping predictions about AI replacing doctors and redefining work, to microshifting, fashion’s influence on interiors, and the growing case against inflexible corporate real estate—frame a workplace landscape in rapid transition. The issue also includes Office Revolution’s move into Kansas City and much, much more.