Imagine working in a building that actually eats up pollution. Or an office that can reserve a desk for you before you’ve even set foot through the door, as well as ensure it is heated and lit to the exact degree you like. Or how about a network of light bulbs that give you Internet speeds of up to 100 times faster than regular WiFi?

These were a few of the topics recently covered at Construct/Disrupt: Proptech, an event which saw industry leaders and start-up founders come together to discuss the impact of an ever-developing technological world on commercial property. What we discovered was that the opportunity for ‘proptech’ was huge: from the macro scale, looking at leading, global tech cities, through to the micro – but fundamental – importance of connectivity in the workplace.

Technology innovations can both disrupt and reinvigorate office spaces, and is something we expect to see more of in future. There’s even scope for weird and wonderful technology, with innovative businesses like Elegant Embellishments discovering materials and designs that can neutralise air pollution, such as the use of clip-on, smog-eating titanium ‘shells’.

According to Jacob Loftus, Head of UK Investment at Resolution Property and guest speaker at Construct/Disrupt: Proptech, 75 per cent of millennials are expected to be in the workplace by 2025. With this in mind, the ideal future office space must cater for them: an engaging and inspiring environment that is technologically enabled, enhances and promotes health and wellness, and also provides good transport links.

Below is more information on how proptech will change how we work, from avoiding energy and material waste to creating around 20,000 new jobs in London.

Further information

Read more on the relationship between the technology community and today’s global cities in our Tech Cities report, which analyses the 12 best tech cities and ranks them according to business environment, tech infrastructure, talent pool and quality of life.

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