Responding to COVID-19: The future of intelligent homes

Responding to COVID-19: The future of intelligent homes

In the final of The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) series on Healthy Living and Housing, our focus was on the future of intelligent homes. You can access the session by clicking here and registering to watch on demand. For this session, I was pleased to be joined by: Dr Chris McGinley, Senior Research Fellow, Leader Age & Diversity Research Space, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art; and, Dr Ozak Esu, Smart Assets Lead and part of the Construction Innovation Hub, Building Research Establishment (BRE)   Homes, health, and inclusive design Chris outlined the role of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design. It is a centre for inclusive design covering two main research themes, Age and Diversity, and Healthcare. They work across a number of design areas including strategic, visual, artefact, and the built environment and public spaces. His presentation included two short videos. The first was of an older woman trying to navigate the use of multiple remote controls to...
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Smart Buildings: Getting the balance right

Smart Buildings: Getting the balance right

In the previous articles on smart buildings and their risks, we’ve explored what we mean by ‘smart buildings’ and outlined what they have to offer to the commercial built environment. We have also touched on why the issue of data in the context of the built environment and ‘smart buildings’ needs serious consideration as emerging technologies such as facial recognition converge with established legal principles for human rights and equalities. Most property professionals are already familiar with the concept of buildings and their digital twins: the Centre for Digital Built Britain published the Gemini Principles on data management in December 2018.  We need to embed these principles in the built environment; a  ‘cradle to grave’ approach to the whole life of a building - which, as we all know, starts well before anything happens on the ground! Our focus in this article is what this might mean in practice, so that we can make the most of the opportunities on offer while...
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Smart Buildings and the ‘problem’ of data

Smart Buildings and the ‘problem’ of data

John Browne’s recent book “Make, Think, Imagine” asserts that “human knowledge is cumulative: as more people contribute to a network, more useful insights emerge”.  The digital revolution is disrupting all aspects of our lives with both its scope and impact likely to expand exponentially. It demands new approaches, and new intellectual coalitions. This is the first of three articles produced collaboratively by Dr Sophie Taysom, an independent consultant at Keyah Consulting, and Dr Sue Chadwick, a Strategic Planning Advisor at Pinsent Masons LLP, on smart buildings and the 'problem' of data.   Smart buildings are now possible thanks to digital innovations including the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, and advanced data analytics that can provide real time feedback. It’s clear that there is much on offer, from making buildings more efficient and responsive, to improving our working environments. At the same time, there are real concerns about what this means for us as individuals, what it means for our privacy and how...
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