The 10,000ft2 learning universe for children aged three to nine is located in WeWork’s HQ in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. The school environment is designed to embed the values of a new conscious approach to education. The opening of WeGrow happens just as BIG completes Glasir College merging three individual schools in Faroe Islands, and plans for the opening of the Isenberg School of Management extension at the University of Massachusetts next Spring 2019.

“WeGrow was created to unleash the creative potential of all generations through design. With this first location in New York City, we have created a space to facilitate and accommodate WeGrow’s transformative approach to learning because as life evolves, so should the framework in which we live in. Children realize they have agency and when design is less prescriptive and more intuitive – we don’t have to tell kids how to use the space and every interpretation of how they use the space is good.” Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner & Creative Director, BIG; Chief Architect, WeWork.

WeGrow is designed for learning to be a transformational and holistic experience. A field of super-elliptic objects with a variety of functions allow children to move freely throughout the day and to learn from the environment around them and each other. The learning landscape encourages collaboration by emphasizing transparent and communal spaces, which comprise more than half of the school: four classrooms, flexible workshops, community space, multi-purpose studio, art studio, music room and other playscapes support the energy of creation and togetherness.

“WeGrow is committed to elevating the world’s collective consciousness. We believe we are all students of life for life, and that the very purpose of life is to be in a constant state of personal growth. Through a curriculum that focuses equally on mind, body and soul, we help students identify their superpowers and discover how to use them to help others.” Rebekah Neumann, Founder & CEO, WeGrow; Founding Partner & Chief Brand Officer, WeWork.

Most of the partitions inside the school are shelves raised to the level of the child, allowing natural light to reach deep inside the building. Three different shelving levels for each age group curve occasionally to create various activity pockets and give a feeling of comfort, safety and community, while allowing teachers to have full perspective of the space at all times. Above, acoustic clouds made of felt reflect the different patterns in nature – fingerprint, coral, landscape and moon – and illuminate with Ketra bulbs that shift in color and intensity based on the time of day.

Each learning station within WeGrow includes furniture with details and materials carefully designed by BIG to optimize the educational environment: modular classrooms promote movement and collaboration, puzzle tables and chairs manufactured by Bednark Studio come in kid and parent sizes to offer equal perspectives, and the vertical garden with tiles made in Switzerland by Laufen are pockets to lavender, sweet violets, chocolate mint and others depending on shade exposure.

Nature’s qualities are often borrowed throughout WeGrow to create a calm setting for a more focused study: the mushroom shelves, magic meadow with soft pebbles and reading hives that form an immersive library shape an organic learning environment.

Teachers and parents share the lobby with the children, where a playful felt nook forms from the smooth cut out in the walls to serve as a flexible work, meet and waiting area. Children can join in the brain puzzle, an all-felt lounge that can be taken apart for playing and learning. From the lobby to the classrooms, WeGrow is lit by Gople Lamp and Alphabet of Light – flexible lighting systems designed by BIG Ideas and manufactured by Artemide to create ambience effects that form comfortable, natural lighting throughout the school day.

Playful and transparent, yet homelike and structured, WeGrow nurtures the child’s education through introspection, exploration and discovery.

FACTS

CLIENT: WeWork

COLLABORATORS: WeWork, Environetics Group Inc., Cosentini Associates, William Vitacco Associates Ltd., Digifabshop, Bednark Studio, LAUFEN, Ketra, Febrik

LOCATION: New York, USA

SIZE: 10,000ft² / 930m²

BIG – BJARKE INGELS GROUP

Partners-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Daniel Sundlin, Beat Schenk
Project Leader: Otilia Pupezeanu
Project Architect: Jeremy Babel

Team: Bart Ramakers, Douglass Alligood, Erik Berg Kreider, Evan Saarinen, Fabian Lorenz, Filip Milovanovic, Florencia Kratsman, Francesca Portesine, Il Hwan Kim, Jakob Lange, Ji Young Yoon, Kristoffer Negendahl, Josiah Poland, Megan Ng, Mengzhu Jiang, Ryan Yang, Stephen Kwok, Terrence Chew, Tore Banke, Tracy Sodder

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The coworking trend first appeared in English-speaking countries a few years before reaching Germany. The paper identifies the 1995 Berlin-based programming community named C-base as the precursor of coworking in the country. The sector grew significantly over the following years due to the reduction in available space and rise in rental prices across most of the German real estate market.

The paper identifies three main models of coworking: coworking spaces in the narrow sense, hybrid model which describes a mix of private offices and open spaces, and business centers where fitted-out office spaces are rented out as private offices for short or longer terms, and provide other optional services and infrastructure. Advantages of coworking spaces include the focus on creating an interactive social environment. In practice, there is a trend for large, flexible workspace operators to move to a hybrid model. This combines elements of business centers (i.e. flexible leasing of small private offices) and elements of coworking spaces (i.e. open space, trend towards contemporary design, communal areas and collaboration).

There are several trends driving coworking. Technological advances enable people to work from anywhere. The rise of the start-up culture and digital nomads has also impacted the way we work. Digital start-ups in particular who benefit from low marginal cost and high scalability of their businesses benefit from the advantages of coworking spaces. Another important driver is the proliferation of the sharing economy, with coworking as one of its elements.

According to the recent study “Start-up-Unternehmen in Deutschland” (Start-up Companies in Germany) published by PwC, Hamburg is seen as a location expected to offer a highly attractive environment for new companies and significant potential demand for coworking space. In contrast to the current trend in respect of new company formations, office space take-up by startups as a core target group in the coworking segment has increased significantly here over the past few years, reaching its high point in 2014 with up to 40,000 sqm.

This study researched and classified flexible workspaces and analyzed further information relating to size and pricing models in Hamburg as at the end of August 2017. It considers the following types of operator: coworking space in its narrow sense (including selected office communities), business centers and hybrid model providers as described above. The latter category has been allocated to the business center or coworking segments depending on their positioning. According to the study, once all currently planned centers have opened, there will be around 9,800 workstations in flexible workspaces available in Hamburg.

The total number of workspaces (including planned locations) offered by flexible workspace operators equates to around 118,000 sqm of office space. This is less than 1% of the total office stock or a quarter of the average annual office space take-up, and around 3% in the city center. While coworking might currently account for a small percentage of offered office spaces, it has a high growth rate and attracts a lot of attention.

There is a great variation in prices for workstations in flexible workspaces. Asking prices in business centers range from €250 to just under €1,000/space p.m. In the coworking segment, asking prices range from €50/space p.m. to just under €400/ space p.m. The average (median) price in a hybrid centers is between €290/space p.m. for a coworking space in open-plan premises and €480/space p.m. for a private office. There are individual discounts for longer-term coworking memberships and in business centers. The wide range of prices is because the service is aimed at different target groups. Operators providing coworking space in its narrow sense often have lower costs and attract almost exclusively small companies. Operators of hybrid centers and business centers are aimed also at large companies.

Comparing the benefits of leasing self-contained office spaces vs. taking membership of a coworking space, a self-contained office lease contract generally means there are costs in setting up the contract in terms of legal advice, which are not required in the case of a membership of coworking space. In the case of a self-contained office, there are initial costs for equipment, tenant fit-out and more comprehensive office technology. This expense must be paid up-front or financed and is in some cases lost, as is the case with tenant fit-out at lease termination. Financing costs are not taken into account. There are also the refurbishment works. Furniture remains the property of the tenant upon lease expiry and is a more important consideration in the case of long-term letting decisions.

The total pre-contract costs for a self-contained office are significantly higher than for coworking space (around €60,000 compared to €14,000). But the monthly cost for the membership of the coworking space is around €1,300 higher. This is hardly surprising, as this is an inclusive fee and the coworking center operator’s costs must be remunerated through the monthly income. Looking at costs over a term of three years, both working models come to an almost identical cost of around €187,000. Over a period of just one year, the cost for a self-contained office is €102,000 and for a coworking space it is €72,000. Over a five-year period, the costs for a coworking space (€302,000) exceed the self-contained office (€271,000) by 11%.

The coworking trend continues to grow. The company rent24 is opening a combined coworking and coliving project in Eiffestrasse in 2018. WeWork has already rolled out the WeLive concept in the USA and is active in the leisure segment with WeWork Wellness. The study concludes with the expectation that the coworking boom is likely to continue, as people continue to pursue more flexible lifestyles and work conditions.

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With this evolution of the building industry, marked by significant cultural, economic and technological shifts, the role of architects gains a multidisciplinary dimension that allows them to pursue a broader range of career opportunities. New production techniques, computational design, innovative organizational structures and the amalgamation of industries through technology are bringing forth an array of new, exciting job profiles.

We have compiled a list of 5 open career opportunities in firms that combine different disciplines, allow architects to shepherd projects from inception to completion, and gain insights into the business side of the profession.

Industrial Design Intern at BIG IDEAS

BIG’s incubator, called BIG IDEAS, is the place where the firm develops innovative ideas, design prototypes, products and new materials for the AEC industry. Here they work on products and designs that push the envelope and come up with original solutions that broaden the scope of the architectural practice.

BIG IDEAS is looking for an industrial design intern studying in the field of production design, industrial design and furniture design to collaborate with designers and architects in Copenhagen. To be considered, you must be a current student for the duration of the internship, have at least 2 years of design school behind you, and have relevant work experience. Candidates should have advanced knowledge and experience with Rhino, Solid Works (or similar 3D software), V-ray, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Knowledge and experience with prototyping is a bonus.

Link to job ad

Design Applications Manager at Perkins+Will Global

One of the leading architecture offices in the United States, Perkins + Will, experiments with new technologies to improve healthcare design. The firm is at the forefront of the efforts to integrate technology and architecture.

This position requires experience in all phases of the architectural design process, high-level of proficiency leveraging Revit in the architectural production process, and working knowledge of design visualization, VR, computational design and environmental analysis applications. Among other responsibilities, applicants will be expected to represent and coordinate with the firm-wide Digital Practice group to promote local adoption of new technologies, including Virtual & Augmented Reality, Computational Design, Digital Fabrication, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence & Internet of Things, workflows and practices.

Link to job ad

Architect for Innovative Timber Building at Menges Scheffler Architects

Those experienced working with innovative uses of timber in architecture should check out Menges Scheffler Architects, led by Achim Menges, one of the leading figures in computational design and material exploration. Menges is also Director of ICD Institute for Computational Design and Construction in Stuttgart.

The firm is looking for an architect for an innovative building project with a novel timber shell structure. Responsibilities include leading the architectural design of the project from schematic design to construction within an interdisciplinary team of consulting engineers, ICD researchers and the timber manufacturer. This is a project-based job related to building an innovative timber building in a prominent city location in Germany, and will last approx. one year ((with longer term employment perspective).

Link to job ad

Project Architect at WeWork

WeWork is redefining space as a service by offering co-working and, as of recently, co-living spaces for a generation of young entrepreneurs.

The firm is currently in search of a Project Architect who is proficient and highly experienced with all phases of the design and construction process from schematic design through the bid process and construction administration. The candidate is expected to ensure efficient and quality design projects, by collaborating with all teams on the execution of WeWork standards, goals and brand ideals. You would work collaboratively with internal and external team members, determine and organize functional requirements, provide programming and space planning, and code analysis with minimal direction. Candidates should have 4+ years practical experience in high end hospitality, residential, commercial or retail architectural design. They should also be proficient in the following programs: Revit, all things Google, CAD, SketchUp, and MS Office.

Link to job ad 

Senior Project Management at AE3 Partners

AE3 Partners is a 26-person architecture and construction management practice headquartered in San Francisco. They work on projects as a prime, joint venture partner, or as a member of larger team. This could be a great opportunity to work on design-build projects with a vertically integrated process.

The idea candidate will report directly to the firm owners and be involved in key decision-making processes. You have to be a licensed architect in California with a Bachelors or Masters in architecture, and have advanced skills with Revit Building Design Suite and AutoCAD. Ideal candidates should also have great writing skills and the ability to assist principals and business development team with technical writing for presentations, RFP responses, and other business correspondence.

Link to job ad

Have you worked in any of these firms? Let us know about your career opportunities and experiences.

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To companies who wish to advertise their job positions here:

Please contact us at media@archipreneur.com

The post Jobs in the Digital Era: New Career Opportunities in the Building Industry appeared first on Archipreneur.

2016 was an exciting year for architecture trends. While we still haven’t started travelling to space – though we are a step closer thanks to a successful rocket launch and landing SpaceX accomplished earlier this year – technology has been significantly impacting the way we inhabit cities.

Designers have been experimenting with innovative, intelligent building materials, car manufacturers are rolling out self-driving models, and urban infrastructure is relying more on connectivity to optimize everything, from commuting to working. Many among these are long-term architecture trends that have had breakthroughs in the last year, which promise to continue into 2017.

Here are the 7 most significant architecture trends affecting the built environment that will shape the upcoming year.

#1 – Urban Connectivity

Connectivity extends far beyond Internet access. In fact, several companies across the globe are currently working on integrating tech products into urban environments in order to improve transportation, social services, health and public spaces. We have already written about Sidewalk Labs, a “smart-city” company owned by Alphabet Inc., which creates digital products through public-private partnerships to provide ubiquitous connectivity, real-time sensors, precise location services, distributed trust, autonomous systems, and digital actuation and fabrication.

Several incubators targeting urban environments are creating funding opportunities for companies that greatly influence how we live, work and commute. Y Combinator already funded companies like reputable Airbnb, among others, while Impact Engine supports early-stage, tech-focused businesses that change neighborhoods and urban conditions in the Chicago area.

#2 – Autonomous Transportation

Self-driving vehicles are promising to revolutionize the transport industry, which will greatly impact the built environment. Car manufacturers are rolling out models that are already hitting city streets. Last August, Singapore has become the first country in the world to launch a self-driving taxi service, beating Uber by a few days to public road tests. US-based start-up called nuTonomy received permission from the Singapore government to test self-driving cars and start testing with passengers.

Last December, Uber brought a small number of self-driving Volvo luxury SUVs to San Francisco. Another interesting trend – drones – is getting into the transportation race. Chinese drone manufacturer Ehang has created a vehicle capable of autonomously transporting human passengers and their luggage. Aerial drone delivery companies like Flirtey and Matternet are also developing solutions for air traffic. It will be interesting to see what 2017 brings for autonomous transportation.

#3 – Space Sharing

The sharing economy is expanding to include an increasing number of industries. WeWork has come to the forefront of the “space as a service” trend as one of the fastest growing consumers of office space, transforming a real estate business. The company has recently begun testing its first residential offering – WeLive, which brings a “co-living” philosophy into the world of residential real estate. WeLive links tenants with living areas that share kitchens and bathrooms. According to company documents – as Nasdaq reports – WeLive is expected to bring in about 21% of the company’s total revenue by 2018.

Last December, Airbnb has started investing in Home Sharing Clubs – host-led local organizations – around the world, closing out 2016 with 112. The emergence of Club-like organizations is an important trend to watch in 2017.

#4 – AR/VR

Augmented reality and virtual reality are being used in architectural design and real estate with increased frequency. Architecture studios are embracing VR as a way to optimize communication with clients and speed up the design process. This trend is expected to grow in 2017, with firms like NBBJ developing new, immersive solutions. NBBJ has already developed a self-contained venture Visual Vocal to built a VR platform integrated into the firm’s design process. Computing chipmaker NVIDIA conceived a VR demonstration of the completed building powered by NVIDIA products. The VR headset allows Gensler designers to navigate the model of the structure and notice design flaws that could be easily missed in a 2D environment.

According to digi-capital, the virtual and augmented reality industries will be worth $150 billion dollars by 2020. Virtual home experiences are expected to dominate 2017, and can potentially get into architecture schools.

#5 – Entrepreneurship in Architectural Education

Speaking of schools, entrepreneurship seems to be increasingly taught to architecture students. Architecture schools across the world are starting to offer bachelor and master programs in entrepreneurship and real estate development.

The Parsons School of Design offers an undergraduate minor in creative entrepreneurship, while a Penn State-sponsored business accelerator program aims to help student entrepreneurs turn their innovative project into reality. Canada’s Ryerson encourages its students to participate in a variety of projects that allow them to gain skills in architecture that are not taught in class.

The School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P), one of five schools at MIT, launched an entrepreneurship accelerator, DesignX, which allows students to “make the critical leap from project to startup”. DesignX will include a four-month, for-credit accelerator workshop through which participants will get a chance to pitch to outside investors and industry partners.

#6 – Material Innovation

The Multiscale Materials Laboratory at Rice University is working on developing what they call “programmable cement” which can allow designers to control the kinetics of cement to get desired shapes, the morphology and size of the basic building blocks of C-S-H. This way they can self-assemble into microstructures with far greater packing density compared with conventional amorphous C-S-H microstructures.

Another common material that is gaining momentum is timber. Architects are increasingly using this rapidly renewable, carbon sequestering material that environmentally outperforms concrete and steel. In 2016, PLP Architecture and researchers from the University of Cambridge have revealed a concept for London’s first wooden skyscraper, architect Michael Green completed the largest mass-timber building in the United States – a seven-story tower in Minneapolis called T3.

Companies like Solar Roadways and Wattway are developing solar-harvesting road surfaces, while power-generating textiles are being experimented on at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This fabric harvests energy from solar and kinetic sources and is highly flexible, lightweight and consists of widely available, environmentally friendly materials.

 #7 – Sustainability

From energy to transportation and architecture, industries are steadily moving towards sustainable practices. 3D printed buildings, like the world’s first 3D printed office in Dubai, also influence the costs and environmental impact of the AEC industry. Cities are moving toward clean energy and a green economy.

After completing the Vertical Forest tower in Milan, Italy, architect Stefano Boeri has recently announced a similar design to be developed in China. This will be the first project of its kind in Asia.

Malaysia’s Forest City is set to become Southeast Asia’s largest mixed-use green development. Sasaki Associates designed the $40.9 billion master plan as an ecosystem that mimics the natural coastal ecologies of the region.

Urban Renewal and farming Projects are also a path to more sustainable cities. Some of the largest are The Los Angeles River Revitalization, Green Square – Australia’s biggest urban renewal project – while the Chinese megacity of Shanghai is set to realize the Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District.

The post 7 Urban and Architecture Trends to Watch in 2017 appeared first on Archipreneur.

Some of the most innovative and profitable companies in the world base their business models on commercializing untapped resources. Facebook has relied on its users to generate content and data for years, and organizations are starting to realize the value of gathering, processing, storing and taking action on big data.

In the AEC industry, some companies are discovering the hidden potential of excess energy that is generated by buildings, while others are looking to utilize large roof surfaces of mega-malls and supermarkets for harvesting solar energy. Airbnb has turned underused living units into assets, and allows people to generate additional income by renting out their homes to travelers.

The traditional notions of ‘private’ and ‘public’ space are eroding under the influence of a sharing economy and technological advancement. Space is being recognized as a profitable commodity in itself.

The commercial real estate industry is undergoing similar changes. Co-working spaces are sprouting in big cities, with building owners finding ways to make profit from underused desks and offices, targeting an increasing number of people who telecommute or work away from their main offices. In fact, The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2020, about 65 million Americans will be freelancers, independent contractors and solopreneurs, and will constitute about 40% of the total workforce.

According to a 2014 All State-National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll, millennials prefer to work in places where they can find a community of like-minded people. Several other polls have confirmed that millennials want a “fun and social” workplace, flexible work hours and place value on lifestyle and traveling. They are less interested in buying property, but are willing to spend money on experiences and events. Increased mobility and the rise of the sharing economy are not only changing the way younger generations live, work and travel but also transforming our physical environment.

Finding an office space and setting up the necessary infrastructure for it to operate can be a daunting task for startups. Landlords are usually interested in long-term leases – less than ideal for young companies and freelancers. Recognizing the need for convenience, flexibility, and less liability, companies like WeWork have developed successful business models around the idea of space as a service.

Founded in 2010, WeWork has become the forerunner of the space as a service trend and is one of the fastest growing consumers of office space in New York City. Recognizing the disappearance of 9-to-5 jobs, its founders decided to create a service that would function like a “physical social network”.

Essentially, WeWork transformed a real estate business into a technology platform. The idea of sharing space isn’t new, but WeWork has translated space sharing into a concept closely connected to the lifestyle and work habits of younger generations.

WeWork leases space wholesale from landlords and then sublets it, at a margin, in small blocks of floorspace. The company currently manages over 3 million square feet of space. They offer pay-as-you-go access, or “unlimited commons” membership that allows people to use WeWork locations anywhere in the world. They provide tenants with the Internet, printing services, and beverages, as well as places to relax and take a break from working. The company takes care of everything in terms of actual office management, from utility bills to replenishing the ink in the printer.

The company has recently begun to test its first residency offer. Its first co-living development, located in New York City, currently accommodates 80 WeWork members in 45 apartment units, with plans to house over 600 people across 20 floors. All tenants have access to community events by way of a mobile app, through which they can share cleaning services, laundry and utilities. Provisionally named WeLive, their residential offering is expected to account for 21% of the company’s revenue by 2018.

Micro-rental, on which WeLive’s concept is based, is the hottest trend in residential real estate. The concept is simple: a company rents a large multi-room unit, creates communal spaces and sublets individual bedrooms out to people on a short-term basis. Co-living companies don’t own the property themselves but instead act as property managers.

Abandoning long-term leases for month-to-month arrangements with micro-rentals appeals to millennials who are much more comfortable with temporary accommodation solutions than are older generations. Short-term contracts are best suited for young graduates and professionals who frequently change location or can’t afford to buy their own homes. As an increasing number of 25 to 34-year-olds are living with roommates and staying single for longer than previous generations, mobility becomes the deciding factor in choosing suitable housing arrangements.

A large number of startups are trying out the idea of creating co-living spaces. Up-and-coming businesses like Pure House, Krash, Open Door, and the co.space are tapping into the real estate sector with similar offerings.

Co-living startup Common has recently raised $7.5 million in Series A funding and has announced the opening of a 51-bedroom residence in Williamsburg, NYC. This is the company’s third building in the NYC borough of Brooklyn and the first ground-up development.

The conditions for rending out spaces here are pretty much the same as they are for other co-living startups. What Common does differently to avoid the fate of Campus, a startup forced to close its premises after failing to create “a financially viable business”, is that Common partners directly with real estate companies that buy the buildings. This allows them to save on rent and have greater control over the spaces.

Co-working and co-living spaces are the most dominant types of the space as a service concept. It has proven to be a transformative force, drastically changing the residential and commercial real estate industry. The proliferation of the sharing economy is illuminating the hidden potentials of physical spaces, and changing the way architecture is used and inhabited. This phenomenon could irreversibly change the way in which we design buildings and think about urban development.

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What other underused spatial resources are you aware of? How would you utilize them in a sustainable and scalable way?

The post Space as a Service: Business Models that Change How We Live and Work appeared first on Archipreneur.