How Glass Powers Collaborative Spaces, with Brittney Ricks of Clarus

 

This is Glass is in Session by Clarus, an AEC Podcast on MarketScale hosted by Daniel Litwin.

Collaborative technology is changing the work place, and has been for a while now. 61 million Gen Zers entered the workplace this year, and with them came a technological expectation, having grown up with interactive, responsive tech. However, the magic isn’t necessarily in the wires and software. Combine this with another work environment shift: the growth of co-working spaces, which are increasing at a rate of 16.1% annually. By 2022, employees who work in co-working spaces will have gone from 2017’s number of 1.7 million to 5 million.

This means that designing a traditional workplace means more tech, less walls and more flexibility. What employees are looking for in modern workplaces and in the tech that fuels them is something that inspires creativity and teamwork. Clarus, the largest glassboard manufacturer in America, knows this well. “They’re doing a lot of natural light studies and studies on where people are sitting within their space,” said Brittney Ricks, VP of Brand & Marketing. “They’re getting more visibility to collaboration, they’re encouraging their people and their employees to come together for ideas.” Ricks joins us on today’s episode to discuss how glass has made a comeback in the design of a work place, explaining how simplicity can sometimes foster more customization, creativity and aesthetic charm.

She gives more insight on the explosion of collaborative workspaces and what designers and business owners are searching for in their workplace tech. “You talk about technology becoming obsolete after a couple years, this is a product that’s not ‘smart,’ in fact the ‘smart’ is in the engineering.”

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the AEC Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @AECMKSL
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Larry North
Resilience, Reinvention, and the Relentless Pursuit of Growth: Larry North’s Journey from Fitness Icon to Private Equity Leader
February 20, 2026

Entrepreneurship is being glamorized in real time. Social media highlights overnight wins, AI tools promise instant scale, and private equity is reshaping industries at a rapid clip. Yet behind every “success story” is something far less flashy: failure, adaptability, and the discipline to keep going when life hits hard. According to the U.S. Bureau…

Read More
Consulting
Consulting Reframed: Perspective, Leadership, and Impact Beyond the Client
February 19, 2026

As organizations navigate accelerating digital transformation, tighter margins, and increasing organizational complexity, the role of consultants is being re-examined. Today’s most effective consulting leaders are no longer valued simply for delivering projects, but for bringing outside perspective, cross-industry insight, and the ability to lead through ambiguity. Most large organizations today are not short on…

Read More
comedy
Laughter as a Service: How Comedy Can Power Trust, Teamwork, and Career Growth
February 19, 2026

Comedy might be the most underused business skill in your toolkit… In a world of back-to-back Zoom calls, Slack threads, and AI-generated everything, real human connection can start to feel like an afterthought. We’re moving faster than ever, but sometimes we’re listening less, reacting more, and missing the small moments that actually build trust. The…

Read More
founder-led brand
The Art of Evolution: Leading a Founder-Led Brand Into Its Next Chapter with Mary Beth Sheridan
February 19, 2026

For many retail brands, growth today isn’t just about innovation — it’s about keeping pace with customers whose expectations are evolving in real time, led by younger generations who expect brands to reflect their values and show up with cultural relevance. In fact, recent research from MG2 found that the overwhelming majority of Gen Z…

Read More