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How will the sharing economy impact commercial buildings?
Challenge Type: engineering
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$1,600
top 50%
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DONE
85 months ago

Companies like Uber and Airbnb have introduced the world to an entirely new business model called the sharing economy that is disrupting how traditional businesses operate. This sharing economy is an ecosystem that promotes the sharing of human, physical, and intellectual resources to create more efficient and collaborative systems.

So far we've only seen the impact of this new model on personal space and items where every day people like you provide services for transportation and lodging. What happens when we take this concept and apply it to large office buildings where companies work? New companies like WeWork and Breather are breaking into this space but we haven't seen this trend in offices reach the popularity levels of Uber and Airbnb.

Traditionally companies would have a long term lease to own their own space and resources that is exclusive to only their employees. The sharing model provides on-demand space that is shared by an ever changing group of companies that have access to common resources. The shared space includes not just offices, but also conference rooms, lobby areas, elevators, cafeterias and so on.

Deliverables

Given your experience with new sharing platforms and this idea of shared office space, how would you create an office building to fit this ecosystem?

  1. How would building design change in a setting where different companies are sitting and working together? What type of changes would you recommend to the space and resources that would be different from your typical office building?
  2. What are your predictions on how building ownership would change in this sharing economy? Uber has made it less desirable for some people to own cars so would the same thing happen with owning office space?
  3. If you were working in one of these new shared buildings, kind of benefits would you and other companies get out of it?
  4. Brainstorm new businesses and services that could be created from serving occupants and companies that are working in these buildings.
  5. How would the mechanical (HVAC), electrical and safety/security systems in the building be affected? How could these systems provide personalized service to the different users of the shared space?
    Submissions will be graded on the following criteria:
  • Meets Deliverables
  • Creativity
  • Clarity
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