Episode 14: Future Business

Fireside Chats with Empathic Futures Lab

In this episode, we delve into some ideas for the future of the business of architecture. As technology and culture progress towards this world of shared experiences and minimal costs to distribution and manufacturing, how does the nature of space, and who runs space, change? Are architects and their businesses on the right side of history?

(resources discussed are linked below)

We start by introducing the topic through a Sidewalk Labs "Sidewalk Talks" event and what was discussed there. Christian then introduces us to this idea of Megaforms and how businesses like WeWork and Sidewalk Labs can be compared to megaforms discussed by past theorists like ArchiGram's plug in city. We then briefly discuss how Sidewalk Labs could make money.

Perhaps the biggest chunk of this episode then discusses how WeWork leverages inefficiencies in the architectural business model in terms of how architects don't leverage the information at their disposal as well as tech companies do. Architecture firms also integrate towards construction but can a case be made to instead integrate towards experience instead?

What other sources of experience can we leverage? WeWork is expanding greatly, Sidewalk Labs is pushing towards Smart Cities, and there are opportunities in Brand Stragegy. What is next?

Resources below:

• WeWork
  • https://medium.com/the-new-york-times/dea65ee90cb5
  • http://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/the-interloper-wework-upends-the-conventional-architecture-firm_o
• Sidewalk Labs:
  • https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/16/alphabet-google-sidewalk-labs-toronto-quayside/
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKbCMWDf0Xc
    • http://www.miles.city/
    • https://bulletin.co/pages/about
  • https://www.sidewalklabs.com/blog/street-life-after-retail-5-scenarios-that-imagine-the-future/
• ArchiGram
  • https://www.archdaily.com/399329/ad-classics-the-plug-in-city-peter-cook-archigram