In this episode of Spatial Experience Design we’re joined by Elisa Feng from Butlr to take a deep dive into occupancy data. We discuss how meeting rooms can be both fully booked and underused, and how privacy-first data is reshaping workplace design. Butlr’s thermal sensors track how spaces are used in real life, without using cameras or capturing personal data. This helps companies rethink office layouts and simultaneously improve the employee experience.
Key Topics:
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- Room bookings ≠ Real occupancy
- Real-time data in workplace design
- Privacy-first occupancy tracking
- Future trends in AI-driven space planning
The Problem with Traditional Space Planning
We’ve all seen it: employees scramble to find a quiet spot to work while large meeting rooms sit half-empty. While meeting rooms may appear fully booked, real occupancy data often tells a different story. Many of these meeting rooms are only being used by one or two people, despite being designed for larger groups. This mismatch creates unnecessary friction in the workplace, making it harder for employees to find the right space for their needs while organizations waste valuable real estate on layouts that aren’t aligned with actual usage.
Smarter Workplaces Start with Smarter Data
Most workplaces rely on booking systems to measure occupancy, but room booking systems don’t tell the whole story. Ghost bookings—where rooms are reserved but remain empty in real life—should be automatically released, freeing up space for employees who need it. Consistently underused meeting rooms should be repurposed into smaller, more functional spaces that better match actual usage. Real-time occupancy insights allow employees to plan their day more efficiently by showing which spaces are available at any given moment. Using actual usage data rather than assumptions from scheduling software enables companies to optimize office layouts in ways that improve both efficiency and employee experience.
Privacy-First Occupancy Tracking
Privacy is a major consideration when it comes to workplace tracking. Traditional occupancy solutions rely on cameras or personal identifiers, which can raise ethical concerns and lead to unease among employees. New approaches are shifting toward privacy-first methods that focus on detecting presence without collecting personal data. For example, some technologies use thermal sensors to measure occupancy based solely on surface temperature, ensuring that spaces can be optimized without identifying individuals. This allows companies to gain insights into how spaces are used while maintaining employee trust and compliance with privacy regulations.
The Future of Occupancy Data
Looking ahead, workplace intelligence is moving beyond simple space tracking into AI-driven experience design. Some of the next big trends include:
- Smart desk and room booking that adapts to how employees naturally work
- Wayfinding suggestions that take real-time crowd levels into account
- AI-driven space planning that adjusts layouts dynamically based on usage trends
Companies that embrace occupancy data are cutting real estate costs while simultaneously creating workplaces that improve the employee experience.
Additional Resources:
March 12, 2025
