Desk Neighbourhoods: A Better Alternative to Assigned Seating
By Marcus Chen · November 28, 2025
The office seating debate has two extremes: assigned desks (comfortable but inflexible) and hotdesking (efficient but impersonal). Desk neighbourhoods split the difference—and they’re quickly becoming the standard for hybrid offices.
What Are Desk Neighbourhoods?
A desk neighbourhood is a zone in your office loosely assigned to a specific team or group. Within that zone, people can sit at any available desk—but they’re always near their teammates. Think of it as “assigned areas, unassigned desks.” Desk neighbourhoods give you 80% of the team proximity benefits of assigned seating with 80% of the flexibility benefits of hotdesking.
Why Desk Neighbourhoods Work
Team Proximity Without Rigidity
When teammates sit in the same area, spontaneous collaboration happens naturally: a quick question over the desk divider, an overheard conversation that sparks an idea. These micro-interactions are the magic of co-location.
Efficient Space Usage
A team of 12 that averages 8 people in the office per day only needs 10–11 desks. This is much more efficient than 12 assigned desks sitting empty 40% of the time.
A Sense of Home
Unlike pure hotdesking, neighbourhoods give teams a home base. You know where to find your teammates. You can personalise the zone with team photos and shared items. This creates a sense of belonging that pure hotdesking lacks.
How to Set Up Desk Neighbourhoods
Size neighbourhoods at roughly 70–80% of team headcount. Place teams that collaborate frequently in adjacent neighbourhoods. Include flex desks between neighbourhoods that anyone can use. Let each neighbourhood develop its own personality. Standardise all tech setups so everyone can be productive in 30 seconds at any desk.