MarketScale Building Management 01/08/19: Multi-Use Spaces in Unexpected Places

 

Underutilized space is all around us. Rather than sitting on their hands, creative building managers are rolling up their sleeves and finding ways to put this space to work for them. Whether it’s opening a co-working space in a restaurant during the day when business is slow, or repurposing an old department store or mall to be used as a school, these spaces are changing the way we think of how facilities can be used. On today’s episode of the podcast, we talk to two people at the forefront of this movement. MarketScale correspondent Sean Heath speaks with Gary Kuklin from the Commercial Division of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices about repurposing spaces for many different uses. We also have a conversation with Mike LaRosa of Agora RDM about co-working spaces can fill the space void in locations that aren’t traditionally thought of as an office.

Target Becomes Middle School in Iowa

When taking a trip to the mall, you might expect to learn a lesson about sales, customer service, or traffic patterns in a parking lot. You probably don’t expect to learn 7th grade Biology or 5th grade Mathematics. If you live in Council Bluffs, Iowa, though, that is exactly what could happen.

On today’s podcast, MarketScale correspondent Sean Heath had the chance to chat with Gary Kuklin  from the Commercial Division of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. We discuss the open mindset necessary to be able to proceed with unexpected surroundings, the mutual benefits of repurposing existing spaces, and how this might become the norm instead of an outlier.

How a Yoga Studio Can Also Be a Co-Working Space

Building managers are consistently faced with a question: how do I make the best use of the space I have available? Co-working spaces are providing an intriguing answer to that question. Mike LaRosa, Co-Founder of Agora RDM, joined the podcast to explain how businesses are using space that is underutilized at certain points of the day to set up co-working spaces.

“A lot of players have woken up and realized they have a lot of underutilized space they’re paying rent for,” says LaRosa. Turning this space into a co-working area allows the business to subsidize their rent and put their full facility to use. He goes on to explain one his favorite examples of a business putting this plan into practice. How did a yoga studio leverage their open space during the day to become a hot co-working spot? Mike LaRosa has all the details.

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