The Evolution Of Dirt: Real Estate In The Age Of Disruption

Abstract

“We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.” -Winston Churchill A physical building is designed to weather the test of time, however, it becomes obsolete when it no longer provides an environment that people demand. Real estate developers are always trying to anticipate future consumer demands for space. It is hard to predict with any certainty how future technological innovations will affect those demands. This forces developers to rely on historical data, personal experience, and an innate “gut” feeling as to how to design a building. In this current climate of rapid technological innovation, how people occupy and use space is changing right in front of our eyes, and the consequences of that innovation should serve to separate the winners (innovators) in the real estate business from the losers. This thesis examines various ways in which twenty-first century technology innovations are transforming the real estate industry.