(28 May 2019, Hong Kong) Building on its robust growth and commitment to redefining the future of work, WeWork today showcases its creative design and innovative technology used to build its global community, which caters to the evolving needs of businesses of all sizes around the world. Since entering the Greater China market in 2016, WeWork has created the physical-world equivalent of a digital platform, which provides organizations of any size with flexible space, on-demand services and a built-in, global community.
(From left to right) Mr. Julian Leung, Senior Product Manager, WeWork Greater China, Mr. Harish Krishna, Head of Engineering, WeWork Greater China, Mr. Dominic Penaloza, Head of Innovation & Technology and Mr. Luis Portas, Design Director, WeWork Greater China shared how WeWork integrated innovative technology into design, constructions, sales, operations and community, driving the future of work and living.
Living and working in this digital era, technological advancements are breaking down physical boundaries, transforming the way people interact, communicate, and work. WeWork, with its extensive global network of 485 locations in 105 cities across 28 countries, strives to humanize the way people work, live and play. A leader in driving the future of work, WeWork provides physical and digital offerings to elevate members’ experience. Technology is integrated into everything WeWork does and powers the WeWork platform, as WeWork uses data and analytics from its global fleet of buildings to better understand larger-scale urbanism and real estate trends, as well as evaluate new locations and services to help our members save, grow and thrive.
Today, WeWork pushes the boundaries further by announcing the launch of a new on-demand solution in Hong Kong – WeWork GO, which will bring WeWork’s community experience to even more creators in the area, starting from Q3 2019. Hong Kong is one of the first markets around the world that offers WeWork GO to local creators.
Mr. Luis Portas, Design Director, WeWork Greater China, shared on how WeWork is pushing the boundaries by integrating technology into its spatial design and construction, in order to create a more humanized, collaborative space for creators.
Space: Redefining collaborative space to bring efficiency and engaging community experience to members
WeWork sees technology as a crucial component that enables efficiency in design and building of a community, which is a catalyst for collaboration and interaction among members and a key part of our “global company, local playbook” strategy. By thinking about the experience that a space has to offer, we are constantly reminding ourselves that a space should be designed to enhance productivity and collaboration. Meanwhile, to cater to the robust growth of WeWork, its design team has dedicated efforts to create a streamlined process by deploying cutting-edge technologies in modelling, process automation and layout visualization while keeping WeWork’s value of building communities in mind.
- Quantitative and qualitative insights in programming: Programming is the first step of re-thinking the office space. In addition to leveraging quantitative data from other WeWork locations, programming is a vital process that involves various WeWork functional teams to share valuable qualitative insights for creating an optimal mix of room types, such as private offices, large conference rooms for trainings, or quiet rooms for deep focus, dynamic lounges for connection, break out spaces for informal meetings and other facilities, while utilizing and preserving the building’s unique characteristics.
- Data-driven modelling: When constructing WeWork’s collaborative spaces, the Building Information Modelling (or BIM) technology provides useful data throughout the project life cycle and 3D geometric information to ensure efficient use of space.
- Automated design process: WeWork has developed many of its own plugins in Revit, the main design platform used by WeWork. These tools automate the design process and reduce labor intensive assignments, letting designers focus more on innovative design than on menial tasks, which becomes profoundly important when WeWork is expanding its locations rapidly across the globe.
- Visualized layout: To drive efficiency, WeWork has deployed other technologies to facilitate the entire design and construction process from building a digital layout, utilizing laser scans, to using Matterport that generates 3D photo model for visualizing the space with VR technology. These together contribute to better management of resources and facilitate smoother collaboration between architects and different stakeholders with accurate and up-to-date information.
- Humanized design with local playbook: As a global company with a local playbook, WeWork infuses local elements into its space design and strives to create humanized spaces that inspire innovations and create an amazing member experience. For example, the design team uses the famed Star Ferry and Hong Kong’s tramway system as point of inspiration for the design concept of WeWork Tower 535.
Luis Portas, Design Director, WeWork Greater China, said, “As a driver in accelerating the future of work, WeWork is redefining space for businesses of all sizes to thrive. We take pride in our design, and technology and data are the foundations that enable us to constantly enhance and evolve our spaces, so that we can always integrate the best of design, technology and hospitality in our communities that offer member experiences unlike any other. Since we have entered the Greater China in 2016, we are committed to innovating and creating spaces that cultivate innovation, strengthen productivity, encourage collaboration, and eventually empower people and businesses to pursue their purpose.”
Mr. Julian Leung, Senior Product Manager, Innovation and Technology, WeWork Greater China, showcased the WeWork technology that support the company’s sales and business growth, as well as WeWork services that cater to different business needs.
Services & Community: Creating a humanized community with technology
WeWork aims to bridge the gap between physical and digital platforms by providing a delightful and seamless experience for its members to connect with people in the community and the space around them like never before. As such, effective technology solutions are deployed to bring more harmonized communications, more refined user services, and many more exciting technologies to WeWork members around the world, and ultimately to create a humanized community through technology.
Debut of WeWork GO in Hong Kong
In today’s business world, mobility matters. People are always on-the-go, making the need for mobile offices an irreversible trend. First debuted in Shanghai, WeWork GO is a pioneering “Space-as-a-Service” solution that reduces the barriers in acquiring workspace, gives businesses and talents of all sizes from various sectors access to collaborative spaces on-demand. It not only offers part-time and mobile workers more flexible and adaptive workspace solutions, but also brings simpler, easy-to-manage workplace options to SMEs and enterprises with special demands.
WeWork is proud to announce WeWork GO will launch in selected WeWork locations in Hong Kong starting in Q3, 2019. As an innovative product that revolutionizes the blueprint for the future of work and living, WeWork GO will also expand the scale and diversity of the WeWork community. The service serves as a testament to WeWork’s mission to provide easily accessible, collaborative space where all creators can work with one another anytime and anywhere:
- Easy come, easy go with WeWork GO: WeWork GO users can search for nearby WeWork locations and see at a glance the availability of hot desks in each space. WeWork GO users can start using the hot desks and the community space by simply scanning the QR code upon arrival and they will then be charged by the minute.
WeWork GO has currently attracted more than 60,000 registered users in Shanghai and is being used at all operating WeWork locations around the city. The services is also piloting in Beijing and Hangzhou.
Other WeWork community-centric technology services include:
- WeWork member app: It connects over 466,000 global members using WeWork’s in-house mobile technology, enabling members to maximize value gained from the WeWork ecosystem. Members can also connect seamlessly with the community beyond physical spaces and manage their workspace experience, including functions like room booking service across the world, guest registration, event RSVP, keycard activation and more. .
- Applied science technologies – Internet-of-Things (IoT):
- Automatic coffee machine controlled by the mobile app via Bluetooth, which collects data around consumption and preference of members
- Smart tap that serves draft beer, wine, and cold brew coffee and collects data around consumption preference of members with remote locking feature
Mr. Dominic Penaloza, Head of Innovation & Technology, WeWork Greater China, introduced the latest WeWork GO service and other technology applications in WeWork’s member services and community management.
Dominic Penaloza, Head of Innovation & Technology, WeWork Greater China, said: “With our community-focused philosophy, WeWork aims to harness the power of innovation to make people’s lives easier and better as it transforms the way we work, interact and experience. From space design and member services to connecting people in the community, innovation brings positive impacts to users and the community as a whole. WeWork is bringing a more humanized way of work and living and bring positive impact to neighbourhoods and cities by increasing efficiency of spaces. With innovative technology like WeWork GO, we strive to offer more people and enterprises to experience the future of work empowered by WeWork. Looking forward, we will continue to reimagine, reshape, and humanize the architecture of spaces, buildings, and cities to support innovation and encourage human connection and creativity.”
WeWork integrates innovative design and cutting-edge technology into its space, enhancing member experience and operation efficiency.
For further information, please visit wework.com.