10 January 2003
Intelligent buildings – meeting our needs and aspirations
One of today’s most hotly debated subjects is intelligent buildings and their impact on the businesses and people that inhabit them. One of the reasons for the heat is lack of understanding of what is actually meant by the phrase ‘intelligent building’. Peter McDermott, building integration consultant at Buro Happold ITAC, clarifies the situation.
The definition of an ‘intelligent building’ depends on your standpoint. For an environmental engineer, designing naturally vented buildings may mean the intelligent use of free natural forces working with a building structure and facades to provide comfortable internal environments, all with the minimum use of precious fossil fuels. For a structural engineer it may be the clever use of innovative materials, techniques and software tools to produce new shapes and structures. For the pragmatic facilities manager it may be a high quality and unfussy environment, easy to manage and maintain and which responds flexibly to the modern requirement for constant churn.
An intelligent building has always meant one that uses the best of human ingenuity and skill in its construction. It is normally only publicly recognised and acknowledged as intelligent when it showcases radical innovation in the technology employed. History reveals several examples of such innovation. In the Middle Ages a spectacular leap forward occurred with the new technology of the gothic arches and flying buttresses that were used in the construction of the cathedrals of Europe. Another innovation occurred with the use of iron in the structure of Victorian bridges and tall buildings. Later, the invention of the elevator made skyscrapers viable. More controversially, during the last century steel reinforced concrete pushed the building envelope to new limits.
Today the key revolutionary technology in buildings is the ubiquitous microprocessor incorporated into every facet of modern buildings. From networked IT systems to intelligent buildings systems, to cheaper sophisticated computers making the incredibly complex design of new building structures and services possible, their effect is felt everywhere.
Even if we restrict the meaning of intelligent buildings to a narrow definition of those that have integrated microprocessor-based building systems working together to provided comfortable, secure and safe environments, we must take care. The conceptual framework of the building design and construction, as well as the business processes of the future occupants, are fundamental to the building systems analysis and design. All too often when these design issues are ignored or not understood the outcome is an over complex technology-focused product which fails to meet the needs and aspirations of the user.
The basis of good design must be rooted in human nature and our experiences and motivation. Most explorations in this field touch on the pioneering work of psychologist Abraham Maslow, and his theory of motivation where our basic needs grow more advanced as each subsequent layer is satisfied. Once our primary needs for food and shelter are met we begin to progressively indulge our needs for security, love, esteem and personal growth.
Intelligent modern buildings must do more than feed and shelter us. They must make us feel happy and valued. They must enable and support working practices that help us produce the best work we are capable of. Our buildings deliver shelter well but the higher needs are often badly met. Comfortable conditions require careful design of the systems that provide and monitor them. Following the events in New York and a more local rise in general crime security is a major concern. Integrated security strategies and systems must make people feel more safe and secure.
An intelligent system acts as a building’s central nervous system, constantly watching and monitoring local conditions, controlling ventilation and heating. It is ready to respond automatically to an external threat, such as an intruder, and is able to use gathered experience or building data to consciously optimise performance.
In the human body this information flows easily from nerves to brain, instinctively controlling the body’s vital functions without distracting the conscious mind, in breathing and regulating temperature. However, in buildings the flow is often blocked by incompatible networks and competing protocols. Careful design is needed to ensure the appropriate integration of systems that are not already outdated by the time a building’s lengthy construction process is complete.
The hard-pressed facilities manager is the conscious mind behind the intelligent building’s performance. The systems he or she uses to get the best from a building must be simple and elegant to use. They must be rooted firmly in the principles of good integrated design, removing the clutter and distractions of unnecessary information. Indeed they must support the manager’s own quest for self-actualisation and allow them to focus on delivering the best value they can for their organisations.
Buro Happold is a multi-disciplinary international practice of consulting engineers established in 1976 offering civil and structural engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, quantity surveying, building services and environmental engineering, health and safety management, infrastructure and traffic engineering, ground engineering, façade engineering, fire engineering, computational fluid dynamics analysis, disability design consultancy, project management, urban design and a range of specialist CAD services.
