February 2, 2026

In this issue: ergoCentric acquires Belair Office Products to strengthen market position. Office market shows mixed signals as Deloitte's $2.6B Hudson Yards lease tops NYC's priciest deals, Miami corporates expand aggressively, and venture capital revival signals renewed tech office demand, while lab vacancy dips for the first time since 2022. However, office utilization surges to 53% despite attendance rising only 5.6% with recovery losing momentum. Workplace realities reveal 61% of workers are languishing, employees waste nearly a quarter of work year on low-value tasks, yet most 2025 top leases came from companies adding space. Corporate giants fuel coworking comeback as flexibility becomes the norm. Design perspectives emphasize adaptive workplace design for hybrid era, office lobbies as best amenities, and designing for uncertainty and collective intelligence. Brexit devastates UK design brands, turning "made in Britain" into a costly liability. Product launches include Chemetal's Carve collection, Humanscale's M/Class monitor arms, 9to5 Seating's Cira lounge, and Parador's Flecto flooring. Looking ahead, Gen Alpha sees flexible schedules and remote work as 2040's norm, while 2026 design trends focus on nature, comfort, and biophilic elements.