Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1476549
40 I ICT TODAY BUILDING OPERATIONS AND FUNCTIONALIT Y Traditional building systems are structured for reactive decision-making. The Building Internet of Things (BIoT) connected buildings rely on big data technology to enhance the capacity for proactive and rather prescriptive decision-making. For example, an IoT connected HVAC system via a sensor will not only trigger maintenance alerts when components are approaching end-of-life, but it will also order replacement parts online and book an engineer to perform maintenance. Centralized man- agement and control of building applications allow for functional durability. Through preventive maintenance and early fault detection, the lowest possible downtimes are achieved. SUSTAINABILIT Y Buildings typically consume vast amounts of energy to operate. They are responsible for 30 to 40 percent of a city's total emissions. Smart buildings offer a viable solution to increased energy demands where emissions can be reduced through optimization of energy con- sumption with the possibility of reducing carbon footprint, fostering sustainability, and endorsing eco-friendly alternatives. Organizations can use tools that identify efficiencies along with providing insights allowing smart building decisions to be made to save energy consumption and operational costs. Sensors can be added to various appli- ances to gather information, ranging from heating systems to ventilation equipment. If a certain component is either overworked or underused, operations can be adjusted accordingly. For example, an occupancy sensor can be added to reduce an environment's carbon dioxide levels. When this sensor identifies less movement, it sends a signal to the building management system to turn off heating, ventilation, and lighting. When people return, these systems revert to their regular mode. HUMAN-FOCUSED BUILDINGS Indoor environment quality (IEQ) influences the health and well-being of occupants in living and working spaces. The IEQ includes indoor air quality (IAQ), acoustic FIGURE 3: The seven concepts of the WELL building standard. Mind Comfort Fitness Light Nourishment Water Air conditions, and occupant control over lighting and thermal comfort. To achieve high IEQ standards, it is more cost convenient to include these factors in the design phase of a building and not as an add-on after occupancy. In general, environmental conditions, such as temperature, lighting conditions, flicker, and air quality influence the performance, quality of work, and overall health of the occupants. Digital buildings balance efficiency and occupant experience. They play an important role in the feel-good factor since they can provide optimal control of various aspects that contribute toward employee satisfaction and productivity improvements. Further factors to consider are post-Covid and the need to bring people back into the workplace. The work- place market is moving to an even more human-centric direction. There has been a certain shift in mentality toward better working environments post-Covid. It is ideal to design the workplace around people instead of designing the people around the workplace. Ultimately, it is about achieving design goals through a human-centered experience of physical and psycho- logical comfort (e.g., lighting, air distribution, and occupants' spatial needs). See Figure 3.