left to right: John Worthington, Frank Duffy, Peter Eley, Colin Cave, John Francis, Luigi Giffone, Chris Byng-Maddick
1984

DEGW originated in Dr. Francis Duffy’s formation of the London office of JFN Associates in 1971, a leading firm of space planners with headquarters in New York and a European subsidiary in Brussels. In 1973, Dr. Duffy, one of the leading figures of workplace strategy and design, left JFN to form DEGW in partnership with Peter Eley, Luigi Giffone, and John Worthington. They established DEGW as an independent, London-based firm, focused on the planning and design of workplace environments.

DEGW expanded in the 1980s with offices in Glasgow, Madrid, Milan, and Paris, in the 1990s with offices in Sydney and New York, and in the 2000s with offices in Munich, San Francisco, and Singapore. As thought leaders in this industry, DEGW has published many research studies and books marking its significant contributions over the past three decades, including Design for Change, Reinventing the Workplace (re-issued in an updated edition 2006), The New Office, Working without walls and its sequel, Working beyond walls (2008). DEGW's work has significantly contributed to the performance, growth and success of our clients over a sustained period.

In 1989, DEGW converted from a partnership into a limited company and moved its London operations to new premises in the Kings Cross area. In 2001, DEGW established the current business with Despina Katsikakis as Chairman.

More than three decades on, DEGW operates from a network of offices across Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America. This platform gives us broad global knowledge but also enables us to deliver solutions to our clients that are regionally and locally appropriate within those business cultures.