From buildings “going rogue” to calculating how much automation can really cut costs in an office, Workman’s James Hallworth reflects on the first 16 months since launching building operating system IBOS.

“If we’re going to make progress, we have to have a system that recognises greatness,” the co-founder of Smart Building Certification said at the Sustainable Places conference in Nice, France.

Alongside a 2045 net neutrality target and tens of billions in spending on green initiatives, the Golden State has passed rules that could lead to cleaner, denser cities.

Where would you open a flexible office in a hyper-competitive market? The middle of a city teeming with giant multinationals, fledgling startups and the people who keep them all ticking – or at the heart of a suburban collective founded on utopian ideals?

With a wealth of experience at the heart of Gecina, the €20bn French real estate company, Antoine Geoffroy dives into the challenges real estate faces in tech and the “next big revolution” for the industry.

Starting in the US, the real estate services giant will roll out VTS as the tech platform of choice for its agency leasing and property management teams.

Working from home some of the time is associated with better communication and higher quality work than working entirely from home or the office, according to a study from Harvard Business School.

Falling startup valuations are an opportunity to back businesses that tackle urgent issues like the ongoing energy crisis, proptech VC Round Hill Ventures has told PlaceTech after two back-to-back investments.

Against a backdrop of uncertainty, tenants in some of the biggest US markets are delaying or reconsidering their office space needs, according to a report from VTS.