As a global average, architecture and engineering businesses are predominantly maintaining square footage across their office portfolios. According to a recent Savills survey, around 39% of firms are retaining the same or equivalent square footage when renewing leases or relocating. One quarter of firms are increasing their office footprints (either by opening new offices or by increasing square footage when relocating or renewing), while approximately 35% are consolidating.

In the United States, a greater proportion of A&E businesses expanded office space in the second half of 2025 than in other regions. Around 36% of firms in key markets in the US increased their office footprint during this period, compared with 33% in EMEA and 15% in Asia Pacific. While there are pockets of strong activity in Asia Pacific - for example, Southeast Asia - other major markets such as China have seen a slowdown in new projects. Return-to-office policies remain key to portfolio decisions. As many businesses encourage more regular in-office collaboration, we are seeing a continued trend toward higher-quality office space with better functionality. This trend reflects a sharper occupier focus on how the office can support improvements in metrics such as productivity and revenue per employee.

The quality of office settings that support culture and corporate identity is also key as we see continued focus on accelerating company growth, both organically and through mergers and acquisitions.

Looking ahead, pressures on A&E firms are set to intensify. Competition for specialist talent, rising operating costs and rapid digitalisation in design and project delivery will continue to reshape how firms approach their office portfolios. In this environment, corporate real estate will play an increasingly important role in supporting business performance and long-term growth.

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