Chicago Bears Halas Hall Headquarters. Photo courtesy of HOK.
At HOK, our interiors team draws insight from work across multiple markets. Sports venues and office workplaces may serve different users and functions, but they share a core challenge: creating environments that motivate people to show up, engage and perform at their best.
From our experience designing sports facilities, we’ve identified five lessons that can help make today’s workplaces more social, adaptable and experiential.
Visual storytelling creates a sense of place and shared identity in Southern Methodist University’s Garry Weber Endzone Complex (left) and Boston Consulting Group’s Canada Headquarters. Photos courtesy of HOK.
Branding, Identity and Culture
Sports venues are unapologetic about who they are. From arrival to seating bowl, architecture, materials and graphics work together to reinforce identity and foster a shared sense of pride. The environment itself becomes a storytelling tool for expressing values and culture.
Workplaces can benefit from a similarly immersive approach. Rather than relying solely on logos or messaging, design can help employees feel connected to the organization and the broader community it serves. Signage and graphics may communicate values directly, while more subtle gestures, such as local references, curated art, material palettes and spatial hierarchy, reinforce a sense of place and belonging. When brand is embedded into the environment, culture becomes something people experience every day, not something they’re told to remember. The result is a workplace that feels authentic, rooted and emotionally resonant.
An interactive film room inside Auburn University’s Woltosz Football Performance Center. Experiential visual technology inside Honeywell’s global HQ. Photos courtesy of HOK.
Technology and Immersion With Purpose
In sports venues, technology supports performance, storytelling and engagement. From immersive training environments to shared fan experiences, digital tools are integrated with clear intent and tied to specific outcomes. Technology also helps level the experience, giving everyone access to the same information and moments regardless of where they are in the venue.
That principle translates directly to the workplace. Thoughtfully integrated technology can make shared experiences more inclusive for employees working in person and remotely. Large-format displays, integrated AV and digital platforms support town halls, learning sessions and collaboration without privileging a single seat in the room. Beyond meetings, immersive technology is increasingly used for demonstrations, training and hands-on learning. Simulation spaces, interactive media and digitally enabled environments allow teams to explore ideas, test scenarios and engage with content in more dynamic ways.
The Shamrock Zone, connecting K-State’s football stadium and basketball arena, hosts fan events on gamedays and multipurpose gatherings throughout the year. The Commons, a dining hall inside Norfolk Southern’s Headquarters, expands indoors and out to accommodate large events and town halls. Photos courtesy of HOK.
Adaptability and Multi-use Planning
Modern sports venues are designed to perform on more than just gameday. Hospitality areas host community events, sponsor functions and non-sport programming throughout the year. These spaces anticipate change and build flexibility into the core of the design.
This mindset is increasingly relevant for the workplace. As organizational needs evolve, offices must support a broader range of uses than traditional desk work. Town halls, client events, hybrid collaboration and community engagement often occur within the same footprint. Sports venues achieve flexibility through early scenario planning and infrastructure decisions that support change. Operable partitions, robust power and hospitality-grade support spaces allow environments to scale up or down with ease. In the workplace, similar strategies can transform lobbies, large conference rooms and auditoriums into high-value, multi-purpose spaces.
When adaptability is planned from the start, every square foot works harder and remains relevant longer.
Training spaces for Northwestern University athletes in the school’s Ryan Fieldhouse. A gym and yoga studio inside Co-Operator Headquarters in Ontario. Photos courtesy of HOK.
Performance and Well-being
Athletic environments are designed around peak human performance. Training, recovery, nutrition and mental focus are interconnected and treated as one. While office work is less physically demanding, the cognitive and emotional demands on employees are significant.
Nutrition plays an important role in this equation. Many professional and collegiate training facilities integrate nutrition kitchens and healthy food offerings as part of daily routines. Corporate workplaces are increasingly following suit through cafés and breakrooms that prioritize healthier choices. When these spaces are designed as central, communal and inviting, they become social anchors that support both well-being and connection.
Opportunities for movement are equally important. On-site gyms and fitness spaces, long common in sports environments, are becoming more prevalent in workplace design as organizations recognize the link between physical activity, mental focus and sustained performance. Alongside access to daylight, acoustic comfort and ergonomic choice, spaces that support movement, recovery and reflection reinforce the idea that performance and well-being are deeply connected.
Lighting, material and signage point the way to Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum. Feature walls referencing company products and patents guide and orient guests in Graphic Packaging International’s Atlanta HQ. Photos courtesy HOK.
Arrival, Wayfinding and Crowd Flow
Few building types manage movement as deliberately as sports venues. From parking and transit connections to entry sequences and internal circulation, these environments guide large crowds efficiently and intuitively.
Workplaces also feel the impact of arrival and navigation every day. Confusing entry sequences, unclear circulation and inconsistent visual cues create friction that affect productivity and enjoyment. Sports venues demonstrate the value of clear spatial hierarchy, legible paths and moments of anticipation.
Borrowing from these strategies, workplace design can emphasize intuitive and inspiring arrival sequences, strong visual landmarks and consistent wayfinding systems. Central hubs, clear vertical circulation and recognizable neighborhoods help people orient themselves quickly and feel a sense of belonging.
Final Play
Sports venues show what’s possible when experience is treated as a design priority rather than an afterthought. By applying these lessons at work, organizations can move beyond functional offices toward environments that energize people, strengthen culture and support performance every day.
