Design & Build
Breaking the Shackles: Overcoming Resistance to Change in Smart Buildings
May 23rd, 2023#Podcast 19: Why has an Architectural Firm Acquired a Smart Building Integrator?
April 14th, 2023
Bridging the Design-Operate Divide in Commercial Buildings
This week, architectural and interior design services company Aukett Swanke Group (ASG) has confirmed the acquisition of smart building technology company Torpedo Factory Group (TFG), in a deal that hints at a new potential trend in the commercial buildings sector. While architects have used M&A to broaden their technological capabilities in the past, few deals […]
Discovering Where BIM Ends & Digital Twins Begin
Building Information Modelling (BIM) and digital twins are two important technological concepts that can, at times, be considered quite separate or be used interchangeably in the buildings sector. Both concepts could be defined as “a digital representation of assets, processes and systems in a physical space,” yet they tend to be used by very different […]
“Do It Once, But Do It Properly”: Overcoming Tech Obsolescence in Smart Buildings
Technology evolves quickly but buildings live a long time. That is the fundamental issue the smart building sector needs to address today. If we are to turn our bricks-and-mortar structures into digital environments, then we must develop a futureproof approach to upgrading technology at minimal cost and disruption, and within the long lifespan of a […]
It Wouldn’t Be the First Time that Disease Reshaped our Built Environment
Are the open-plan office, co-working, and hotdesking all dead? Is remote working the new normal? Will our commercial real estate ever be the same again? These are the questions swirling around the buildings industry as we look ahead to the mysterious post-COVID landscape. “We are, at this moment, probably prone to overthinking a pandemic’s influence […]
Taking the Next Step in Standardized Construction for an “Office 1.0” Target
“The model the [construction] industry has defaulted to is based around design and build, where responsibility to complete the building design is passed down the supply chain. It has been driven by a desire to protect investment returns and transfer risk. But it has become a barrier to innovation,” says Neil Pennell, head of design […]
Only By Involving Stakeholders Throughout the Lifecycle Can Buildings Be Truly Smart
Smart buildings are not simply designed to attract the first set of tenants or maintain the energy performance they achieved on their first day of operation. The technology and the demands of occupants evolve, meaning the true role of the smart building is to evolve with them. As this decade draws to a close and […]
Designing & Building for the Complex Lifecycle of Smart Buildings
“The average working life of a Boeing 747 is approximately 50 years, during which time it is refitted about six times. The necessity of making frequent upgrades to its electronic, communications and other systems requires that the design allows old technology to be rapidly removed and replaced with minimal disruption to the fabric of the […]