WeWork, the global network of cosharing workspaces with office locations in 65 cities and 21 countries, announced today that Bjarke Ingels, the Founding Partner and Creative Director of the architectural firm BIG, is now its Chief Architect.
Ingels will continue in his current capacities at BIG, which has offices in New York, London, and Copenhagen. But he will also advise and develop WeWork’s design vision and “language” for buildings, campuses and neighborhoods.
The eight-year-old WeWork generated $900 million in revenue in 2017, a year it opened 90 buildings around the world. The company told Bloomberg that it wants double its office buildings to 400 by the end of 2018. The company’s scale has allowed WeWork to get its construction costs down to around $5,000 per desk, which at bigger locations could save more than $100,000. WeWork also has $4.4 billion in investment capital from Japan's SoftBank to play with.
Coincidentally, WeWork got started around the same time that Ingels relocated to New York from his native Denmark. Both WeWork and BIG have since been high-profile juggernauts. “They have accomplished incredible things and … are committed to continuing their trajectory to places we can only imagine,” said Ingels about WeWork. “I am very excited to contribute with my insights and ideas to extend their community-oriented vision to ground-up buildings and urban neighborhoods.”
Adam Neumann, WeWork’s Co-founder and CEO, says that Ingels has changed the way he and his company think about architecture. “His designs inspire as much as surprise.” As WeWork’s Chief Architect, Ingels “will help us reimagine and reshape the future of our spaces, our company, and ultimately our cities,” predicts Neumann.
Related Stories
| Dec 18, 2013
How small architectural firms can make big money
What separates the great-but-struggling designers from the great-successful ones isn't luck. If you're as good an architect as you think, it will take more than your awesome design skills to become successful. Learn how to manage your firm’s finances and go from floundering to flourishing.
| Dec 18, 2013
Eskew + Dumez + Ripple receives AIA's 2014 Architecture Firm Award
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board of Directors has voted for Eskew + Dumez + Ripple to receive the 2014 AIA Architecture Firm Award. The firm will be honored at the 2014 AIA National Convention in Chicago. The Board also voted to posthumously honor Julia Morgan, FAIA, with its 214 Gold Medal.
| Dec 18, 2013
Architecture Billings Index takes step back in November
After six months of steadily increasing demand for design services, the Architecture Billings Index paused in November, dipping below 50 for just the second time in 2013.
| Dec 17, 2013
Kahn appoints Alan Cobb President and CEO
Cobb is the tenth president in the firm’s 118-year history. As President, Cobb is responsible for ensuring that all of the firm’s client issues are effectively address and that overall project team performance meets or exceeds client expectations for each and job the firm undertakes.
| Dec 17, 2013
CBRE's Chris Bodnar and Lee Asher named Healthcare Real Estate Executives of the Year
CBRE Group, Inc. announced today that two of its senior executives, Chris Bodnar and Lee Asher, have been named Healthcare Real Estate Executives of the Year by Healthcare Real Estate Insights.
| Dec 16, 2013
Is the metal building industry in a technology shift?
Automation is the future you can’t avoid, though you may try. Even within the metal building industry—which is made up of skilled tradesmen—automation has revolutionized, and will continue revolutionizing, how we work.
| Dec 16, 2013
Why employees don’t trust their leaders
Trust, one of the key elements to productive business relationships, is in short supply these days. An Associated Press-GfK poll discovered that only one-third of Americans say most people can be trusted and nearly two-thirds says “you can’t be too careful” in dealing with people.
| Dec 16, 2013
Construction materials prices remain stable in November
Overall, construction materials prices fell 0.5 percent in November and are up only 1.1 percent year over year, according to the Department of Labor’s Dec. 13 Producer Price Index.
| Dec 16, 2013
Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, inaugurated 2014 AIA President
Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, executive director of the Virginia Center for Architecture, was inaugurated as the 90th president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) during ceremonies held on December 12th at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. She succeeds Mickey Jacob, FAIA, in representing nearly 83,000 AIA members.
| Dec 13, 2013
GRW acquires West Virginia design firm Chapman Technical Group
GRW is expanding its capabilities through the recent acquisition of Chapman Technical Group, a 36-person West Virginia-based firm.
