I recently had the privilege of listening to Rachel Edwards, Workplace Futures Lead at Lendlease, discuss her approach to urban development on The Spacecraft podcast. What struck me most wasn’t just the scale of the projects she’s working on—though developments like the International Quarter in Stratford and Smithfield in Birmingham are certainly impressive—but rather the time horizon she’s thinking about.
While most of us in the workplace strategy space think in terms of 5-10 year cycles, Rachel and her team at Lendlease are asking a fundamentally different question: How will people be using these buildings in 50 to 100 years?
The Seven Generations Principle
Rachel introduced me to a concept that’s completely shifted how I think about sustainable development: the Native American Iroquois Seven Generations Principle.
“The principle is that this Native American practice, the decisions we make now have to have good sustainable outcomes for seven generations to come. But when you actually count that on your fingers and think that’s my kids, kids, kids, kids, kids, kids, kids—it’s about 200 years. Part of that practice is keeping a seat vacant next to the chief so that you’re reminded of the generations who aren’t born yet and you’re giving them a voice.”
This isn’t just philosophical musing. Rachel applies this thinking practically in her work:
“I love thinking about that now. If we’re making a decision here, someone who’s not born yet, what would they be saying to us? What would they be challenging? What would they be trying to get us to think about more deeply before we make those decisions?”
For those of us working in workplace design and urban planning, this represents a radical departure from typical ROI calculations and short-term thinking. It’s a responsibility that extends far beyond quarterly reports.
From Psychology to Place: An Unconventional Path
Rachel’s journey into workplace futures started with an interesting pivot. Originally planning to study psychology at the University of New South Wales, she switched to interior architecture the night before making her university choice. But her psychology roots clearly inform her approach to understanding how people interact with space.
Her career trajectory took her from Macquarie Bank in Sydney to TP Bennett in London, then Space Lab, before landing at Lendlease nearly five years ago. What’s consistent throughout is her focus on the intersection of people, place, and strategic outcomes.
“Since then, I’ve never really practiced architecture and design. I went straight into a role which was more about the people and the interaction between people and place and how workplace helps to shape real business outcomes from a strategic perspective.”
This human-centered approach is exactly what we advocate for in our work on employee experience and workplace wellbeing.
Earning the Commute: The Data Behind Return to Office
One of the most compelling pieces of research Rachel discussed came from her work with Leesman. Their data revealed something that should be obvious but often gets ignored in return-to-office mandates:
“The people who worked in the high-performing workplaces pre-pandemic said they were more likely to go into work more days a week post-pandemic than the ones that had low sentiment. Absolute no brainer. You probably don’t need a report to say that, but it’s really, really interesting to see it laid out in front of you.”
The concept of “earning the commute” has become central to post-pandemic workplace strategy. Rachel cited research from Equiem showing that people are 2,000% more interested in retail and experiences around the office than they were previously.
“We’re constantly surprised. There’s so many people who think they can just say, office is open, come on back everybody. The mandate’s coming out this week. We try to encourage gentle nudging and doing things like talks and stuff like that, to try and get people wanting to come back and enjoy the space.”
This aligns perfectly with what we’ve been discussing in our series on workplace activation and cultural programming. The office has to offer something beyond what people can get at home—connection, collaboration, and access to broader experiences.
It’s worth noting that the physical environment plays a crucial role in this. When we talk about “branding space” and creating welcoming environments, we’re not just talking about digital screens and apps. Thoughtful wayfinding, quality signage, and tactile materials all contribute to that sense of place. Whether you’re working with a print shop like Take Hold Printing on environmental graphics or partnering with local artists for installations, these physical touchpoints signal that care and attention have gone into creating the space. They’re part of what makes the commute feel earned.
International Quarter: Creating an Inclusive Innovation District
Rachel’s work on the International Quarter in Stratford exemplifies how modern urban regeneration can create value beyond individual buildings. The development sits on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a 560-acre green space that includes six universities, the Here East tech hub with 800 businesses, and a cultural strip featuring BBC Music, Sadler’s Wells, and the V&A.
What makes this particularly interesting is how all these entities are working together:
“We’re all working together at the moment. So all the universities are talking to each other. We’re talking to them and to Plexal and to Here East. And there’s also the Culture Strip who are BBC Music, Sadler’s Wells and the V&A, all experimenting with future of media and culture consumption and that type of thing. There’s this really interesting mix of stuff going on.”
The London Legacy Development Corporation has branded this an “Inclusive Innovation District”—and Rachel emphasized that the “inclusive” part is crucial:
“It’s not just about universities and the businesses, it’s bringing in the whole community. And it’s a demonstration district because we’ve got an opportunity to use the park as an area to demonstrate future sustainable living for communities.”
The district is organized around three themes: health and wellbeing, sustainability, and mobility. This holistic approach to placemaking is something we’ve explored in our research on mixed-use developments.
The Power of Permeable Spaces
One concept that resonated strongly with me was Rachel’s focus on “permeable” spaces—areas that don’t have hard boundaries between different uses or user groups:
“A lot of the talking we’re doing is about what assets can we share, physical assets, how can we design so that places are more permeable. So spaces to work outdoors has been a big theme for us at the International Quarter for the past few years, we’ve been designing structures that you can plug into power and sit and work for the day with other groups of people.”
This ties into broader conversations about the sharing economy and how we can create more flexible, adaptable urban environments. Rachel noted that lobbies and entrances are being designed to be more accessible and welcoming:
“Things like that all come together to create these physical places that people feel they can permeate and they’re welcome and there’s access to be part of something much bigger.”
The “power of proximity” she mentioned is particularly relevant for science parks and innovation districts, where serendipitous connections can lead to breakthrough collaborations.
Smithfield Birmingham: Commonwealth Games Legacy
While Stratford was built on Olympic legacy, Rachel’s work on Smithfield in Birmingham shows how Commonwealth Games infrastructure can be transformed into vibrant mixed-use districts.
Located just south of New Street Station, Smithfield sits at the intersection of several distinct neighborhoods—Digbeth, Southside (gay village and Chinese Quarter), and Rea Valley residential area.
“It’s a mix of brand new market building. It’s on the original site of the markets in Birmingham. So, this rich industrial history where industry basically started—and office landscape along with culture and residential and green park all plugged in together into this really amazing place.”
The project is expected to come to life between 2027 and 2028, with a focus on 24-hour activation rather than traditional 9-to-5 programming.
Rethinking Retail: The 24-Hour Lifestyle
Rachel’s perspective on retail challenged my assumptions about struggling high streets. Rather than seeing retail decline as inevitable, she sees opportunities in the sharing economy:
“What’s really interesting about the future of retail is the sharing economy. I’ve seen a few examples recently of retail spaces who are sharing throughout the day. So in the morning it might be a pie and mash place, in the evening it turns into a cocktail bar. There’s a place on Broadway Market who were a butcher during the day, in the evening they’re a restaurant.”
This approach to adaptive reuse and meanwhile activation could provide a blueprint for struggling high streets across the UK. By thinking about retail as part of a 24-hour ecosystem rather than isolated daytime businesses, we can create more resilient and engaging urban environments.
Silvertown: Industrial Heritage Meets Thames Living
Perhaps the most visually striking project Rachel discussed is Silvertown at the Royal Docks. The centerpiece is the Millennium Mills building, a 1930s flour mill that’s been abandoned since the 1980s.
“It’s got such a character. It’s a massive area, big factory, a big derelict space. It’s been a place for raves, for filming, music, movies—Coldplay, Spider-Man, Luther, anywhere that people are taken to be killed really.”
The development will bring 6,000 new homes and about a million square feet of office space to the area, but what excites Rachel most is the focus on water access:
“There’s a real big drive there to try and give the community access to the water. On the Thames, there’s really minimal points that you can actually just step down and directly touch water. We’re looking at how we pull some of that river in through canal systems and putting leisure on them—swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, that kind of thing.”
This emphasis on public realm and water-based recreation represents a shift in how we think about riverside developments. Rather than treating water as a backdrop, it becomes an active part of community life.
The Loneliness Labs: When Design Fails People
The most sobering part of Rachel’s work involves research into loneliness in the workplace. In 2017, the British Red Cross and New Economics Foundation found that 9 million people in the UK were lonely—over a million of them office workers.
“The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, announced an epidemic—he had a stat that loneliness has the same mortality rate as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It’s costing businesses £2.5 billion a year in absenteeism, presenteeism, low tenure, burnout, all that kind of thing.”
This prompted Lendlease to partner with a grassroots organization called Collectively to explore how place design impacts loneliness:
“Someone had the idea: Why don’t we look at the interplay between place design, how people spend time in places and the impact of that on loneliness. Can we design places that nudge meaningful relationships or give a higher sense of belonging?”
What was supposed to be an 18-month project became three years of deep research involving 800 organizations across government, councils, universities, and architecture firms.
The findings were surprising. While people working from home reported high levels of loneliness, mobile workers who could choose where they worked were the least lonely. This challenges simplistic narratives about remote work and isolation.
Rachel’s reflection on the work was particularly poignant:
“Sometimes I feel lonely because I’m in back-to-back meetings all day and I’m talking to people the whole day, but I don’t actually connect with anyone.”
This distinction between presence and connection is crucial for anyone working in workplace strategy. We can’t just measure occupancy or meeting attendance—we need to understand the quality of human interaction our spaces facilitate.
What This Means for Workplace Strategy
Rachel’s work at Lendlease offers several lessons for those of us working in workplace design and strategy:
Think longer term. While we can’t all plan on 100-year timescales, we can push beyond the typical 5-year strategy cycle. What lasting legacy will your workplace decisions create?
Design for permeability. Break down barriers between different uses, user groups, and spaces. The most valuable interactions often happen at the boundaries.
Activate the ecosystem. Your workplace doesn’t exist in isolation. Consider how it connects to retail, culture, public space, and community.
Earn the commute. People have options now. If you want them to show up, you need to offer experiences they genuinely value—not just mandate attendance.
Measure connection, not just presence. Loneliness can exist in crowded offices. Focus on the quality of interactions, not just square footage or headcount.
Share resources. From retail spaces to meeting rooms to data, the sharing economy can create more resilient, adaptable environments.
As Rachel reminded us through the Seven Generations Principle, someone who isn’t born yet deserves a voice in our decisions today. That’s a powerful frame for anyone working to shape our built environment.
What voice would future generations have at your planning table?
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