Intelligent building systems

Intelligent building systems

Developments in intelligent buildings have not been limited to advances in technology in the areas of computers, communications and building engineering. Changes in societal attitudes that reflect a higher standard of living have highlighted issues associated with the provision of a healthy working environment. This is being reflected in an increasing demand for high quality office space, spread across all classes of buildings, and a need for advanced information processing and communications systems. The technologies and services that are part of the intelligent building infrastructure.

The technologies and services that form part of the intelligent building infrastructure

Infrastructure	Services
Enclosure	·     load balancing ·     solar control ·     heat loss control ·     day lighting ·     passive and active ventilation ·     passive and active solar heating
Interior	·     spatial quality ·     thermal and air quality, visual quality ·     acoustic quality in the individual workstation ·     new workgroup concepts ·     shared services and amenities
Telecommunications	·     external connectivity and command centers ·     vertical chases and satellite closets/rooms ·     horizontal networks and horizontal plenums ·     service hubs and shared equipment ·     conference hubs, connectivity
Site	·     transport ·     streetscape, public access and thoroughfares ·     relationship with the community

Developers of building systems of all types have been challenged to deliver on these demands. The successes to date have created a new opportunity for adding value to the capabilities already inherent in the building. Intelligence has become ‘distributed’ enabling micro zones to exist independently of the rest of the building. For organizations, this is an important consideration. Organizations modify space to suit business needs. People, by their nature, tend to modify their work environment to suit personal tastes and corporate identities. The ability of building systems to interact using distributed intelligence enables a successful outcome to be achieved.