Activity-Based Working (ABW): What It Is and How to Set It Up

What is activity-based working?

Activity-based working (ABW) is a workplace strategy where employees choose a setting that matches the task at hand — rather than owning a single fixed desk. A typical ABW floor combines focus zones, collaboration areas, meeting rooms and quiet booths, and relies on booking so people can find the right space.

ABW is sometimes called activity-based working, "activity based workplace" or simply ABW. It is a design and policy philosophy, not a single tool: the physical layout provides a range of settings, the policy tells people how to use them, and booking software makes them findable.

Activity-based working vs hot desking

These are often confused. The distinction matters for planning:

Most hybrid offices use hot desking for the desk layer and ABW to organise the rest of the floor. See our complete desk booking guide for the desk layer.

The settings a good ABW floor provides

• Focus space. Individual desks and quiet zones where deep work happens, ideally away from main circulation.
• Collaboration space. Team tables and whiteboard areas for project work.
• Meeting rooms. Small huddle rooms and a few larger rooms, bookable with capacity and equipment filters.
• Phone and video booths. Small, soundproofed rooms for calls — the most under-provisioned space in most offices.
• Social space. Kitchen and lounge areas that make the commute worthwhile.
• Quiet and wellbeing space. A calm area for focused or wellbeing use.

How many of each space do you need?

Plan ABW ratios from observed behaviour, not opinion. Useful starting ratios for a 100-person hybrid workforce on a peak day:

Validate the ratios with real data after a month using utilization metrics.

How to roll out activity-based working

1. Observe before you build. Spend two weeks measuring where people actually work, collaborate and take calls.
2. Pilot on one floor. Convert a single floor and compare against a control floor.
3. Make every space bookable. Desks, rooms, booths and parking in one system so people can plan a day end to end.
4. Design for wayfinding. Clear zones and signage; if people cannot find a booth, they will take calls at a desk.
5. Publish the etiquette. Shared space needs norms about noise, clearing up and room release — a free hybrid work policy template covers this.
6. Review at 90 days. Adjust ratios based on booking data, and be willing to reallocate space.

Common pitfalls

• Too few booths. Call space is almost always under-provided; it undermines the whole model.
• No booking layer. A flexible floor without live availability produces hunting and frustration.
• Design over policy. Beautiful settings fail without norms for how to use them.
• No team neighbourhoods. People still need to find their colleagues; pure ABW can feel isolating.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is activity-based working (ABW)?

Activity-based working is a workplace strategy where employees choose a setting based on the task — focus, collaboration, meetings or calls — rather than using one fixed desk. It requires a mix of space types plus booking so people can find the right space.

Is ABW the same as hot desking?

No. Hot desking concerns desks only. ABW is broader: it organises the whole floor into activity-specific settings and usually relies on booking for every space type.

How much space does ABW save?

Because ABW raises utilization by matching space to demand, many hybrid offices consolidate 20–30% of their footprint. The saving depends on your current utilization and ratio; model it with the ROI calculator.

What is the biggest risk of ABW?

Over-complexity and too few call booths. If people cannot quickly find the right space, they default to a desk and the model loses its benefit.

Do we need software for ABW?

For anything beyond a small office, yes. ABW depends on people being able to see what is free and book it, which is what workspace booking software provides.