Contract Magazine - December 2018 - 50

integrated project delivery, and
construction management-based build
are foundational elements to what
a forward-thinking company like
WeWork has adapted entirely in-house.
-Lance Amato, RA, IIDA, Principal,
VOCON

Coworking space models are
transforming the architecture
and design landscape.
The plethora of coworking or
on-demand serviced spaces being
created is one 'product' with
significant potential impact for
Prefab modular construction
is transforming the way that we
design and construct healthcare
facilities.
The healthcare sector has been
embracing this in a very big way,
and in 2018, we saw it advance
at an accelerated pace. We are now
designing for modular rooms, such
as toilet and exam rooms, on a regular
basis. In the past year, we have
designed modular components
for complete outpatient facilities.
This approach enables health
organizations to standardize their
operational processes since all rooms
are designed to function the same,
and to construct facilities at a much
faster rate with lower cost and fewer
construction quality issues. Modular
construction is helping healthcare
to bring a new facility online much
faster. We are going to see this method
continue to accelerate and become
far more common.
-Jocelyn Stroupe, CHID, EDAC, IIDA,
ASID, Principal, Director of Health
Interiors, CANNONDESIGN
Integrated design processes
and integrated professional teams
on projects will become the future
of designing.
There has been holistic movement
of integrated professional teams
on projects, overlapping the traditional
roles seen in design-to-build
environments. The thought of unifying
designers, builders, clients,
programmers, and health professionals
into charrette-based environments
to provide expedited project deliveries
breaks the normal conflict-based
scenarios we have been positioned
in today. Trends such as design build,
50

WeWork is a leader
in the growing shared
workspace and coworking
segment. The Chelsea
location, shown here, is one
of the company's newest
New York build-outs.

the future. This is already affecting
how space is financially procured,
designed, delivered, and subsequently
operated. Currently, coworking
environments are meeting a high level
of demand for shorter-term flexible
occupancies, but the model is quickly
evolving to include longer term turnkey
serviced solutions at a larger scale.
How will this shifting marketplace
affect the business of commercial
interior design and architecture?
Will design services remain relevant
for smaller tenants if companies
can scale to full-floor or even multifloor predesigned solutions before
ever needing a more custom,
optimized space?
To keep up with segment leader
WeWork and others, many property
owners and operators are beginning to
pursue their own approach to pre-built
speculative flexible solutions aimed
at appealing to a broader spectrum
of potential tenants. These offerings
may include coworking configurations,
although exactly how these will be
operated is still evolving as new players
appear to be entering the segment

almost daily. Already, there is an
emerging trend to retrofit existing
buildings with shared amenities
akin to coworking spaces to make
them more attractive to businesses.
Which amenities will tenants
be willing to share in the future
in exchange for relinquishing a part
of their individual brand identity
and culture?
-Sascha Wagner, FIIDA, AIA, President/
CEO, HUNTSMAN ARCHITECTURAL
GROUP

In the age of so-called perfect
coworking spaces, how do you create
a quality environment for a casual
or random user?
Office design has changed radically
in the last 20 years, and in many ways
the appetite for unique spaces that
help us concentrate, socialize, and
build culture and community while still
enabling a company to do meaningful
work has never been stronger. If we
can help individuals with spaces that
support and facilitate work at existing
businesses, what can we do for those
who are still studying, just starting
a business, or working from home?
I see the shared workplace and the
third space as being a new frontier for
workers, companies, and independent
contractors. When a company is ready
to jump into the open plan or wants
to give a team a break from their
standard workplace, these alternative
spaces are an obvious solution, which
is why they are taking the country
by storm.
The new approach is to think
of the office as a service to be provided
or a space available on demand. To me,
it's an interesting development because
it shows the importance we place on
having the right space, much like having
the right tool to get the job done. The
right space is now a marketable product
and developing a perfect space is a
service very much in demand. I wonder
how perfect these so-called perfect
spaces are? It is at the very core of what
a designer does to design space with
specialized programming, and specific
needs and preferences in mind. How
then do you create a good environment
for a casual or random user? I wonder
how these spaces actually function
and where they work and don't work?
-Primo Orpilla, Co-Founder, STUDIO O+A

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DECEM BER 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY: ALEXEI HAY AND JASON SCHMIDT; ILLUSTRATION: KOLTER HODGSON

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Contract Magazine - December 2018

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