WeWork, the New York-based urban workspace designer and redeveloper that’s one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., has acquired Fieldlens, a six-year-old producer of construction management applications that allow for more efficient on-site communications.
Most construction projects “are broken social networks,” says Doug Chambers, Fieldlens’ founder. His company’s app helps make a jobsite environment more like Facebook or a social feed, where everyone on site is communicating in real time, all the time.
An example Chambers gives is a project manager who is walking a site, and using the app on his smartphone to send observations, pictures, confirmations, and directives to other crew members. Chambers says that on one jobsite in Buffalo, N.Y., the Fieldlens app is facilitating 1,000 interactions per day, on average, among the 80 to 100 workers on site.
“Fieldlens lets people get back to work,” and not get bogged down on a lot of administrative and paperwork duties, says Chambers.
For the past two years, WeWork has been one of Fieldlens’ biggest customers. And its use has “ramped up pretty rapidly” over the past six months, says Chambers, as WeWork “has grown like crazy.”
Founded in 2010, WeWork currently has more than 120,000 members globally working out of 149 locations in 45 cities in 13 countries. WeWork so far has redeveloped more than 8 million sf of space to coworker offices. It is about to expand into India and Colombia.
In a recent blog, WeWork’s Chief Product Officer David Fano said the company is opening between five and 10 new locations a month. “And we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of global demand.” The company has also recently expanded into co-living redevelopment.
“WeWork is a train moving at 200 miles per hour,” says Aaron Fritsch, WeWork’s head of product systems and operations. “We’re a mission-driven company, and what we love about Fieldlens is how it’s focused on changing and improving the industry. It saw that there’s a better way that [project management] could be done.”
WeWork had been one of Fieldlens' biggest customers before it acquired the six-year-old company this month. Image: WeWork
Fano said that WeWork is “obsessed by the intersection of technology and the construction industry.” And among the things that Fieldlens’ app brings to the table, says Fristch, is a continuous feedback loop that bridges the communications gap that too often separates not only jobsite personnel, but also designers and facilities managers.
As a single company WeWork and Fieldlens will continue to develop and refine construction tools that are made available to the industry at large. “As part of WeWork, we’ll have more resources to continue to focus on our goal of making the work-lives of construction professionals more efficient,” says Chambers.
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 26, 2024
Adaptive Reuse Scorecard released to help developers assess project viability
Lamar Johnson Collaborative announced the debut of the firm’s Adaptive Reuse Scorecard, a proprietary methodology to quickly analyze the viability of converting buildings to other uses.
Sustainability | Mar 21, 2024
World’s first TRUE-certified building project completed in California
GENESIS Marina, an expansive laboratory and office campus in Brisbane, Calif., is the world’s first Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE)-certified construction endeavor. The certification recognizes projects that achieve outstanding levels of resource efficiency through waste reduction, reuse, and recycling practices.
Office Buildings | Mar 21, 2024
Corporate carbon reduction pledges will have big impact on office market
Corporate carbon reduction commitments will have a significant impact on office leasing over the next few years. Businesses that have pledged to reduce their organization’s impact on climate change must ensure their next lease allows them to show material progress on their goals, according to a report by JLL.
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 21, 2024
Massachusetts launches program to spur office-to-residential conversions statewide
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently launched a program to help cities across the state identify underused office buildings that are best suited for residential conversions.
Office Buildings | Mar 21, 2024
BOMA updates floor measurement standard for office buildings
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International has released its latest floor measurement standard for office buildings, BOMA 2024 for Office Buildings – ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2024.
Sustainability | Mar 13, 2024
Trends to watch shaping the future of ESG
Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability Services Leaders Anthony Brower, Juliette Morgan, and Kirsten Ritchie discuss trends shaping the future of environmental, social, and governance (ESG).
Office Buildings | Mar 8, 2024
Conference room design for the hybrid era
Sam Griesgraber, Senior Interior Designer, BWBR, shares considerations for conference room design in the era of hybrid work.
Office Buildings | Mar 5, 2024
Former McDonald’s headquarters transformed into modern office building for Ace Hardware
In Oak Brook, Ill., about 15 miles west of downtown Chicago, McDonald’s former corporate headquarters has been transformed into a modern office building for its new tenant, Ace Hardware. Now for the first time, Ace Hardware can bring 1,700 employees from three facilities under one roof.
Designers | Feb 23, 2024
Coverings releases top 2024 tile trends
In celebration of National Tile Day, Coverings, North America's leading tile and stone exhibition, has announced the top 10 tile trends for 2024.
High-rise Construction | Feb 23, 2024
Designing a new frontier in Seattle’s urban core
Graphite Design Group shares the design for Frontier, a 540,000-sf tower in a five-block master plan for Seattle-based tech leader Amazon.