Standing on the “beta floor” of WeWork’s Times Square location, the co-working giant's product research team discussed several initiatives the $16B company’s investigating in order to “productize” its spaces and create more predictable experiences.
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Chief product officer David Fano described how WeWork wants spaces to be built like an iPhone, with a consistency that doesn't compromise the company’s flexibility and quality.
The way to achieve that, he says, is to use data to create a standardized material and layout system that could be applied to new spaces and prevent the information breaks and conflicts that occur during the construction process.
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Product research head Joshua Emig says WeWork is using member data to both “revolutionize the way people build and design spaces” and investigate how people will be living and working in the next five to 10 years.
“We’ve seen this kind of evolution and data use before in retail and hospitality,” he told the crowd, “but we’re trying to hit at the core of people’s livelihoods, and working on a much larger scale.”
WeWork has hired a research and data team that included everything from architects to data analysts to a former NASA scientist. Yes, a rocket scientist.
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Director of buildings research Jason Anderson (pictured, right, with Josh) says WeWork is using LiDar reality capture software to scan spaces and produce a perfect representation of what it will have to work with, and it has also been able to perfect the schematic design process and speed up fabrication by knowing exactly what it needs for materials.
Everything from the width of door glass to the thickness of metal hinges was examined and optimized for the greatest efficiency and cost.
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Director of cities and spaces research Daniel Davis says WeWork uses data to gauge member response to current spaces. Whether it’s the amount of time people are spending in phone booths or a negative reaction to a wallpaper choice (if you haven't spent time in a WeWork conference room, the wallpaper choices can be quite polarizing), Daniel says the company’s been able to learn from member surveys, using findings as precedents for future spaces.
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But, director of systems research Alan Jackson points out, that’s only what they’re currently doing. Alan wants buildings to be intelligent, so his team is looking into technologies that can monitor and identify members to tailor spaces to their behavior. Heat maps, key cards, mobile devices and even environmental sensors gauging energy use are being explored to maximize comfort and minimize cost.
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This data will continue to be fundamentally important, design research Annie Cosgrove (pictured) says, as the company continues to expand across the globe.
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By looking at where there’s social media interest in co-working and by researching work habits and cultural differences, Annie believes WeWork can implement its spaces in any culture and be confident it'll be successful.
The team was quick to mention, however, that WeWork’s only considering neighborhoods with “strong entrepreneurial spirits” and isn't planning to be a force of gentrification.
Josh responded to the wariness many have with being tracked, saying the initiatives will be contained to the “beta floor” until proven successful and worth expanding. In addition, members on the beta floor knew before signing their leases that their behaviors would be monitored, but there'd be no personally identifiable information.
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