Collaborative Seating Rolls Into the Modern Workplace

Keilhauer, Unifi

Remember chatting with cubicle-mates over your morning coffee? I hardly do either. A perk of being in the office is the chance to bond with coworkers, yet that concept feels foreign after working from home for so long. As RTO mandates continue, furniture needs to keep up. One solution: collaborative seating options that create casual touch-down spaces or little informal meeting spots to make mingling easier and keep teams thriving.

Poltrona Frau, Bay Accessories, pouf, curved bench, and side table

Poltrona Frau

Originally designed to zhuzh up public spaces, the Bay System works just as well in the office. Developed with Foster + Partners Industrial Design, the seating solution's light-as-air beech and poplar frame and soft curves make it look like it’s floating. And just when we thought the system couldn’t get more sleek, along came Bay Accessories, which add seven fresh pieces to the mix: circular poufs, curved and linear benches, plus two side tables (one even adjusts to your perfect height).

Mizetto, Cargo

Mizetto

Can I sit on that box? Yes, you can! The Cargo sofa takes a bold new approach to modular seating with its cargo box–inspired design. Its three components click together with hidden connectors, while Velcro-fastened fabric makes swapping or repairing the upholstery a breeze. And the tray table locks right into place between the cushions—smart, right? A 2025 Best of NeoCon Innovation Award winner, Cargo wowed the jury with its playful practicality. As one juror put it: “The design feels original and innovative, and the materials appear to be of high quality.”

Davis, Tote Lounge Chair

Davis Furniture

Davis gives the Tote Lounge Chair a clever new twist: a pivoting tablet arm. Made in collaboration with German designer Sebastian Herkner, the updated chair comes in right- or left-handed configurations. A leather handle on the chairback makes it easy to slide the chair along its concealed caster or stationary glider base. Now with the tablet arm, you can grab your laptop, drag your chair, and create a flexible meeting spot wherever you go.

Keilhauer, Unifi

Keilhauer

The aptly named Unifi chair series brings people together. Created by Austrian design studio EOOS with a Midcentury flair, the lounge and side chairs have built-in casters and integrated handles so you can easily roll them around. Push the pieces together for a long continuous bench, or mix them up for a more dynamic setup. Plus, tablets are built in! They’re fixed to either the left or right of the side chair and are rotatable on the lounge chair to use however you need it.

Teknion, RoamStation Mobile Workstation concept

Teknion

Innovative thinkers are considering the next-gen workplace. Case in point: Teknion’s Advanced Concepts 2.0, created with Toronto-based Dubbeldam Architecture + Design. The standout? The RoamStation Mobile Workstation concept, a mobile, modular, self-contained workstation packed with current and near-future tech like autonomous movement and induction charging. When tasks are complete, RoamStation folds up into a streamlined module and rolls itself back to its dock like a Roomba!

These concepts will be on display at the Teknion New York Showroom until December 2025, then in Toronto at the Interior Design Show in January 2026.

—Rita Catinella Orrell