--- title: Peak office & the age of un-building. Mark Gilbreath, Sun Valley TEDx description: Mark Gilbreath discusses the future of work, emphasizing the shift from traditional offices to sustainable, tech-enabled flexible spaces. Discover how this revolution is reshaping CRE. image: https://resources.liquidspace.com/hubfs/tedx_Video.png --- [Skip to content](https://resources.liquidspace.com/mark-gilbreath-tedxsunvalley#main-content) - Solutions PORTFOLIO STRATEGY - [Scenario Modeler](https://liquidspace.com/scenario-modeler) - [Hub Locator](https://liquidspace.com/hub-locator) WORKSPACE ACCESS - [On-Demand Workspace](https://liquidspace.com/flexible-office-space) - [Private Office Space](https://liquidspace.com/dedicated-office-space) WORKPLACE OPERATIONS - [Workplace Manager](https://liquidspace.com/workplace-manager) - [License Administrator](https://liquidspace.com/license-administrator) - [Transaction Manager](https://liquidspace.com/license-administrator#transactions) - [Payments Manager](https://liquidspace.com/license-administrator#payments) EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE - [Team Connect](https://liquidspace.com/team-connect) ENTERPRISE SECURITY - [Data Security](https://liquidspace.com/data-security#data-security) - [Privacy Protection](https://liquidspace.com/data-security#privacy-protection) - [Compliance](https://liquidspace.com/data-security#compliance) INTEGRATIONS - [HRIS User Provisioning](https://liquidspace.com/integrations#hris) - [IWMS Integration](https://liquidspace.com/integrations#iwms) - [SSO & SCIM](https://liquidspace.com/integrations#sso) - [Communication Tools](https://liquidspace.com/integrations#communication) - [BI & Reporting](https://liquidspace.com/integrations#bi) ![Layer_1 (4)](https://resources.liquidspace.com/hubfs/Layer_1%20(4).svg) ### Become a host. 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Mark Gilbreath, Sun Valley TEDx 2 Min Read |January 23, 2025 Share this video - - - - [mailto:?subject=Peak%20office%20&%20the%20age%20of%20un-building.%20Mark%20Gilbreath,%20Sun%20Valley%20TEDx&body=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.liquidspace.com%2Fmark-gilbreath-tedxsunvalley](mailto:?subject=Peak%20office%20&%20the%20age%20of%20un-building.%20Mark%20Gilbreath,%20Sun%20Valley%20TEDx&body=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.liquidspace.com%2Fmark-gilbreath-tedxsunvalley) ###### Stay one step ahead! **Subscribe now.** ![formicon](https://resources.liquidspace.com/hubfs/Liquidspace-theme/images/formicon.svg) ### Overview Mark Gilbreath, founder and CEO of LiquidSpace, brought his unique insights to **TEDx Sun Valley in 2016**, where he explored how historical patterns of transformation provide a lens to understand the profound changes in society today. With sustainability and networked communications at the forefront, he argues we are amidst a revolution as significant as the Industrial Revolution. Drawing on personal anecdotes and historical analogies, Gilbreath connects the dots between past revolutions—where innovations like the steam engine and printing press reshaped societies—and the current wave of disruption, characterized by flexible work and technology-driven collaboration.   ### History meets the future of work. Gilbreath identifies a new paradigm: a shift from rigid, long-term office leases to dynamic, tech-enabled platforms. Just as the telephone and internal combustion engine transformed the 19th century, today’s tools like LiquidSpace are redefining how businesses use office space. Traditional models have left buildings underutilized, with desks occupied only 30% of the time, all while consuming massive resources. This inefficiency, coupled with the urgency of sustainability, demands a radical rethink.   > “We’re moving into an era of *unbuilding* where the focus shifts to repurposing existing spaces rather than constructing new ones.” > > - Mark Gilbreath, LiquidSpace Founder & CEO   Through technology and innovative platforms, businesses can now embrace flexibility, empower employees, and reduce environmental impact.   ### A call to action for the bold. Gilbreath sees this era as a moment for the “crazy ones”—visionaries who dare to challenge norms. He envisions a future where happier employees work in fewer, more sustainable buildings, with technology and flexibility unlocking new possibilities.   > “This is a moment for revolutionaries. The crazy ones who believe they can change the world—and as such, they are the ones who do.” > > - Mark Gilbreath, LiquidSpace Founder & CEO   As the commercial real estate sector undergoes a profound transformation, Gilbreath encourages businesses to embrace experimentation, adaptability, and innovation as they navigate this exciting, sustainable future. For more information about flexible office solutions, visit [liquidspace.com.](http://liquidspace.com) #### Related Resources [![The pre-2020 lease tail: why this renewal cycle is different.](https://resources.liquidspace.com/hubfs/Content-Thumbnails-4.png)](https://resources.liquidspace.com/the-pre-2020-lease-tail-why-this-renewal-cycle-is-different) June 8, 2026 ###### [The pre-2020 lease tail: why this renewal cycle is different.](https://resources.liquidspace.com/the-pre-2020-lease-tail-why-this-renewal-cycle-is-different) The first wave of pre-2020 lease expirations has cleared. Most portfolios extended, bridged, or... 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Mark Gilbreath, Sun Valley TEDx", "image" : [ "https://resources.liquidspace.com/hubfs/tedx_Video.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://resources.liquidspace.com/mark-gilbreath-tedxsunvalley", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://resources.liquidspace.com/hubfs/01Horiz-01Standard-01Navy@2x%20(1)-1.png" }, "name" : "LiquidSpace" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "VideoObject", "caption" : { "@type" : "MediaObject", "contentUrl" : "https://resources.liquidspace.com/media-transcripts/185341742952/en.vtt", "inLanguage" : "en", "name" : "en Captions" }, "contentUrl" : "https://stream.mux.com/8vajrX3qSHNpOmy02xqT7GgP00UsMSNk00VIGogaqIkjOk/capped-1080p.mp4", "dateModified" : "2025-11-28T21:45:45.224Z", "description" : "You know, the world is moving so fast, at least it feels that way to me, and oftentimes I just want it to slow down. I just want to take a moment. So much change. I mean, call me nostalgic and at the risk of dating myself, it wasn't that long ago that great music was something that you went to the store to buy and you could pick it up and contemplate that purchase and turn it over and read it before making the purchase rather than streaming it online. It wasn't that long ago that reaching out to a loved one or a family member and saying, hey, or I love you, was something that you spoke aloud and you did so with a device plugged into the wall that my son wouldn't even recognize. It wasn't that long ago that coming of age and the personal freedom of the age of 16 came with a driver's license and a set of car keys, not a Snapchat account. And on the political front, you know, it wasn't that long ago that England was a pillar of the EU and this gentleman was a purveyor of fine ties and stakes and a Democrat. You know, so much change. In fact, amidst all of this change, you know, isn't it often that we feel a bit unstable or a bit unsettled? You know, in college, I studied physics and electrical engineering. These are two topics that are rooted in the scientific method and the scientific method is all about observations and hypotheses and theorems and you'd use those things to interpret the natural world and it was tangible concepts, you know, theorems like objects at rest remain at rest unless acted on by an external force. These were concepts that were tangible enough that my engineering-oriented brain could use that sort of as a cloak of comfort. That was how I felt comfortable in this world of sweeping change. But today, and by the way, the scientific method is also a means of predicting the future. But in today's world, you know, the world seems anything but predictable, anything but certain. 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