The AEC Industry Has a Moral Obligation to Upgrade to Smart Buildings
In many ways, society has come to see technological advancements as a luxury. Laptops powerful enough to run anti-missile systems are routinely put to work streaming movies or playing video games by the average user. When the casual reader comes across a piece on “smart buildings”, it conjures images of espresso on demand or rooms that automatically adjust to an employee’s preferred light intensity and temperature. This fantasy of modern luxury was brought to life in 2015 in Amsterdam with the completion of The Edge, a building generally considered to have the highest Building IQ of any structure in the world.[1] Yet while this architectural wonder offers a variety of comfortable customizations, the benefits to the environment are undeniable. Solar panels on the south side of the building provide enough electricity to power all phones, laptops, and electric cars. The Edge uses 70% less electricity than office buildings of its size and, thanks to the many integrated reporting and optimization systems, the building requires less frequent maintenance than comparable structures. When we consider the sheer number of buildings going up every day in cities across the United States, it is clear that each new project comes with an obligation to design the most efficient structure possible for the benefit of the environment, communities, and workers.
On a global scale, our urban enclaves take up very little space but the lion’s share of resources. Cities are built on only 3% of the Earth’s land yet consume 60–80% of global energy. These same cities are responsible for 75% of total carbon emissions.[2] Buildings within those cities are responsible for a full 41% of energy consumption in the United States. In the EU, this figure even surpasses industrial sectors and transportation.[3] Given the overwhelming environmental effects, professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction have a clear obligation to build smarter. This awakening has already taken hold at a national level and should be taken up by corporations as well. The United States Climate Alliance was formed as a bipartisan coalition of 25 state governors dedicated to upholding the U.S. commitment to reduce emissions 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025.[4] In order to meet this goal, new efficiency standards and building optimization standards must be followed at all stages: design, construction, and operational stages. Only this level of collaboration can ensure operational efficiency, compliance with city ecosystems, adaptability to the environment, effective information collection and transmission, and action control.
Manufacturers and other commercial operators must take up the banner of change to secure a cleaner and healthier future.
While design and constructed features can certainly advance this goal, the beating heart of this futuristic vision of efficiency is data and analytics. Sophisticated sensors collect data throughout the building and relay back real-time information in the blink of an eye. Your typical downtown high-rise may have as many as six systems governing key-card access to the building, coordinating eight different elevators, adjusting temperature controls, monitoring a complex communications framework (telephones and internet), managing electrical systems, and tracking water usage. Yet even this model of technological advancement has room for improvement. Too often these systems report independently, leaving administrators checking reports throughout the day on multiple screens. The final evolution in enhancing building intelligence is optimization through predictive analytics. This begins with crafting dashboards where an administrator can check up on systems reports with ease in one single location. With sophisticated software, administrators then can review and analyze the consolidated reports in order to extrapolate from previous behaviors to anticipate future performance as well. The result is a dynamic, efficient structure capable of adjusting room temperature and lighting based on anticipated occupancy at any time of day, smart blinds that rise or fall with the sun, security systems that sync with personnel schedules and holidays, or escalators that pause during slow periods. These types of technology improvements are possible only in collaboration with tech consultants like Data Products that offer a full slate of services addressing these needs.
In committing to a “smarter” construction strategy, corporations would also be making a commitment to their employees and communities in which they operate. Research shows that millennials value sustainability so highly that they would be willing to take a pay cut of up to $10,000 in order to work for a company that shared those goals.[5] Modern innovations like smart temperature controls, adjustable desks, and integrated communications systems make work not only more comfortable for the modern workforce, but easier for them to work more efficiently as well. Communities that welcome these corporations into their towns would enjoy lowered carbon emissions and the reduction in health risks to their families. We can step boldly and ethically into the future of construction only if we see the seamless intersection of design, shelter, function, environmental impact, and technology. Smart buildings will yield smarter cities. But only if our builders are both clever and ethical.
Regardless of where your company lands within the data science journey, reach out to Data Products to find out how we improve lives through data.
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[1] Awarded the BREEAM Award for Offices New Construction in 2016, and the Public Vote for the Prestigious Your BREEAM Award. Breeam.com. Accessed 28 July 2020. https://www.breeam.com/case-studies/offices/the-edge-amsterdam/.
[2] Rasa Apanaviciene, Andrius Vanagas, Paris A. Fokaides. “Smart Building Integration into a Smart City (SBISC): Development of a New Evaluation Framework.” Energies. 1 May 2020.
[3] Osama Omar. “Intelligent building, definitions, factors and evaluation criteria of selection.” Alexandria Engineering Journal. Vol. 57.4. December 2018. 2903–2910. file:///C:/Users/monic/Downloads/energies-13–02190%20(1).pdf Accessed 28 July 2020.
[4] “United States Climate Alliance: 2019 Fact Sheet.” Accessed 28 July 2020. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a4cfbfe18b27d4da21c9361/t/5f1f0b2cf13e090f828e58dc/1595869997700/USCA+Factsheet_Dec+2019.pdf
[5] Adele Peters. Most millennials would take a pay cut to work at an environmentally responsible company.” Fastcompany.com. Accessed 28 July 2020. https://www.fastcompany.com/90306556/most-millennials-would-take-a-pay-cut-to-work-at-a-sustainable-company.
