How Workplace Data Is Rewriting Construction and CRE

For decades, space planning was more guesswork than science. But today, technology is transforming how companies think about the offices, job sites and campuses where people work. At the forefront of this shift is Density, a company helping organizations measure and understand how their spaces are truly used.

For construction firms—long accustomed to precision in planning and design—the results are striking. According to Density’s data, the construction industry is leading the way in space efficiency, using data to align square footage with real employee behavior rather than assumption.

Density CEO Andrew Farah believes the key difference lies in mindset. Construction firms are naturally disciplined about space—they measure, iterate and adapt. That same rigor is now reshaping workplace design across industries. From reconfiguring underused floors to justifying new build-outs, real-time space analytics are giving leaders clarity on how to make every square foot work smarter.

Here, Farah discusses why construction companies are excelling at space optimization, how data-driven design is transforming the modern workplace and what trends commercial builders should watch as adaptive, measurable spaces become the new standard for efficiency and innovation.

1. Your data shows construction firms are leading the pack when it comes to space efficiency. Why do you think they’re doing a better job than other industries at making the most of their office space?

Across industries, we’re starting to see a divergence between companies that treat space as a strategic asset and those that treat it as a sunk cost. Efficiency-focused organizations, which often includes construction firms, are measuring how space is used and optimizing the space they have.

Construction companies in particular are great at thinking about space and can excel at space planning. They measure aspects of space usage that many others overlook, giving them a deeper understanding of how space supports operations.

What we’ve noticed is that organizations that track space usage make more data-backed decisions, whether it’s consolidating underused floors, repurposing areas or designing layouts based on real employee behavior.

2. What are construction firms doing right when it comes to designing and using their spaces?

The organizations getting space design right, like the construction firms we work with, are focusing on real employee behavior. They’re using data to figure out how people use their office, which spaces go unused, and where space bottlenecks might be. Rather than designing based on how work should happen, they design based on how it actually happens, leading to better use of space.

Because construction leaders are so used to thinking about space, they understand how space can and should align with business needs. They can design with intent, optimizing space to adapt to changing needs. But this approach isn’t unique to the construction industry. Any company can use real-time data to design smarter, more human-centered workplaces. The key is to measure first, then design and adapt to how their people actually work today.

3. In what ways are workplace data and space analytics reshaping how companies think about designing and building commercial spaces?

Workplace data gives companies visibility into how their spaces are actually used rather than how they think they’re used. Before, space planning was really a lot of guesswork, based on assumptions or on incomplete information. My favorite example is a company that tracked occupancy by counting cars in the parking lot.

But companies that see themselves as sophisticated operators in their core businesses sometimes rely on occupancy data that only paints part of the picture. With good data, leaders can now see in real time whether a meeting room is consistently underused—or if a 12-person conference room is always booked by teams of three. Those kinds of insights lead to smarter, more flexible design.

The other big shift is in accountability. When you’re spending millions on leases or thousands on build-outs, you need to know the ROI. Space analytics helps teams justify those investments or avoid them entirely if they’re not warranted.

We’ve seen customers reallocate or reduce square footage, reconfigure layouts or completely rethink how they approach hybrid work based on data. It’s making workplace strategy a lot more data-driven and a lot less political.

4. What can companies in other sectors with higher rates of underutilized space learn from construction firms’ approach to office design?

Organizations across industries can learn from companies that treat space as a resource to adapt and iterate to improve the workplace. In construction, waste is immediately visible. If you over-order materials or delay a timeline, it hits the bottom line. That same discipline is applied to their offices. Every decision about square footage is made with a clear eye on cost, utility and purpose.

Other sectors can treat office space as static, but the best workplaces are built and evolved with intention. Space extends beyond where people work; it should support how they work. Leaders who continuously evaluate and optimize how their environments are used across any industry build more resilient, efficient and energized teams. It’s not just about cutting space; it’s about using it deliberately.

5. What trends or technologies should commercial builders and renovators be paying attention to for the future of workplace design?

Commercial builders should be paying close attention to technologies that make spaces more adaptive and measurable. The future of workplace design must be responsive, not static.

Builders who integrate infrastructure that supports real-time data collection, like occupancy sensing or smart building systems, are setting up their clients to continuously evolve their space based on how people actually use it. That’s a major value add.

We’re also seeing growing demand for modularity and flexibility, spaces that can flex from supporting heads-down work to collaboration in a matter of hours, not weeks. Builders who understand how to design for that level of adaptability will have an edge.

Smart workplaces are no longer a luxury, it’s an expectation. Aligning construction with business outcomes—efficiency, productivity, cost savings—will be key to the next era of workplace development.