Construction Industry Weighs Building Lifespan to Fight Climate Change

NEW YORK CITY – Increased climate change concerns in the industry have stakeholders considering the lifespan of buildings more closely to make sure they’re flexible for many uses and serve the lifespan intended for its use to cut down on carbon emissions and waste that arises from the construction process, Julian Anderson, president of Rider Levett Bucknall North America, a cost and project management and advisory services, tells Globest.com. …

WeWork Real Estate Exec Resigns, Says Lease Model ‘Not The Right Alignment’

Lawrence Gellerstedt, WeWork’s vice president of real estate who oversaw its expansion in the Southeast, has left the company, he told Bisnow Monday. The son of former Cousins Properties CEO Larry Gellerstedt resigned from WeWork March 1 after nearly two years. During that time, Gellerstedt helped WeWork enter into 25-plus leases encompassing more than 1.5M SF throughout the Southeast, he said.

Meridian Capital Group Hires CrediFi’s Ely Razin as CIO

Ely Razin, founder of the recently shuttered real estate data firm CrediFi, is joining Meridian Capital Group as the brokerage’s first chief innovation officer, The Real Deal has learned. In the new role, Razin will be tasked with expanding Meridian’s digital and analytics strategy, the company said. At a time when many real estate players are looking for a technological edge, that will mean building on Meridian’s existing data sets and tech stack and creating proprietary products for brokers an…

WorkBold podcast ep4: Impact of space-as-a-service on valuations

Dan Hughes, founder of Alpha Property Insight, joins Bold founder Caleb Parker, to talk about the changes coming to building valuations – more specifically about the impact space-as-a-service has on the valuation of commercial assets. Hughes led the Land and Property Sector strategy and commercial activity at Ordnance Survey, the world’s leading location data specialist. Dan was also Director of Data and information products for RICS. He is founder of Alpha Property Insight and LIQUID Real Es…

Co-living European startup Colonies raises $34 million

French startup Colonies has raised a $34 million funding round (€30 million). In addition to that, LBO France is committing to spend $168 million (€150 million) in real estate projects over the next couple of years. Those new buildings will eventually be managed by Colonies. Idinvest Partners, Global Founders Capital and La Financière Saint James are participating in today’s funding round.

WeWork Names Former Baker Hughes Exec, Kimberly Ross, New CFO

WeWork has named Kimberly Ross its new chief financial officer, the company announced on Monday. Ross, most recently vice president and CFO at Baker Hughes, will start at WeWork on March 16. She previously held the same role at Avon Products and Ahold Delhaize, a retail company based in the Netherlands. She sits on the Board of Directors at Chubb Insurance Group, Nestle and PQ Corporation.

HqO Expands Footprint in Dallas, Hires Former JLL VP

Robots Are Poised To Transform The Construction Industry

Construction is among the least digitized industries in the U.S., owing to the labor-intensive and localized nature of the work. This is starting to change as new AI-focused technology enters the market and as the construction labor shortage pushes contractors for new solutions. San Francisco-based Built Robotics has developed an AI guidance system that can be retrofitted to existing construction machinery, such as excavators and bulldozers. The technology, which is being piloted on a handful of…

Allegion Ventures Invests In Openpath To Deliver Access Seamlessly

With the Australia fires, the threat of World War III, and now the global coronavirus outbreak, it’s been a rough start to 2020. Amidst the doom and gloom, there is occasional respite with good news in proptech as the sector, and its players, continue to go from strength to strength. One such story is that of Openpath, a trailblazing Silicon Beach access control startup. This time last year, we looked at the combination of factors that make it one of the frontrunners in its niche.

Walmart, Verizon Are in Talks to Test 5G Services in Store

Walmart Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.are in discussions to outfit the retailer’s stores with antennas and other equipment to create 5G wireless service, a high-profile test of the next-generation networks. The plan would initially bring 5G service to a pair of locations this year to power new Walmart digital health services the retailer aims to start offering to shoppers and employees, according to people familiar with the matter. It would also provide faster wireless connections for o…