The second part of this triptych about smart buildings presented the situation new construction centrally. Two questions were raised:
- Why is it important for Facility Management to join the new construction plans for an office at an early stage?
- What are the reasons for focusing on 'smart' applications in a new building?
This article (part 3) discusses 'smart' applications in one existing office building.
Existing construction versus new construction
The greatest benefits of a Smart Building (or smart applications in an office environment) can be achieved when it concerns new construction or a thorough renovation. This was discussed in the previously published articles of this triptych.
However, the situation in existing buildings is different. Existing offices often have building installations installed that work with their own platform. They are, as it were, separate silos that are 'linked' together, but do not communicate optimally with each other.
As discussed in the previous articles, one common infrastructure, based on the IP protocol, is the basis for reducing the complexity of siled systems and achieving maximum returns from smart technology.
But this does not mean that Smart Building applications are not possible in an existing building. The only limitation compared to new construction is that an existing office must work with the existing IT and building-related infrastructure. It is therefore important to always conduct preliminary research into the current (technical) state of affairs before starting a Smart Building project.
What is the technical state of affairs?
Take for example the question of how the WiFi network is installed? Is that based on 'reach and capacity' or has it been measured to facilitate 'location-based services'?
If the latter is the case, there is often a higher density of access points. If so, it is possible to locate devices with an accuracy of five to seven meters with simple adjustments, for example by applying a 'tag' to equipment.
Another advantage of a location-based WiFi network is that better information can be obtained about the use and occupancy of the building. Consider, for example, the use of meeting, lecture, presentation rooms or the 'presence' of people across various buildings or a campus.
If the information from the WiFi network is combined with the information from AV resources (think of a presentation screen with a camera for video conferencing, for example), an accurate source of information is created for measuring utilization and occupancy. This also applies if separate sensors are installed in a room that can measure presence, temperature and CO2.
Combining these options ensures that, for example, a project can be started in an existing building to gain a better picture of the use and occupancy in a building.
The IT department plays an important role in the examples mentioned here. After all, the products used are present in the IT network and are controlled via the IP protocol. But managers of building-related automation can also play an important role within the Smart Building project. They often have information about the operation of the building, information locked up in building systems for, for example, climate, lighting and access.
If this information is brought together to one data platform, insight is created, which makes energy-saving measures possible, for example. If it is possible to switch (parts of) floors on or off separately for the climate or lighting, this can be set up using the data from the WiFi network. For example, if a room is not being used, the building manager receives a signal so that he knows that that room does not need to be cooled or heated.
Bundling and linking information creates more insight and transforms FM and housing into a data-driven and data-driven organization.
An existing building therefore certainly offers opportunities to introduce smart applications. An important condition for making 'smart services' possible is that FM and housing work together with the IT department, this determines the success of the project. See also part 2 of this series of articles, especially the heading 'More insight, better service'. The solutions described there also apply and come into view in a project within existing construction.
How to start?
Who will take the initiative to start working with smart technology? Is that Real Estate, Building Management, ICT or Facility Management? The real estate organization manages the portfolio of the buildings, while the technical components in the building are often assigned to the management & maintenance departments of ICT & Building Automation. Facility Management is responsible for the entire facility services.
In practice, it often appears that Smart Building processes lack the 'Man in the Middle', someone who speaks the language of real estate, building automation, ICT and Facility Management. If there is no such connecting link, information is collected from the individual departments, but the overall picture is missing. Only by bringing these business units together at the start of a Smart Building project can a solid foundation be laid for the project.
Sustainability, price and flexibility are often decisive factors on which to base choices. The IT department has a lot of experience with WiFi or AV resources, building managers are familiar with the use of sensors in buildings. By looking at the possibilities together with all parties (FM can take a leading role in this), a shared picture is created before the start of the project.
Pilots
Carrying out one or more pilots is of great value to determine whether the requested solution functions exactly as promised in the supplier's PowerPoint presentation. This approach provides insight into whether the solution really delivers added value to the project.
For the success of a Smart building project, it is important to put together a team with representatives from Real Estate, Building Management, ICT and Facility Management. Then determine which added value the project wants to focus on. This can be utilization and occupancy, but also increasing 'hostmanship' from FM or measuring the performance of external service providers.
Define together which pilot will be started and draw up test criteria. An important starting point is to see whether the solution integrates smoothly within the existing IT or building-related infrastructure, whether the data/information is accessible to the organization and whether the systems or applications can integrate with the solution.
This approach makes a solid start to the project and gives the organization more insight and confidence to integrate Smart Building applications into existing buildings.
Make a blueprint
It is important to record the experiences and information from the pilots in a blueprint, which is a Smart Building development plan for an organization, containing the principles, conditions and requirements.
A good blueprint document describes the purpose, motivation, preferences and requirements for the Smart Building solutions. It contains a description of how the solution should integrate within the (existing) infrastructures, how the data/information should be accessible and what the desired added value is for the users.
A blueprint is intended to:
- provide guidance, ideas and requirements for suppliers;
- to arrive at a standard that is related to a Smart Building but also proposes a strategy for Smart Building projects;
- to provide a set of ideas and requirements to also migrate new construction (and existing facilities) to next-generation Internet Protocol (IP)-centric facilities.
Such a blueprint, often a document of about 30 to 50 pages, is a living document; it will be updated regularly until it reaches a final status.
Resume
Taking full advantage of Smart Building technology is easiest in new construction. But existing buildings can also benefit from smart and intelligent applications. Consider expanding WiFi access points to enable location-based services or deploying voice over WiFi to save on a Distributed Antenna System (DAS), a pricey indoor antenna network intended to improve GSM coverage. to improve a building.
In addition, it is possible to install sensors that measure the temperature and/or CO2 content in a room or to use advanced smart boards to stimulate collaboration and share information effectively.
By the way, everything starts with a broadly supported ambition and the intrinsic motivation to make a building smart. The ambitions to realize a smart building are thus linked to sustainability, enrichment, flexibility and innovation.
The three articles about Smart Buildings provide guidance to get started with a Smart Building. If the various knowledge areas or departments are prepared to work together, then there is nothing standing in the way of realizing a Smart Building. The possibilities are enormous, so…time to get started?
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