In the near future, smart buildings will function as people-centric platforms that offer all kinds of additional services to their occupants.
Corporate Real Estate and Facility Managers have already found some ways to offer new services through their smart buildings, such as:
- Creating building occupant engagement apps to reduce everyday tensions
- Allowing tenants to personalise climate and lighting controls
- Enabling high-density agile office environments
In July 2019, Verdantix - an independent research and consulting firm with a focus on innovative technologies that optimise business operations - published the strategic report ‘Smart Focus: Smart Buildings As A Platform’. It presents the new vision of a ‘Building-as-a-Platform’ and identifies options to support occupants and offer them new services with smart building platforms.
The research shows the two biggest motivators for investing in smart buildings:
Charge higher rents justified by lower service/amenity charges, high levels of comfort and efficiency, and lower everyday tensions.
‘76% of Asset Managers believe they open up new opportunities that currently lie untapped and an equal number see smart buildings as an opportunity to enhance yields.’
Provide additional services to tenants
It is all about the people. Improving their experience within a smart building will be the metric that matters the most in the near future. ‘The reason for this shift – away from energy efficiency or sustainability – is that businesses are recognising the link between a work environment and human capital.’
Smart buildings promise many benefits for occupants and operators, but for owners and investors the question of how to monetise the additional investment remains. This report gives corporate real estate professionals an early read on the emerging trend of smart building platforms.
To find out how smart building platforms can contribute to an organisation’s business strategy, request a free copy of the report ‘Strategic Focus: Smart Buildings As A Platform’