Smart Content
In the not-too-distant future, building owners may hold more than just high expectations – they might use the courts as a tool for enforcing design quality. As KPIs for sustainability, health and wellbeing, and community engagement shift from being woolly should-haves to baseline requirements, accountability in building design will inevitably transform. Miss these critical targets, … Read more
Our industry is famed for its complexity and intricate collaborations. The idea of a smart building design consultancy running on just two people might sound like a radical proposition. Yet, in our increasingly digital world, where the industry seems to have converged on a standard set of smart building capabilities, the impressive prowess of generative … Read more
If you’ve been in a meeting or sat through a panel about building technology lately, you’ve probably heard someone mix Building Information Modelling (BIM) with smart buildings. For those not conversant with the nuances, it’s an easy mistake to make. Both terms are steeped in digital innovation, both involve data, and — let’s be honest … Read more
As we look ahead to 2025, the intersection of technology and the built environment promises some steps closer to how we design, operate, and inhabit our spaces. In 2024, a lack of liquidity saw the industry cautiously dipping its toes into some of the tech it promised to. War, elections and lingering inflation prevented much … Read more
As smart buildings start to enter the mainstream for most corporates, there’s a common challenge that keeps popping up – who should own the smart capability within a company? Today, most offices are more than just desks, a coffee machine and passive-aggressive emails. They’re complex, tech-enabled ecosystems, replete with sensors, data analytics, and automated systems … Read more
We’ve all seen it happen. Someone had a great idea, but it was a bit last minute. Usually, by the time a scheme gets to RIBA Stage 4 (detailed design), the property developer is focused on what they can do to create the most differentiation in the market. Understandable. We all want to add what … Read more
It’s a question that keeps coming up: Where does the smart building designer sit in a multidisciplinary design team? The answer has been different every time, depending on the project, the people, and how “smart” the client really wants the building to be. The thing is, smart touches every part of a design —architecture (where … Read more
For the past 10 years, I’ve been trying to calculate the same thing that my very first smart building client challenged me on… “yeah, that’s all great. But what’s the return on investment if I spend this much?”. And well, that’s a difficult question to answer. It’s taken me years and lots of trial and … Read more
It’s no surprise to anyone that knows me, that I love a certificate. In fact, I’ve just celebrated my 5 year anniversary as a reverend of the Universal Life Church. Peace be upon your smart building… but the vast range and increasing specificity of some certifications is getting out of control. Lately, email signatures have … Read more
I’ve never been particularly enthusiastic about digital twins. I don’t know why. Maybe they’re for the sort of people that never grew out of their ‘The Simms’ phase? Maybe the abuse suffered at Architecture School has led me to believe that those hours at the literal drawing board with leaky Rotring pens, was somehow worthwhile? … Read more