Workplace Lab: from knowledge to practice
How is the role of the office changing? How can we make the right decisions about workplace environments when employee needs, ways of working and the real estate market are constantly evolving? And, above all, how can we turn workplace knowledge into everyday decisions?
These were just some of the questions we explored during the Workplace Lab series, created for Office Managers, Facility Managers, Workplace Managers and everyone responsible for managing office environments.
The series was created in collaboration with Patrycja Pachowska – Global Workplace Manager at ZnanyLekarz – and Aleksandra Wantuch – Senior Workplace Consultant at Nowy Styl. Its successive editions took participants on a journey from market analysis and the key challenges facing today’s offices, through practical workplace management tools, to the full-day expert event Workplace Lab Summit 2026.
The series was created in collaboration with Patrycja Pachowska – Global Workplace Manager at ZnanyLekarz – and Aleksandra Wantuch – Senior Workplace Consultant at Nowy Styl. Its successive editions took participants on a journey from market analysis and the key challenges facing today’s offices, through practical workplace management tools, to the full-day expert event Workplace Lab Summit 2026.
Each event took place in a Nowy Styl showroom. This gave participants the opportunity not only to gain knowledge and exchange experiences, but also to explore our spaces. They could discover solutions that support the contemporary workplace, talk to our experts and experience the topics discussed in a more tangible way.
Workplace Lab 2025 – starting with “here and now”
The first edition of the series took place in spring 2025. Workplace Lab visited four cities: Gdańsk, Wroclaw, Warsaw and Cracow.
We started with the reality faced every day by those responsible for office environments. Rather than talking about workplace exclusively in terms of trends, we focused on concrete data, decisions and challenges.
Together, we analysed local office markets: the availability of office space, rental costs and key considerations when signing a lease. In each city, we were supported by real estate experts: Propwave – Wroclaw, Knight Frank – Warsaw, Colliers – Gdańsk and JLL – Cracow.
But we didn’t stop at real estate. We also discussed the changing functions of the office and evolving employee needs. We explored how the workplace is changing, what kind of spaces teams need today and what this means for those responsible for keeping the office running smoothly every day.
The role of the Office Manager was another important part of the meetings: its possibilities, scope of responsibility, ways of working and opportunities for developing new skills. We wanted to show that modern office management is about much more than day-to-day administration. It is a role where space, people and business needs come together every day.
We started with the reality faced every day by those responsible for office environments. Rather than talking about workplace exclusively in terms of trends, we focused on concrete data, decisions and challenges.
Together, we analysed local office markets: the availability of office space, rental costs and key considerations when signing a lease. In each city, we were supported by real estate experts: Propwave – Wroclaw, Knight Frank – Warsaw, Colliers – Gdańsk and JLL – Cracow.
But we didn’t stop at real estate. We also discussed the changing functions of the office and evolving employee needs. We explored how the workplace is changing, what kind of spaces teams need today and what this means for those responsible for keeping the office running smoothly every day.
The role of the Office Manager was another important part of the meetings: its possibilities, scope of responsibility, ways of working and opportunities for developing new skills. We wanted to show that modern office management is about much more than day-to-day administration. It is a role where space, people and business needs come together every day.
Workplace Experience Lab 2025 – from theory to practice
In autumn 2025, the series moved into its second stage – Workplace Experience Lab.
This time, theory gave way to practice. Instead of simply asking “what should a modern office look like?”, we focused on how to independently analyse your own workplace environment and use those insights to make better decisions.
During the sessions, participants worked on topics such as how to assess a workplace and gather information about how it functions, which indicators to pay attention to, what personas exist within an organisation and what their needs and expectations are, how to translate these needs into specific functions and spaces, and how to prepare for conversations with the management board and present recommendations in business terms.
An important part of this stage was working with our proprietary tool, “The Organisation Master’s Manual”. It helped participants structure their knowledge and translate it into their own professional context.
It was this practical approach that made Workplace Experience Lab more than another event where participants simply listen to experts. It became a space for analysis, hands-on work, sharing experiences and looking for solutions that could be applied immediately after returning to the office.
This time, theory gave way to practice. Instead of simply asking “what should a modern office look like?”, we focused on how to independently analyse your own workplace environment and use those insights to make better decisions.
During the sessions, participants worked on topics such as how to assess a workplace and gather information about how it functions, which indicators to pay attention to, what personas exist within an organisation and what their needs and expectations are, how to translate these needs into specific functions and spaces, and how to prepare for conversations with the management board and present recommendations in business terms.
An important part of this stage was working with our proprietary tool, “The Organisation Master’s Manual”. It helped participants structure their knowledge and translate it into their own professional context.
It was this practical approach that made Workplace Experience Lab more than another event where participants simply listen to experts. It became a space for analysis, hands-on work, sharing experiences and looking for solutions that could be applied immediately after returning to the office.
Workplace Lab Summit 2026 – a finale bringing all perspectives together
The culmination of the entire series was Workplace Lab Summit 2026, held on 14 May 2026 at Nowy Styl’s Office Inspiration Centre in Kraków. More than 100 specialists took part in the full-day event, including Office Managers, Workplace Managers, HR representatives and organisational leaders.
The programme was divided into five parts: Here and Now, Evolution, Revolution, Transformation and Discussion. We talked about the everyday reality of office management, changing roles and responsibilities, real-life case studies, skills development and how to make quick decisions that deliver long-term results.
The stage brought together practitioners representing different organisations and perspectives, including Ewa Bodio-Ziółkowska (Volkswagen Financial Services), Iwona Barszcz (Brain Embassy), Karolina Cieślak (CD PROJEKT RED), Maciej Banaszak (Opulo Advisory), Monika Grudzień (Homla), Paweł Łagoda (Visa) and Karolina Dudkiewicz (WiseRise).
The event was hosted by the creators and organisers of the entire series: Patrycja Pachowska and Aleksandra Wantuch.
The stage brought together practitioners representing different organisations and perspectives, including Ewa Bodio-Ziółkowska (Volkswagen Financial Services), Iwona Barszcz (Brain Embassy), Karolina Cieślak (CD PROJEKT RED), Maciej Banaszak (Opulo Advisory), Monika Grudzień (Homla), Paweł Łagoda (Visa) and Karolina Dudkiewicz (WiseRise).
The event was hosted by the creators and organisers of the entire series: Patrycja Pachowska and Aleksandra Wantuch.
Partners of Workplace Lab Summit 2026:
A showroom as a place for meeting, knowledge and inspiration
The place where we met was an important part of the entire series. Nowy Styl showrooms were not simply a backdrop for the events. They were an integral part of the experience. Participants could confront the knowledge and discussions with what they saw around them. They explored the spaces, discovered solutions related to ergonomics, acoustics, collaboration, concentration and wellbeing, and had the opportunity to speak directly with our experts. This combination of knowledge, spatial experience and networking was one of the key ideas behind Workplace Lab.
From individual meetings to a community of practitioners
Workplace Lab showed us that people responsible for workplace environments face many of the same questions, regardless of the size or industry of their organisation. For Nowy Styl, Workplace Lab is more than a series of events. It is a space for sharing knowledge, experiences and perspectives – and for building a community of people who have a real influence on how the workplaces of the future look and function.
See photos from the entire Workplace Lab series:
