How Neuro-Design & AI is Reshaping the Future of Workspaces

As workplaces evolve beyond functional offices into spaces that shape human experience, leadership is being redefined through the lens of empathy, neuroscience, and purpose.

In conversation with Rohini Saluja, Managing Director, CBRE Asia Pacific, we further explore how neuro-design and AI-led cultural transformations are reshaping the future of workplaces globally. Drawing from her 27 years of experience across workplace strategy, human psychology, and design, Rohini shares how women leaders can create future-ready environments that foster well-being, inclusion, and high performance. Rohini also shares her insights on neuro-design and AI-led workplace evolution.

Read the complete article for deeper insights.

Q. With nearly three decades of experience shaping workplaces, how do you define leadership at the intersection of strategy and human psychology, especially as a woman leader?

A. Workplaces are often viewed as fitting out core and shell building spaces. However, it needs to evolve into workplaces as habitats for employees who spend majority of their hours in these spaces. Therefore, as leaders we need to focus on curating environments that act as not only spaces to work but also catalysts for mental well-being and performance.

As a woman leader in this space, I see this evolution through three primary shifts. One is the mindset shift from efficiency to neuro-designing by building spaces that respect diversity of brains and offer empathetic design flows. Second is using data to build diversity in physical spaces that can deliver ‘joy’, wellness and respect individual psychological needs. Finally, the next generation of leaders need to see the workplace as a primary tool for human flourishing.

Q. How does your understanding of neuroscience and mental well-being influence the way you design and advice on future-ready, people-centric work environments?

A. My learnings of neuroscience help me realize that workplaces are dynamic sensory environments that impact a person’s cognitive resources. For instance, noisy’ open workplaces that are densely packed create a high cognitive load for the worker as the brain must work hard to dilute the noise. This is why designing spaces with controlled acoustics including building quiet zones is important.  Sensory zoning, including adjustable lights and visual sanctuaries allow the pre frontal cortex to recover from deep focus work.

It is a known fact that biophilia helps lower cortisol levels so bringing plans and natural habitat around workspaces helps reduce stress and burnout.

Building social connection points helps brain release oxytocin that helps build trust and reduces anxiety. There is a load of neuroscience research connecting physical environments to wellness and we apply that to building workspaces.

Q. As workplaces undergo AI-led and cultural transformations, how do you see women leaders uniquely influencing the design of future work environments that prioritize both performance and mental well-being?

A. One of the biggest shifts on account of AI is that whilst routine tasks are being taken over by AI, the higher cognitive tasks are being performed by humans. This will require more empathy and intuitive leadership styles that are more natural to women leaders.

From a physical environment, one of the biggest influences women leaders have over men is in helping design workplaces that are life inclusive. For instance, building lactation rooms that are not just an afterthought or wellness suites that think through the softer aspect of psychological safety that are not ‘one size fits all’ but gender inclusive.

Q. From your experience across APAC, what subtle gender-specific challenges do see women facing in navigating high-stakes corporate roles? How can psychological awareness help overcome them?

A. One of the biggest challenges I feel are specific to women leaders is what they call Likeability vs Competence double bind. In Asia, women are expected to be nurturing and communal. Top leadership requires decisiveness and assertiveness. Unfortunately, an assertive woman is often termed ‘aggressive’ and if not, then termed ‘soft’ and thus incompetent. Women must lean in and assert harder to be selected for tough roles. This will require a high degree of Cognitive Reframing.

One of the biggest challenges for women is navigating “hidden” power networks. What we call ‘missing the meeting before the meeting”. A lot gets done over informal meetings – like late night drinks, clubbing or a game of golf, all traditionally more male dominated environments.

And lastly, a ‘lonely leader’ syndrome. Being a minority at senior leadership leads to lack of understanding and exhaustion. This leads to a state of hypervigilance leading to quicker burnout and high cortisol.

Q. With your expertise in financial strategy and mental health, how can women leaders better balance business outcomes with emotional intelligence while driving impactful, sustainable workplace transformations?

A. In my mind, emotional Intelligence has a direct and sustainable financial outcome and is not a conflict. If you track employee productivity, you will see absenteeism and sick leaves as a key metric for ‘return on employee capital’. High rates of sick leaves often are caused by environmental stressors.

Having high EQ and active listening will enable a manager to identify early stressors to drive higher job productivity. Nowadays, there is also a lot of training on positive intelligence in coaching and leadership programs as an important driver for success. Women leaders have a natural advantage to drive a higher return on employee capital.

Leadership Playbook: 5 Actions to Build Future-Ready Workplaces

1. Design for people, not just productivity.
Move beyond creating efficient offices. Build workplaces that support focus, collaboration, recovery, and mental well-being to unlock sustained performance.

2. Let neuroscience inform workplace decisions.
Reduce cognitive overload with better acoustics, quiet zones, natural light, and biophilic design. Small environmental changes can significantly improve employee focus and resilience.

3. Make inclusion visible in the workplace.
True inclusion is reflected in the spaces people use every day. Design environments that accommodate diverse needs—from wellness rooms and lactation spaces to flexible, psychologically safe work settings.

4. Break down invisible barriers to leadership.
Challenge unconscious bias, create transparent opportunities for growth, and ensure women have equal access to sponsorship, networks, and leadership pathways.

5. Measure emotional intelligence as a business advantage.
High-EQ leadership drives healthier teams, lower burnout, stronger engagement, and better business outcomes. Treat employee well-being as a strategic investment, not a soft initiative.

LAST WORD: Advice for women leaders on cultivating a leadership style that integrates self-awareness, strategic clarity, and a deep understanding of human behavior.

My personal advice is not to get caught up in the choice between being tough and empathetic. High empathy and high EQ go along with being a woman and it is to be treated as a strategic asset.

Understanding the soft psychological needs of humans in the workplace will become your biggest weapon in leadership. Today’s world is preparing leaders to have these soft skills to drive high performance in workplaces. It will drive lower absenteeism, higher engagement and higher employee wellness and will continue to drive financial performance along with high return on human capital.