The Future of AI in Smart Buildings

Shared 31 July, 2024

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The evolving landscape of work is undergoing a significant overhaul with the integration of AI. This encompasses not only the automation of repetitive tasks but also the facilitation of seamless collaboration and the adoption of data-driven decision-making processes. As AI gradually becomes an intrinsic part of our daily lives, its impact cannot be overstated.

AI will transform the smart building, delivering benefits across the board for building owners, managers, tenants and end users alike.

Here are some of the ways AI is poised to improve smart buildings as uptake continues to grow;

Improving energy efficiency management – The AI-powered smart building will optimise energy consumption using machine learned automations to adjust heating, lighting and cooling systems based on real time usage and occupancy. It will also react to external factors such as climate and natural light fluctuations. Emissions targets introduced require consistent monitoring and reporting. AI can be trained on these targets, adapting the building’s energy consumption to ensure it stays within the legislated limits, both at a building and occupier level.
Boosting the accuracy of predictive maintenance – Through AI algorithms, potential issues with building systems and equipment are predicted, thus prolonging equipment life and minimising downtime. Machine learning algorithms excel at detecting subtle signs of potential failures, a task that traditional rule-based systems may struggle with. Moreover, the model continuously improves its accuracy over time by incorporating feedback, resulting in more reliable maintenance forecasts.
Enhancing the visitor experience – Artificial intelligence will streamline the visitor experience in the future smart building. Guiding visitors through the sign-in process, callers may be greeted by anything from a simple tablet to a rendered reception manager. Visitors will also enjoy wayfinding information delivered direct to their handsets, whilst hosts are automatically notified of their arrival.
Using knowledge as power – One of AI’s most exceptional features, must be its ability to process and analyse vast swathes of data in real time. Advanced analytics provide valuable insights into building performance and efficiency. It then scrutinises how resources and spaces are used, as well as highlighting opportunities for improvement and cost savings. IoT data mining will be used to automate many facilities management tasks, freeing up valuable time to refocus on more meaningful jobs. Things like strategic space planning, costs optimisation and budgeting can be a main focus. They’ll also be able to allocate time to tasks that require a more human feel, such as community engagement, culture and workplace transformation.

The AI-powered smart building promises direct benefits for tenants, while simultaneously enhancing building appeal and simplifying management tasks. This translates to added value for landlords and property managers.

At the heart of it all, we have the end user. Those who use the building day in, day out. Often spending as much time in it as they do in their homes.

Consideration of end user experience is essential across the board, from occupants and visitors to employers and hosts, as well as landlords. This is particularly crucial in navigating the competitive landscape of commercial real estate today.

And this is what we see as the most exciting part of the evolution of the smart building. Quite possibly the greatest value AI can bring to smart technology has to be what it can do for the tenant experience.

It’s been refreshing to witness the industry opening up and embracing artificial intelligence-powered technologies. At Smart Spaces® we believe that integrating artificial intelligence into the smart building of the future is crucial, and we are actively leveraging the data our current buildings collect to deploy enhancements across the built environment.

Property management, sustainability, maintenance, operations and decision-making all benefit as a result.

Written with Smart Spaces