Businesses must invest in buildings of the future

The resistance against digital transformation usually stems down from one thing: cost. Technology can be expensive, and in today’s highly competitive global market, businesses want a guarantee that their investments will pay off, financially. However, the return on investment (ROI) for buildings of the future are not always financial. It is far more three dimensional in its approach and understanding the bottom line benefits will be the key.

Value starts at the design phase

Building designs should reflect the business’ needs, today and tomorrow. The first step in proving the value of innovations brought by buildings of the future is understanding the company’s vision, needs and future requirements. Design will be defined by the building’s function and role in the business, not aesthetics.

A new investment equation

A smart building’s ROI is not only measured by financial gains, it’s far more complex. It requires a more robust, holistic and full-bodied evaluation of ROI, which will include energy savings, tax incentives, and non-financial benefits such as improved employee productivity and wellbeing. While these non-monetary benefits may not be quantified by numbers and financial gains, they carry an invaluable and real return on the business’ investment.

Invest for the long-term payoffs

Investing in buildings of the future means designing for the future. Buildings that are designed for an organisation’s short-term plans may end up being outdated and inefficient. Taking a long-term view, on the other hand, leads to designing with the future and flexibility in mind. Given that in future buildings will be assembled, not constructed, buildings of the future will be designed to be easily modified. This will allow for quicker reintegration of engineering systems, increasing not only the user experience of the structure, but the value of the building ongoing.

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