Truly intelligent buildings, ones that are both productive for users and operationally efficient for owners and developers, will only be achieved by adopting Integrated Building Architecture, says Kari Baden of Dimension Data Advanced Infrastructure.

It is time for radical change in the construction industry. Developers, operators and users – from shoppers to office tenants and residents – are demanding more from their buildings. Indeed, there is a demand for buildings that are more intelligent, easier to maintain, more enjoyable to use, offering innovative services that improve quality of life and, where possible, offer commercialisation opportunities. Yet at the same time, there is massive pressure to minimise capital expenditure. There is a constant call to deliver buildings that cost less to operate and maintain, to achieve whole life cost reduction.

The old models of building design are no longer good enough. Construction companies need to be able to demonstrate an ability to deploy new technologies into buildings, whilst also controlling costs at every phase of design, build and operation. The challenge therefore, is in delivering these two, often contradictory demands, all at a time when technology is rapidly changing.

For instance, how can a building owner or developer future proof the building when any analogue devices being implemented today, such as analogue CCTV, will be obsolete within five years? This will make the devices expensive to maintain, difficult to repair - and may even require a complete refit – for a technology that should be viable for 20 years. In short, not only does the building lack the intelligence required in today’s market, but the whole life cost has increased, rather than decreased.

Today’s model is rife with duplication and complexity. How therefore, will the industry move forward to increase automation and enable the cost effective exploitation of solutions that will ultimately transform building value?