The goal of sustainable design is to decrease carbon emissions and enhance the positive ecological effects that a building or item has on the environment. The US General Services Administration (GSA) defines six sustainable design principles, which include:
- Reduce non-renewable energy usage
- Improve facility sustainability factor
- Protect the environment and conserve water
- Improve quality of indoor air
- Enhance operational systems management
- Use environmentally preferable products
When these six sustainable design principles are merged with artificial intelligence (AI), the potential to increase your company’s sustainability factor and follow through on corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals is also greatly increased.
Implementing AI in Sustainable Design
1. Occupant Behavior
The occupant behavior component of implementing AI in sustainable design involves social computation that evaluates potential human behavior regarding the sustainability factor of the facility design, operational systems, and objects. This area of computer science focuses on the connection between social behavior and AI computational systems. Machine learning software and AI technology reconstruct social protocol and social situations for purposes of evaluating potential human behavior in the new sustainable environment and in relation to other occupants.
2. Occupant Comfort
Occupant comfort is described by the US Green Building Council as thermal comfort, lighting levels, indoor air quality, and acoustic levels. If any of these areas are not at optimal levels, then occupant comfort has not been achieved in the design of your facility. Artificial intelligence plays a role in ensuring occupant comfort levels through the implementation of an intelligent energy management system (IEMS). This system uses machine learning, data analysis, complex algorithms, and predictive modeling to optimize the structural operational systems of HVAC, lighting, and occupant comfort levels. High-caliber sensors and plug loads are used to measure temperature levels and energy levels so maximum energy efficiency can be attained. Individual seating area energy usage is tracked and analyzed to find ways to help occupants be more responsible with personal energy consumption in the workplace.
3. Customization
Customizing the workplace enhances the sustainability factor of an office. An example of augmented customization in the floorplan of a building to enhance sustainability is Autodesk’s Project Discover. This intelligent technology uses complex algorithms to create thousands of floor plan designs to ascertain which one works best within the customized parameters of what each employee requested. Proper lighting is considered by the system so individuals have the best light source for occupant satisfaction. Workstations are situated perfectly through predictive modeling to identify the optimal visibility view to create the least amount of workplace distractions. The algorithms provide specifications for the best traffic flow in the workspace.
What is your company’s sustainability factor?
Have you implemented these six sustainable design principles into the layout and operational management systems at your facilities?
Expertly merging AI and sustainable design will help your company lower energy costs and increase the occupant satisfaction level in your building.
