Change Your Space, Change Your Culture Explores the Workplace of the Future, Creating Spaces that Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation

Can space serve as a tool to produce a culture of innovation in the workplace? Finding answers to questions like this inspired the new book Change Your Space, Change Your Culture that explores the workplace of the future and how workspace design can produce a culture of innovation. Available now, the book’s authors lay out strategies for businesses to transform their organizations by creating spaces that help stimulate ideas, energize people and transform culture.

Change Your Space, Change Your Culture is a guide to transforming business by rethinking the workplace. Written by a team of industry thought leaders, the book reveals the secrets of companies like Google, Red Hat and Zappos that discovered the power of culture and space. The book explores what companies lose by viewing office space as something to manage or minimize. With practical tips and implementation details, the book helps readers understand that the workspace is a crucial driver of productivity and morale.

Co-authored by Balfour Beatty Construction’s Mark Konchar, the book will be a centerpiece of discussion at the CoreNet Global North American Summit, Oct. 26 – 29 in Washington, D.C. At the conference, Konchar will join fellow co-author Rex Miller, to discuss new perspectives on how organizations can leverage the design and build process to change their cultures and become innovative companies of the future. Konchar is scheduled to speak about the book and workplace of the future on Oct. 28 at 9 a.m. ET in the Learning Theater.

“Innovation is a top priority for today’s CEOs because they know it’s imperative to achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” said Mark Konchar, chief of enterprise development at Balfour Beatty Construction and co-author of Change Your Space, Change Your Culture. “To meet the innovation challenge, the workspace of the future will not be the one-size-fits-all spaces we’ve become accustomed to, but rather will support innovation by promoting interaction and collisions among people from different disciplines across the company. We believe human capital is an organization’s greatest asset which is why we’re excited to introduce this new book and explore with our clients how they can create workspaces that inspire, encourage and motivate.”

Change Your Space, Change Your Culture is the result of a two-year collaboration of experts from a wide range of Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry leaders who formed an initiative known as case4space. Launched in 2012, case4space’s mission was to find the best paradigm-busting solutions to chronic challenges of workforce disengagement. Facilitated by TAG Consulting, case4space formed a core group with the following organizations: GSA, Haworth, Balfour Beatty Construction, Cousin's Properties, Google, HDR, The Gates Foundation, CalPoly, AutoDesk, FOX Architects, BHDP, ReAlignment Group, Strategic Dimensions, Acoustic Dimensions, SmartBim, WH[Y] Mantra, Darwin Branded Interiors, Buildingi, Renovus Collaborative, Elliott Equity Capital, Provision Technologies, Pleskow P3 Consulting, Scan and Art Love Magic.

Workplace of the Future Insights from Change Your Space, Change Your Culture

• The workplace of the future will spark innovation by promoting interaction and collisions among people from different areas of the business;
• By 2020, the Digital Natives (Millennials) generation will comprise the majority of the workforce and require workspaces designed for connecting, conversing, coordinating, collaborating, and ultimately…co-working;
• Space affects culture, which is the catalyst for engagement, collaboration and innovation;
• 70 percent of the workforce is disengaged with 20 percent of those being actively toxic (Gallup);
• 50 percent of all workspace is wasted space (CoreNet);
• While 80 percent of a workspace’s ultimate cost goes into people, only 1 percent is spent on workspace design (BOSTI);
• Organizations without the tools to adapt will miss the opportunity to create and innovate, to embrace new ideas, and to keep up with the competition.

In addition to Rex Miller and Mark Konchar, Mabel Casey, vice president of global marketing and innovation at Haworth, served as the book’s co-author. More information about the book, real-world examples of innovative workspaces and tips for creating a culture of innovation can be accessed via the Balfour Beatty Construction Innovate Space site: InnovateSpace LookBookHQ. Additional discussion of case4space and the initiative’s discoveries are available in the comic-style book "How Engaging Workplaces Lead to Transformation and Growth."

About Balfour Beatty Construction Services US

An industry leader for more than 80 years, Balfour Beatty Construction Services US provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, and design-build services for a wide variety of markets, serving clients in both the public and private sector. With more than 3,000 employees across the U.S., the company has been cited as a Top 10 Domestic Building Contractor and Top 10 Green Builder by Engineering News-Record. The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc (LSE:BBY), a global infrastructure services business operating in more than 80 countries, with a worldwide commitment to providing assets that help societies function, develop, and thrive. To learn more about the company, visit www.balfourbeattyus.com or look for BalfourBeattyUS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.