The ultimate goal for technology is that the facilities management of the Building of the Future will self-manage, learn, anticipate, adapt and enhance: without the users being aware of it.
In future, it will be called upon to fulfill multiple roles, including that of smart device; concierge and scholar. In addition, technology such as robotics and 3D printing will revolutionise both how and what we build with.
Taken a step further, the Building Internet of Things (BIoT), or developing a building as a smart device able to transmit and receive data for the use and management of buildings, is a hot topic.
In the near future, the BIoT will involve an app with IP-based interface, which connects all sensors and equipment to a main backbone Building Management System that proactively optimises the operation of the building, including:
In future, open software architecture and open protocol language will make our buildings ‘hackable’!
Critically, the data our Buildings of the Future collect have the potential for far more than just facilities management.
In many airports, it’s no longer necessary to stand in a queue to check in and people are expecting the same kind of easy, technology-driven check-ins at hotels. Thanks to technology, a guest’s name can be displayed on the welcome desk at a digital check-in station; their food preferences or past purchases displayed in a digital room-service order system; and TV, movies and music provided on demand.
This ‘concierge in your pocket’ concept is fast gaining popularity and also allows operators to include useful information such as surrounding entertainment venues; medical facilities; and similar services.
Beyond its influence on building management, some believe that the ultimate win would be technology that can self-manage, learn, anticipate, adapt and enhance, or at least tell you when there is a problem.
We might soon see ‘intuitive’ buildings emerge and the integration of artificial intelligence. Within this reality, a building facade ‘intuitively’ reacts when shadows are cast across it and adjusts its shades and solar panels accordingly.
Taken a step further, data analytics systems are increasingly being utilised to analyse occupation, space utilisation and energy consumption, and these learnings will continue to be applied to a wide range of diverse applications.
Buildings of the Future will increasingly use data analytics to automatically deliver improvements in efficiency.
Aurecon understands that while the rate of uptake of robotics isn’t certain, one thing is: those working on Buildings of the Future will need to maintain an appetite for new and advanced technology, materials and methodologies if they want to stay relevant.
A centralised industry portal to share and purchase solutions and information within a global community may not be as out of reach as it initially appears. This could include a “Buildings of the Future” app store which complies with industry standard measures and sells bespoke apps or tools to build your own app, supported by your local IP precinct hub with access to IT, economic and data analytics advice. This would allow for entire precincts and cities to share and collaborate rather than operate in isolation.
We will also have to consider the influence of leapfrog technologies such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies which will make self-executing contracts possible. Facilities will, in effect, not only be run smarter, but run themselves. Public ledgers will bring greater transparency to supply chain records and the possibility of intelligent building parts will connect the physical and digital worlds.
Although we cannot predict the future, we’ll need to stay one step ahead of these game changing technologies with a ‘leapfrog’ mindset.
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