5 Tips For Designing A Smart Building
Nowadays, people are looking into smarter ways to make their lives more comfortable, including having a smart building. With it, homeowners can control the environment and the operations of their buildings with the use of technology. As more people are into this trend, the demand for smart building designers is on the rise. If you’re already one of them, then the better. But to attract more potential clients, or if you already have a project about this, here are some designing tips you may want to consider:
Use Smart Building Platforms
Smart building platforms refer to a cloud-based central server that has all the data you need regarding the operating conditions of a building. Using it, you can find valuable resources that technological experts provide which the platforms collect and analyze. That way, these platforms can provide data regarding buildings and how they operate. You can use the data here to create a predictive mechanism for going about with your design.
Since the data stored in these platforms could span several years, you can better understand how building operation changes. For instance, you can use analytics on how the building systems and people’s movements work together. Based on it, you can design better since you know where to add features that can make their buildings smarter.
On top of that, most smart building platforms like Widesky Cloud, for example, analyze hundreds of buildings with regards to power consumption. It analyzes the regular and excessive consumption of such buildings and which equipment or systems consume the most energy. By using this information, you can detect faults that previous building designers have done. And of course, you can improve these better on your new design.
Overall, these platforms aim to provide data from various networks on how smart builders can provide comfort while minimizing energy use. With such, you no longer have to scour the internet to find information for your design.
Develop A Vision
Now that you have a base on finding ideas and concepts for a better design, it’s time to visualize it. This is best done when you work closely with the client. While you may have your own idea of a smart building, your client may also have their own. Thus, working on a vision with your client is essential so that both of you can learn and develop the most suitable smart building that they want.
But generally, most clients want the combination of occupant productivity, real estate efficiency, water, and energy optimization in their property. However, these may differ depending on the building’s location and budget. What’s important is to lay down your client’s focus. Then using the data you’ve gathered from the platforms; you can guide and enlighten your client if their wants are realistic.
After defining their vision, you can now think of the best steps to achieve such through specific metrics. For instance, if they want to have an energy-efficient smart building, the building needs to incorporate solar power energy. That way, they can have all the smart technologies while minimizing utility costs.
Lastly, you also need to create a financial model to show a projection of expenses your client should be ready for. If it’s not within their budget, you may have to find other alternatives to achieve their vision but at a much lower cost.
By having a well-defined vision together with its budget, you’ll have a base on how to design your client’s building.
Ensure Flexibility
This tip means considering future disruptions like landscapes, models, building usage, and others that change or affect the building. Thus, you need to make smart buildings flexible.
For instance, the building may be transformed into rentals, commercials, and others from its original intent. With such, your design should be adaptable without too much renovation. This includes essential engineering services that they can reconnect and alter in new ways, or incorporating moveable walls to adjust spaces.
Include Green Building Design
As mentioned, smart buildings also include having green building designs. While technology is essential, it’s also important to consider how technology can minimize the carbon footprint of the building or its occupants. Thus, integrating these design ideas can make the property more efficient.
For instance, you may want to add thermal stability in the building using some organisms that leverage fluids. Then, add it on surfaces that can be thermally activated with physical contact. You can do so by modernizing assemblies and parts that align with human physiology. The building can have thermal comfort as the solution can induce ventilation through natural convection. That way, it may eliminate the use of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that require current.
Another is to use solar panels. Instead of paying electric bills to make most of your equipment work, solar panels can collect energy from the sun and provide power to tenants. Thus, making the building more energy-efficient.
Enhance Building Security
Most importantly, the building design should be secure enough. You must ensure that the design has enough security measures from the building security to the network-based system. When it comes to building security, you can add automated visitor check-in. That way, no intruders can get in even without security guards. For instance, if the owner generates a code for the visitor, the latter can use it to access the building at a specific time and date.
In addition, you may also want to install motion sensor security cameras instead of regular security cameras. They should also come with mobile applications to allow the homeowner to access the video feeds on their smartphones. So, even if they’re away, they can monitor their homes.
Another is to add smart locks that they can access anywhere without physically going and locking the doors. Especially if the building has too many entrances and exits, smart locks can be beneficial. Occupants can simply turn it on and off whenever they want.
Conclusion
Designing a smart building is easy if you know what to use and add. With the tips above, you can easily map out and design not only a smart property but also an energy-efficient and secure one. With the right building design, contractors can have a guide on how to make these visions come to life.
In case you have any design requirements or questions, do not hesitate to contact us.