Smart buildings | Intelligent building technologies

Introduction

In smart buildings, the technology is fully tailored to the preferences of the users and to the benefit of the building. Smart buildings therefore support users optimally and do so as efficiently as possible. This is precisely why smart buildings provide maximum comfort while making a major contribution to the global challenges we are facing with regards to the scarcity of natural resources.

The population is growing, our climate is changing, and natural resources are becoming ever scarcer and more expensive. At the same time, the government, the market, and users are increasingly demanding sustainable, healthy and flexible buildings. The coronavirus pandemic recently introduced many changes to how we live and work, which call for even more flexibility. All these developments result in growing demand for smart buildings. Smart building services are satisfying users and making efficiency the norm.

Continue reading about smart building technology and the biggest advantages of such buildings.

What is a smart building?

A smart building is an innovative building that uses integrated smart technologies to monitor and optimize building automation control to align with the needs of the users. Smart building technologies include the Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, building management systems, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and robotics. The software in smart buildings is flexible so that technological developments taking place in the future can be easily integrated.

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The 4 advantages of smart buildings

Smart building software has advantages for all the building users and offers substantial opportunities in important areas such as cost saving, mitigating (operational) risks, and attracting and retaining employees. Smart buildings can contribute to:

1. Connect

Connectivity in a smart building increases productivity. Employees can work and cooperate flexibly and make more efficient use of the space and their time. Things like digital signage, wireless charging or printing, facilities for conference calls and concierge services can be arranged via connected workplaces.

2. Control

A smart building improves control of building management systems, such as climate, lighting, security and cybersecurity, and access control. Building Managers and Facility Managers can use the space and energy in the building optimally. This results in cost savings on heating, cooling, lighting, security and maintenance.

3. Collaborate

Smart building solutions improve the collaboration between colleagues. Connected workplaces that register the colleagues who are present and respond to that bring collaboration to a new level. Smartboards and smart conference rooms bring in remote colleagues as well, using videoconferencing and virtual meeting walls, fostering an environment for creative interactions. Work spaces that support communication and interaction also boost employee involvement.

4. Conserve

Smart buildings play a key role in improving the sustainability and health of our built environment. Spatial utilization is one of the greatest sources of waste in commercial buildings these days. Analyzing office space use and optimizing this use in line with actual occupancy can make substantial savings on overhead costs and energy usage. The building’s energy performance can also be optimized and supplemented with renewable energy sources.

Examples of smart building solutions

Smart building technology is tailored to the specific users and the activities they perform in the building. Sensors in these intelligent buildings collect information on the use of the building. With digital twin software, these data are used to optimally manage the climate installation, sun protection, lighting, security and other systems. Smart building systems also communicate with each other and learn from the collected data, in order to predict and optimize future processes and improve the user experience. Through these processes, the building becomes increasingly self-managing and it in fact contributes input along with the users.

This input can be contributed on many different levels; from finding an empty space in the parking lot to promoting optimal climate control in the office; from brewing a fresh cup of coffee to ensuring efficient end-of-day cleaning of the rooms used. The possibilities are endless with these high-tech building solutions.

Smart building integration with Priva products and services

Priva has all the hardware and software inhouse to set up your smart building optimally and in an integrated way. Priva & bGrid is, for instance, a total building management solution that not only allows users to create a personal indoor climate, but also enables them to quickly find a parking space, flexible workstation, meeting room and their colleagues.

We also have an extensive suite of Digital Services: cloud-based solutions that are easy to operate in a single suite, from any location, and at any time, through a smart building app. APIs also enable you to easily connect the historical and real-time data on your building to other applications. This is possible whether you want to use third-party software, or simply connect your own app.

Our vision on smart building technology

In a changing market in which data-driven and connected technologies offer solutions for the challenges we face, Priva has an important role to play. We want to help our customers achieve their goals: to create the perfect climate for users in a building with the smallest carbon footprint possible.