It’s hard to generalise what the tech sector wants when we’re all still grappling with the definition of TMT
However, there are some common truths. In all my interactions, I find that companies are seeking value for money in lease terms, flexibility, low deposits and space that reinforce their brand or values. Often, it is space with “warehouse
aesthetic” reminiscent of the spaces found in SoHo, New York, or SoMa, San Francisco. There’s also demand for energy-efficient spaces. We are seeing a rise in serviced space as
companies step into the market as service providers of co-working space. An extension to that model will be that they become intermediaries – taking on leases and growing companies through their space as “hoteliers”. What marks them out is a focus on developing communities and business opportunities within the space – something landlords can leverage to make their buildings hubs of activity and “opportunity marketplaces”. Any space that tech firms take needs to express the values and identity of the company – their
quirkiness, creativity, art, professionalism and approachability – so offices are more about places conducive for meeting. Among the most interesting developments in
our space are new entrants such as We Are Pop Up, a start-up tech company looking at crowd- sourcing tenants for landlords, and managing interim spaces as meantime projects. Initiatives like this keep places vibrant, draw
attention to development schemes and help gain traction and data with real users. The convergence of tech into the property
industry will bring us interactive shopping malls, art that responds to our movements, and geo-located real-time information through augmented reality. A future where everyday physical objects will be
connected to the internet and will be able to identify themselves to other devices will give us sentient places; locations that understand who and what is going on inside them. A future that will make property more exciting for all of us.
Juliette Morgan, head of property, Tech City UK
The convergence of tech into property will bring interactive shopping malls and art that responds to our movements