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

safe water
Running the Length of Africa: One Woman, 15,000 Kilometers, and a Mission to Tackle the Drinking Water Crisis
June 15, 2026

Access to clean water is still out of reach for a staggering number of people—and it’s not just a distant problem. According to estimates from WHO and UNICEF, over 2 billion people still don’t have safely managed drinking water at home, a reality that impacts everything from health to education and economic opportunity. As…

Read More
Higher Education
From Measuring Memory to Measuring Thinking: How Simulation-Based Learning Could Reshape Higher Education
June 15, 2026

As artificial intelligence continues reshaping the workforce, higher education faces growing pressure to demonstrate its value beyond content mastery. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change or become outdated by 2030, while 69% identify analytical thinking as the most essential workforce skill. As…

Read More
safer HVAC chemicals
The Future of the Trades Depends on Mentorship and Industry Veterans Passing Down the Craft
June 15, 2026

Across the United States, industries are grappling with a skilled labor shortage. According to industry research, millions of trade jobs are expected to go unfilled in the coming years as experienced workers retire faster than new ones enter the field. At the same time, trade school enrollment has steadily increased. The conversation around skilled trades—once…

Read More
outlet
From Power Shopping to Place-Making: Tanger’s Stephen Yalof on the New Outlet Experience
June 15, 2026

For decades, the outlet trip had a familiar rhythm: get in the car, drive beyond the city, hunt for deals and come home with bags full of discounted finds. But that old model is giving way to something more layered. As retailers reinvest in store experiences to give consumers more reasons to visit, outlet…

Read More