Investing in technology and infrastructure alone is not enough to coax back the contemporary hybrid workforce to aging class B and C office buildings. What this group wants is a healthy work environment with ample access to natural light and outside air, features uncharacteristic of older buildings. These buildings were typically designed with a focus on historical architectural aesthetics, where repetitive, small windows formed the building’s facade. The result is that the older office building finds itself structurally unsuited for the demands of the contemporary workforce. 

This webinar features the jury of Metals in Construction magazine’s 2026 Design Challenge as they review the results of this ideas competition, which sought to generate façade modification concepts that could help reboot aging office buildings. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the characteristics of the older office building enclosure which are unsuited for the demands of the contemporary workforce.
2. Assess various design schemes envisioned to transform the enclosure in a way that provides floor level access to natural light and outdoor environment for the health, wellness and productivity of occupants.
3. Explore the structural and technical limitations of recladding the older office building to achieve these schemes.
4. Evaluate the ways these principles have been incorporated into specific building projects as shown in case studies.

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