He also adds that an 'intelligent' building is one which is built intelligently – with regard to whole life costs, and care for the environment. It must also be adaptable to changing occupant demands. However, a high-tech approach is not always appropriate. "You can have very simple buildings that are intelligent. In the MSc course we look at vernacular architecture over the ages. This is broken down into climates: very cold, temperate, hot and dry, hot and humid. Across all of those, through history, you will find examples of ingenious solutions; which merit the term intelligent buildings." He cites the igloo as a perfect example of a building suited to its environment and occupant needs, using locally available materials.
In more modern terms it is important that technology does not overwhelm those who are expected to manage the building. "One of the things facilities managers say is 'if it's too complicated, it won't work'. So an overriding factor in intelligent buildings is to keep things as simple as they can be."
While many people probably feel instinctively that there is a link between the building and occupant productivity, a growing body of research in this field also supports the theory. Central to this is the increased emphasis being given to the life cost ratio 1:10:200 which means approximately the cost of running the building is ten times higher than the capital cost; but the cost of paying salaries to the worker occupants over the lifetime of the building is many times higher.
Hence even small improvements in the working environment can have a positive impact on the most expensive element of a business.
Clements-Croome has worked with occupational psychologist Professor Cary Cooper to develop a diagnostic tool for measuring the impact of the environment on occupants. "Cooper has a tool for measuring occupational stress in the workplace, to which I have added an element of environmental impact. We measure the impact of the job being done, management systems, social environment, personal circumstances and the environment. This is a holistic approach which looks at the impact of all these things," explains Clements-Croome.
One of the common areas occupants complain about is lack of control over their environment. "The more personal control an occupant has over temperature, ventilation, lighting and noise, the better," says Clements-Croome. "I haven't seen any research that contradicts this." He advocates a balance between computerised bms and personal control. "You need to have central control over emergency and safety systems, but when it comes to the individual human senses, we need to be able to tune ourselves in a bit more. For example, you could have sensors in the walls interacting with those you wear on your clothing.
In the past, services have concentrated on creating a basic health and safety standard. Now the demands on building services are much greater. "At a more sophisticated level, we might talk about variations in lighting, in enhancing moods or creating different environments for different groups, " says Clements-Croome. "Why shouldn't the colour of the lighting change because your mood changes? It is more possible now with advances in technology such as voice activated systems. These ideas are becoming less wacky, and more important." Building services engineers should take note of such innovative research.
When it comes to creating buildings more intelligently, Clements-Croome believes that other sectors can offer some insight into better ways of working. The defence and aerospace sectors have offered insight into maintaining better whole life performance. "These industries place the greatest emphasis on availability and reliability; they give maintenance planning a much greater emphasis. Looking after buildings is becoming more important." Clements-Croome and his researchers have been working on a through life business model (tlbm), which examines the building from preconcept design to disposal or refurbishment. "You look at each step in turn using an integrated design team – which is vital for this model to work. We use tools from the defence industry such as fault diagnostics, reliability testing and maintenance planning. Over the past three years our team has adapted these for use in buildings." As a result of using such techniques, Clements-Croome estimates that projects could see a reduction of 25% to 30% of the whole life cost of a building.
The professor is also looking at concepts based on artificial intelligence theory to help design more reliable services systems. "Building services systems are complicated. Going along and composing systems bit by bit isn't good enough. You have to look at the whole building performance. Also, building services are very sensitive and have to be looked after or they go off peak performance levels." Artificial intelligence models can help with product selection, system design and performance. This would go some way to helping clients understand better the consequences of allowing a selection of cheaper products over more expensive options specified by engineers.
While Clements-Croome says that technology alone doesn't make buildings intelligent, he believes that it is an enabler to help create better working environments. Future developments offer exciting possibilities. "Some of the biggest developments to date have been in embedded sensor technology. This means that everything can be recorded and controlled. Sensors in the fabric allow local controls to be established between the occupant and his local area."
Nanotechnology will mean that engineers and architects can design materials to have specific characteristics to suit their requirements. Clements-Croome believes that building form and materials will dominate services: "If you take this to the limit, it means that building services in the sense of convectors and radiators won't be necessary. You will need to bring in water and air to a building somewhere, but many of the traditional 'services' will go."
Ultimately however, creating an intelligent building requires designers to take an intelligent approach. Teamworking is central to the proposition, as is a whole-life cost attitude rather than first cost only.
"When you start a job, you have location and budget fixed. The set cost is seen as a block of money to pay for something straight away. These things are important, but if you look at quality and the value for money that the building can offer, you find that a lot of money is wasted by taking this snapshot approach."
What the construction team needs is a vision of what can be achieved. "At the beginning of a job you need the team working together to develop an understanding of what the client wants – and maybe the client can learn from the professional team too. But there has to be a mission to achieve a great building, with these values."
As someone involved in education, Clements-Croome sees education as a vital part of creating teams which can make intelligent buildings. "Many of the problems that arise in designing, constructing and managing buildings are due to the fragmented professions; this fragmentation is also reflected in the education system. If a truly holistic outlook is to be achieved then there has to be change."
The executive committee of the European Intelligent Building Group identified some key skills required by professionals working in this field. These include: strategic thinking, creativity, ability to listen, trust, an ability to inspire confidence, an ability to deal with change and awareness and interest in occupant needs. The MSc course in intelligent buildings at Reading University reflects these thoughts (see box).
Overall, there has to be a single mission in the minds of the construction team, in order to achieve these high-performing truly intelligent buildings. Clements-Croome cites the example of medieval cathedrals, still visited today, often not for religious reasons but simply to enjoy the atmosphere created within them: "A cathedral could take 80 years to complete so most people involved with its building wouldn't live to see the end. But they had a vision of what they wanted to achieve – the very best as exemplified by the stone masons, the wood carvers and the glaziers. I don't see why we cannot aim to do the same with our buildings today.
"Places where we work should be soulful and spiritually uplifting, rather than just functional. We cannot deny that as human beings we have physiological and psychological needs." People feel better and work more effectively when this is appreciated and buildings are designed to reflect this way of thinking.
Learning with intelligence
The MSc in intelligent buildings at Reading University has been designed in collaboration with industry. Students can take a part-time modular approach, allowing them to continue in their careers.The course takes an inclusive approach, and draws on expertise in other departments of the university. The aim is to prepare students for interdisciplinary working on the design, construction and management of intelligent buildings. Those on the course should also gain the skills to help the construction industry adopt new and emerging technologies.
Core modules on the course are:
- intelligent buildings: concepts, strategy and management;
- building systems, architecture and people;
- information technology and communications systems;
- designing intelligence into building;
- financial analysis and investment appraisal.
Ultimately, graduates from the course should be able to help design, construct and maintain buildings which:
- are cost effective;
- support the business objectives;
- are marketable;
- are responsive to human requirements;
- consume minimum energy;
- emit minimum levels of CO2;
- enhance their local environment.
Clements-Croome believes an intelligent building needs an intelligent approach from the construction team, and training can help achieve this: “It is essential in educating intelligent building strategists they should develop views that are not polarised in any direction and that thinking styles are agile enough to deal with complementary issues.”
Source
Building Sustainable Design
Reference
The book Intelligent buildings, edited and part authored by Derek Clements-Croome will be published by Thomas Telford in late May 2004.
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