The Dynamics of building networks and the relevance of Connectivity – Part II

Network performance and intuitive building networks have evolved considerably. Today, digital transformation, including a shift to cloud computing, and an enhanced option for people to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a catalyst effect around smarter and safer workspaces as part of a larger aggregate – to deliver smarter outcomes for users and building managers.

To understand how we got here, it is important to consider the evolution of building spaces and networks itself. The emergence of technology made evident the beginning of a digital society impacting workspace design, how we live and how we connect. This shift began during the late 1960s when people started to become more environmentally conscious due to an energy crisis at the time when the U.S. government introduced legislation around eco infrastructure, referred to as the green building movement. Fast-forward to the 1980s, building automation systems were introduced as the first step toward intelligent building networks. Designed to connect and automate certain functions inside of a building structure, intelligent building networks connect lighting and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) systems to fire and security systems through one set of controls, providing minimum energy consumption, as well as better building efficiencies. Other advancements during this decade ?that helped the building network evolution included the global property boom, mobile phones, personal computers and the formal introduction of The Internet of Things (IoT).

During the 1990s, a significant contributor was the first public availability of the Internet, shifting businesses to become more digitally connected. During this decade, offices moved to a more collaborative environment where connectivity impacted real estate, facility management, and manufacturing with energy and enhanced productivity.

The 21st century has been the fine-tuning age for building networks as a key element for smart buildings and subsequently smart spaces. The need to address the climate crisis is an incredibly urgent one being a critical initiative for governments, businesses and users alike. Moreover, as the world becomes more connected, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), wireless, wired and cloud technology enable new opportunities to lead a sustainable future.

As we look toward the future, imagine a building that is as intelligent as people; a structure able to perceive the unconventional, as well as the conventional state. A space able to learn and constantly improve, react and adapt to its users to give a truly connected experience, creating healthy and sustainable workspaces that boost productivity, collaboration, optimization and increased tenant satisfaction.

So, how can we bridge the gap between physical and digital layers?

Building networks architecture has been shifting too. A significant premise is around smart spaces, where we can see physical locations equipped with networked sensors to provide owners, occupants and managers with more and better building insights about the condition of those locations, and how those are used.

The next step is to leverage design with technology, as well as gain a better understanding of what people – as office workers, managers, consumers, healthcare and factory workers and students want and need – to build work areas able to promote smarter and more intuitive spaces around health and safety, and resource use all while sustainably using structure cabling/wireless technologies where architects, developers, and building operators can add value to planned or existing structures. Therefore, today’s building networks needs to be visualized as a central network connected to IoT locations, which are many times located in hard to reach areas. Those IoT devices can be network devices, sensors that gather and transmit data by a converged wide network infrastructure platform, connecting environmental controls to manage a variety of applications from lighting that can be extended to window blinds, or security devices such as automatic door locks, remote cameras, or measure multiple essential environmental parameters including PIR occupancy, temperature, VOC gases and ambient noise levels, all to enhance the workspace. Improvements in the performance of sustainable metrics enhances the workforce experience, fabricates a more attractive environment to tenants and provides sustainable operating efficiencies.

Even though those devices are smart and can perform many functions by themselves, smart buildings and spaces have been a life-changing driver in our society that requires a reliable and secure network foundation to deliver an easy path of integration, real-time data, and a mobile-friendly tenant that is ?scalable, sustainable and future-proofing. Resulting in a well-founded building network that starts with a solid infrastructure such as ?GenSPEED? .?