Trends

Digital nomads are mostly self-employed workers who value the freedom to travel and are leveraging the power of the internet to work wherever they journey.  They spend months or years abroad, changing their destination regularly, all while earning a living by working online. Often toiling in coffee shops, public libraries or co-working spaces, they work anywhere they can connect to the internet with their smartphones and laptops. The nomadic lifestyle enables them to travel in foreign countries, take advantage of global opportunities, make their own hours, experience desirable climates and enjoy a sought-after work-life balance. 

As part of our 2019 planning process, we recently reviewed all kinds of data from the past year on our weekly blog program. We wanted to see what was resonating with our audience from a content perspective – did we hit the mark? And, since we are over-achievers, we wanted to see where we could make improvements – from the content we develop and post, to the email delivery system we use. It was an interesting exercise and we thought we’d share some of this info with you.

New business models, increased competition, digital technology and green building design top the list of commercial real estate trends expected in 2019. We are currently in a period of economic growth, which has heated up the competition for deals, talent, tenants, and capital. There was a similar set of trends in 2018 however in 2019 we expect to see more urgency, particularly in the area of technology adoption.

We have highlighted the benefits of green building standards in previous blogs including The WELL Building Standard: The Future of Modern Design and Going Green with LEED. Now, a report from the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) makes the business case for green buildings that contain health and wellbeing features such as enhanced fresh air ventilation, an increase of daylight penetration and the use of biophilic design elements. Findings cited in the report include reduced employee absenteeism, minimized operating costs and employees that felt more productive and healthier after these features were added.

IoT is top of mind in every industry today, and healthcare is no exception.  The Global IoT Healthcare market is expected to grow from $41.22 billion in 2017 to reach $405.65 billion by 2026 according to ResearchAndMarkets.com.  Additionally, the findings of a global IoT survey of over 3,000 business and IT professionals, ‘The Internet of Things: Today and Tomorrow’, indicates 60% of healthcare organizations globally have adopted IoT devices within their organization. It is clear that the healthcare industry is set to leverage the power of IoT.

The commercial workplace is on the cusp of further transformation.  And it’s all about the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT).  We have seen a host of home IoT applications deployed, and now our offices are set to be revolutionized. Lighting is playing a vital role in this upheaval.  Since lighting is pervasive throughout most buildings and IoT sensors can be integrated into every luminaire, each light can become a data node on the network, opening the possibility to a whole new world of IoT applications for the workspace.

The WELL Building Standard^TM (WELL^TM) is aimed at advancing building concepts that help people work, live, perform and feel their best. It is an evidence-based, science-backed rating system that puts people at the center of design decisions by measuring, certifying and monitoring aspects of the built environment as they impact occupants. WELL is considered the future of modern design.

Technology and globalization have altered the way we work forever.  Many organizations aim to offer employees the ability to work wherever, whenever and however they desire.  To support that flexibility, companies are developing dynamic, adaptable workspace to accommodate the changing needs of their workers.

Shared office space is not a new idea.  Sole entrepreneurs and remote workers from global businesses have used them for several decades when they needed office space for meetings or the facade of a “real office” when meeting with clients.  Back in the day when working from home was not an accepted norm, shared office space provided an office address and a live person to answer the phone, and a creative, collaborative alternative to working solo.