Evolving Workplaces

This Austin builder is changing corporate culture one design at a time

The new hybrid work space has to be fun and functional.

Photo courtesy of Construction Concepts

No other industry has undergone such a dramatic change over the last year than the corporate office space.

Remote work is here to stay, but so is the office. The notion of working any time, any place is no longer seen as a perk, but is now fairly standard policy. However, a key factor in making the new hybrid workspace actually work is in the design and the build.

As a design-focused commercial construction company, Construction Concepts works with top designers and architects to bring their design to life.

"Our goal is to create a corporate office space that is as inspired as the people who work there," says Joshua Weisman, CEO of Construction Concepts. "We like to tell designers and architects: If you can dream it, we can build it."

Below is a look at a few of the top trends on the horizon and how to meet the design and build needs of today's workplaces.

Resimercial design
Resimercial design mixes residential and commercial elements, incorporating features that were traditionally considered more residential.

"The way people work is changing," Weisman says. "Everyone is familiar with the tech company model for creative and amenity-laden workplaces, but now we are seeing law firms, accounting offices, and construction companies recognizing the value of a more creative workplace. It's an important part of your company's culture and if you're not already implementing it, you're behind the curve."

Workplace neighborhoods
For so many years, corporate offices embraced the large, open floorplan. Now we are seeing a more flexible layout that creates smaller spaces, allowing employees to collaborate while also enjoying their own space. This not only allows for better social distancing and easily reconfigurable spaces, but also creates necessary privacy for video conferencing.

The new conference room
The traditional long boardroom table and leather chairs are out. Large video screens, cameras, microphones, and new technology that interfaces with remote employees are in.

Equally important is the changing uses of the conference room. Individual departments can meet without cramming into a small office or cubicle, and conversely, some companies are wanting to eliminate it altogether in favor of multiple smaller spaces.

"Every company has unique needs when it comes to their office," says Mark Bordman, Construction Concepts' COO. "Companies are evolving to be more mindful as people return to the office, so creating a workspace that values the importance of human connection and allows for adaptability and flexibility is now the new norm. It's important that the company's culture is the center of all design and construction."

While the focus on returning to the office will look different for every industry, one universal demand from both employees and employers alike is purpose-driven workplaces. Ensuring that your design, build, and budget is a top priority. Partnering with an experienced contractor who can help mitigate issues before they arise will save you valuable time and money.

Construction Concepts is known for innovation and highly skilled craftsmanship that allows designers and architects to create one-of-a-kind spaces — changing corporate culture one design at a time.

Construction Concepts is an award-winning, local construction firm that has been offering unmatched craftsmanship, expert knowledge, and superior customer service for more than 22 years. They were recently named to Houston Business Journal's Fast 100 Companies for the third consecutive year, nominated for six Landmark Awards across three categories, and recognized with the Business Impact Award for their work in the community through their charity initiative, BLDit (Building Lives and Dreams in Texas).

Additional recognitions include being named as one of the best restaurant contractors by General Contractors Magazine and the best hospitality contractors by HoustonArchitects.org, and receiving the 2018 Salon of the Year award from SalonToday.com. They are also a two-time recipient of the INC. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America award and INC. 5000 Regional Texas award.

What can Construction Concepts build for you?

The new hybrid work space has to be fun and functional.

Photo courtesy of Construction Concepts

The new hybrid work space has to be fun and functional.

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Movie Review

Documentary Turn Every Page deep-dives into historic publishing partnership

Photo by Martha Kaplan / courtesy of Wild Surmise Productions, LLC and Sony Pictures Classics

The young author and editor in Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb.

There have been many famous partnerships in the world, from musical ones like Hall & Oates to business ones like Bill Gates and Paul Allen. But one of the more underrated partnerships is that between authors and editors, a relationship that can be mysterious for those not well versed in the process.

The new documentary Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb, takes deep dive into the ineffable bond between Caro, author of The Power Broker and four (and counting) biographies of Lyndon B. Johnson, and Gottlieb, his longtime editor at publishing company Knopf. Caro is notorious for taking his time with his books, releasing only one about every 10 years since 1974.

The film, directed by filmmaker (and daughter of Robert) Lizzie Gottlieb, features a variety of “talking head” interviews from people as diverse as Conan O’Brien, TheNew Yorker editor David Remnick, and President Bill Clinton, but cedes the majority of its time to hearing from the two men themselves. Both have lived extraordinary lives, but – despite their strong connection – in very different ways.

It would be fair to call Caro “obsessive,” as his career has focused on hefty non-fiction tomes devoted to just two men. The Power Broker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning, 1,300+ page book about urban planner Robert Moses, goes into great detail about how Moses shaped the landscape of New York City, and not always for the better. He has also published four volumes of The Years of Lyndon Johnson, all detailing Johnson’s life before he was president. The yet-to-be-published fifth volume is highly anticipated, to say the least.

In addition to the books of Caro, Gottlieb has edited books by Joseph Heller (famously providing the title number for Catch-22), John Cheever, Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, Ray Bradbury, Michael Crichton, Bill Clinton, and many others. Astonishingly, he has also had time to write eight of his own books, serve as editor of The New Yorker, program both the New York City Ballet and Miami City Ballet, and more.

Lizzie Gottlieb gives each man plenty of space to tell their own story, with perhaps a slight bias toward her father. Caro is 87 and Gottlieb is 91, yet neither shows any significant mental decline. In fact, their ability to recall the many important moments of their lives and continue to ruminate at a high level is intimidating, and a testament to their intellectualism.

Among the many amazing stories that made the cut of the film are how Gottlieb had to get Caro to cut 350,000 words – or around 700 pages – from The Power Broker just for it to be small enough to be bound, and another about how Caro, in his extensive research about LBJ, discovered just how Johnson literally stole a primary election in his first run for the Senate.

The mark of any good documentary is its ability to engage viewers who may not be intimately familiar with its central subjects. While it’s the professional lives of Caro and Gottlieb that are most notable, the film includes just enough information about their personal lives to make them into full human beings, unlocking what for many have been mysterious figures.

Turn Every Page may be most interesting to those who have read and loved Caro’s books over the past five decades, but there’s enough there to open the film wide for the uninitiated. The lives of Caro and Gottlieb are large, and the documentary provides a great glimpse into how they became that way.

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Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb is now playing in Austin at AFS Cinema.

Photo by Martha Kaplan / courtesy of Wild Surmise Productions, LLC and Sony Pictures Classics

The young author and editor in Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb.

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Evolving Workplaces

This Austin builder is changing corporate culture one design at a time

The new hybrid work space has to be fun and functional.

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Movie Review

Documentary Turn Every Page deep-dives into historic publishing partnership

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