Mute, a manufacturer of adaptable office architecture solutions, is set to play a key role in shaping the future of workplace design at this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week. Through a series of thought-provoking talks and Modular Reconfiguration Showcase, Mute will explore how offices must evolve to meet rapidly changing human, environmental, and business needs.
Rethinking Traditional Fit-Outs
“Traditional fit-outs continue to meet today’s needs” … or do they?
Tuesday 19 May, 11:00–12:00
Chaired by Mark Eltringham, Editor of Works Magazine, this panel discussion will examine whether traditional CAT A and CAT B fit-outs can still meet the demands of today’s dynamic workplaces.
Joining the panel are:
- Beatriz Gonzalez – Director – Scott Brownrigg
- Timothy Sheppherd – Founder & Managing Director – Sheppherd&
- Simon Bird – Director – LOM Architects
- Gary Helm – Strategic Partnerships Lead – Mute
The discussion will explore lifecycle cost, adaptability, sustainability, and occupant wellbeing, while addressing the growing need for spaces that can evolve without significant disruption. Attendees will gain practical insights into balancing permanence with flexibility in workplace design.
Exploring the Office of 2040
The 2040 Office: A Futurist’s Take on Tomorrow’s Workplace
Wednesday 20 May, 11:00–12:00
Dr Antonia Ward, Chief Futurist at Stylus, will present a forward-looking perspective on how workplaces will evolve by 2040. Drawing on behavioural science, anthropology, and neuroscience, her talk will explore the shifting expectations around physical wellbeing, belonging, and purpose. Incorporating insights from hospitality, retail, and human connection, the session aims to challenge conventional thinking and redefine the role of the office in the future.
Driving Sustainability, Circular Design and Change
Małgorzata Hermanowicz, Sustainability & ESG Lead at Mute, will deliver a session focused on circularity and future-proof workplaces. Whilst Lukas Kauer, founder and director of Tomorrow’s Office Group will be looking at future offices and specifically and how they will cater for changing needs.
Tomorrow’s Offices: Spaces that cater for Changing Needs
Tuesday 19 May, 14:30–15:30
How do we design future workspaces that adapt to people’s needs and business growth without harming the planet? How can we create a new generation of workspaces that care about the evolving needs of people and businesses without adversely affecting our planet? Kauer, will present the core capabilities of future workspaces and provide a first teaser into Circle, a cross-industry initiative offering fit-outs for rent.
Circular Design in the Age of Enshittification
Wednesday 20 May, 14:30–15:30
In this session, Mute’s Sustainability & ESG Lead, Małgosia Hermanowicz, looks beyond recycling to examine how circular design can fundamentally reshape the way we create and use workplace environments. The talk will unpack how adaptability, reuse, and longevity can become core design principles — not afterthoughts — in response to growing environmental and economic pressures.
With its programme of expert insights and its pioneering Mute Modular system, Mute is set to inspire at Clerkenwell Design Week highlighting how adaptability, sustainability, and human-centric design are redefining the workplace.
