CULTURE IS NOT WORDS ON A WALL. IT'S HOW YOUR PEOPLE FEEL ON A SUNDAY NIGHT.

There’s a quote I saw recently that stopped me in my tracks:

“Culture is not words on a wall. It’s how your people feel on a Sunday night.”

If you’re a business owner or leader, you probably felt that one too.

Because culture isn’t just your mission statement framed in the lobby. It isn’t just vinyl lettering in the break room or the values slide in an onboarding deck. While these are important features to enhance the culture, culture doesn't stop there. It’s anticipatory. It’s the pit-in-your-stomach feeling, or the sense of calm, that shows up when the weekend starts winding down.

And whether we realize it or not, the physical space your team works in plays a huge role in shaping that feeling.

THE SILENT INFLUENCE OF SPACE

Office design works quietly, but constantly.

Long before someone interacts with leadership, policy, or process on a Monday morning, they’re already responding to the environment:

Is it stressful or supportive?

Energizing or draining?

Thoughtfully designed or purely functional?

Your space sets the tone for how people expect work to feel.

A poorly planned office can amplify friction—crowded workstations, no acoustic privacy, harsh lighting, or confusing circulation. Even when leadership is strong, the space can still communicate: “Your comfort and focus weren’t a priority.”

On the flip side, a well-designed environment sends a different message entirely.

DESIGN AS A TOOL FOR EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

Culture shows up in how people feel, not just how they perform.

Thoughtful office design supports that emotional experience in subtle but meaningful ways:

• Natural light improves mood, focus, and energy levels.

• Acoustic control reduces stress and mental fatigue.

• Clear zoning—spaces for collaboration and quiet focus—respects different work styles.

• Comfortable, intentional common areas encourage connection without forcing it.

When people feel physically comfortable, mentally supported, and respected by their environment, work stops feeling like something to brace for.

That matters on Sunday night.

SPACE REFLECTS WHAT YOU VALUE (EVEN IF YOU DON'T SAY IT)

Your office is constantly communicating—whether you intend it to or not.

It tells your team:

• How much you value focus

• Whether collaboration is encouraged or inconvenient

• If flexibility is real or just a talking point

• Whether growth was planned for—or ignored

Design choices become cultural signals.

An office designed only for today’s headcount often creates tomorrow’s tension. Tight spaces, no room for growth, and makeshift solutions communicate short-term thinking. Planning for growth—spatially and operationally—signals trust in the future and in the people building it.

CULTURE IS FELT BEFORE IT'S SPOKEN

People don’t walk into an office and think, “Ah yes, the culture.”

They feel it.

They feel it when they sit down at their desk. They feel it when they try to take a private call. They feel it when collaboration feels natural—or exhausting.

And eventually, they feel it on Sunday night.

If the space supports clarity, comfort, and connection, the anxiety fades. If it doesn’t, no amount of signage can compensate.

DESIGNING SPACES THAT SUPPORT THE PEOPLE INSIDE THEM

At Studio 616, we believe office design is about more than aesthetics or efficiency. It’s about understanding how people work, how they feel, and how a space can quietly support both.

Culture isn’t built in one big gesture—it’s built in daily experiences. And the environments we design play a role in shaping every one of them.

If you’re thinking about your office, your team, or how your space might be contributing to—or detracting from—your culture, that’s a conversation worth having.

Because culture isn’t what’s written on the wall.

It’s what your people carry with them into the week ahead.

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