A common approach to intelligent building design is to begin by building a bunch of smart systems for the sake of having them, and THEN figure out what you can do with them. The issue with this approach is that it often fails to address existing problems (if you’re considering renovations to an existing facility) or the goals of the various stakeholders involved. Rather than successful and productive outcomes, this approach produces results which fall into the category of “technology for technology’s sake.”
The roadmap to building intelligence should instead be a circular process that begins with the end goal in mind. It should begin with the large questions of: Why do you want building intelligence? What end results are you wanting to achieve? Often times the why’s and the what’s fall into the economic business drivers category, including reduced operating and maintenance costs, increased tenant demand, and a prolonged lifetime for the building. But sometimes (and we are seeing this more often) the desired outcomes take into consideration experiential and environmental factors as well, such as greater occupant comfort and control, occupant environmental awareness, and energy optimization.
The goals and desired outcomes for each building are based on the interests of the many stakeholders involved, and they can be economic, experiential, and environmentally motivated. For this reason, one of the first steps to creating a successful roadmap is bringing together the numerous stakeholder’s to discuss their specific needs, make compromises, and align their agendas to a reasonable list of practical outcomes for your building intelligence project.
For a more indepth look at what building intelligence is, who the stakeholders are in any building intelligence project, what the common end goals are, and what is coming next for building intelligence, read Steve Brown’s article “Building Intelligence – A Wise Investment” in The Masterbuilder.