When you talk about the future of work meeting the reality of buildings, few voices are clearer than Bob Cicero. A technologist who fell in love with architecture, Bob has spent his career at the intersection of people, space, and technology—showing how platforms, sensors, and design can turn offices into AI-ready, data-driven workplaces that people actually want to use.
He’s helped flip the old A/E sequence on its head—user journey → tech → furniture/shape—and proven, with real data, that most teams collaborate in small groups. From trapezoid tables that give every participant “a face” on video, to low-voltage (PoE) ceilings that make lights, shades, and HVAC software-addressable, to Wi-Fi/BLE/UWB and video endpoints working as privacy-safe occupancy sensors, Bob’s approach turns buzzwords like “smart building” into an out-of-the-box operating model.
In this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with Bob to unpack:
- How a platform mindset replaces point-solution sprawl—and bakes in data hygiene from day one.
- Why the real utilization data says 3–4 seat rooms beat 12-person conference spaces (and how to right-size your floor).
- The design trick behind hybrid equity: camera angles + trapezoid tables so everyone has a face in the meeting.
- What a smart building actually looks like: PoE ceilings, sensors “in everything,” and portfolio intelligence via Cisco Spaces.
- How to use Wi-Fi/BLE/UWB + room video endpoints as sensors—deduping devices, zoning floors, and informing real estate decisions.
- The post-COVID mix that works: 70% “we” space / 30% “me” space plus measurable well-being (air quality, circadian light, acoustics).
- Why agentic AI needs years (not months) of clean data—and what “agents for workers, rooms, and ops” change next.
Bob’s philosophy isn’t just about gadgets; it’s about experience, evidence, and iteration—a build-measure-learn loop that keeps spaces aligned with how teams truly work.
If you’ve ever wondered how to move from pilots to a portfolio-wide smart workplace, or how to make your offices AI-ready without a Frankenstein stack, this is the playbook.
🔗 Watch the full episode on The Real Finds Podcast with Gordon Lamphere.
🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
👤 Connect with Bob: linkedin.com/in/bobcicero/
