Modern Building Services

FEATURE SMART BUILDINGS 14 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES FEBRUARY 2022 Building a high-performance network, regardless of whether it is wired or wireless, is essential to the effectiveness of a smart office, providing a springboard that benefits a business and its building users. Having this infrastructure in place means that the sensors that are required to achieve the best possible smart office results simply become part of the fabric of the building. The data these sensors provide give the building operator maximum visibility of what is going on within the space at any given time. Armed with this knowledge, your clients can make intelligent decisions about their spaces, how they are used and associated cost implications, allowing them to make efficiencies where needed and ensure that their building is working for them in the best way possible. In addition, those end users in the smart building have confidence in the quality and safety of their working environment, leading to increased satisfaction and, consequently, productivity. Importantly, by putting the right infrastructure at the core of their smart operations, they are giving themselves the best possible starting point from which to continue to innovate for years to come, safe in the knowledge that that they have protected their investment and are future proofed. Start SMART or pay the price To get this right and ensure everything is in place, early engagement is crucial. It is essential that architects and M&E engineers are looking at involving smart technology infrastructure as part of their designs for office clients to give them the flexibility to adapt their offering as technology and employee requirements evolve. This starts with getting comms/ server rooms and data cabling right and ensuring that what is designed and installed is going to have the ability to deliver and the longevity to last. IT infrastructure isn’t something that can be an afterthought – it needs to be baked in from the start, rather than sprinkled on top. The best way to achieve this is through the early engagement between client, design teamand technology specialists to ensure that that there is a joined-up approach. The result of this collaboration is the best balance between style and substance, with proven solutions that deliver operational cost savings, but also create the smart environment that employees want to work in. Arriving at now It is clear that the shift towards flexible working that was accelerated by the pandemic is now a runaway train, with very few organisations looking to return to the way things were pre-2020. For those businesses looking to adapt and thrive in a changed world, the fact of the matter is that they need to take a serious look at their technology infrastructure and whether it is capable of standing up to the rigours of this newway of working. The key to this is designing and implementing the right data cabling infrastructure to support businesses’ smart technology aspirations as they evolve.