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Smart Buildings

Smart Buildings – a natural evolution

Introduction

As technology moves on and with the advent of IoT (Internet of things) and the introduction of AI (Artificial Intelligence), the need for buildings to become ‘Smarter’ is accelerating. Numerous new technologies are flooding the market from wireless Smart sensor networks and Smart plant and to Smart Data Analytics Software platforms. This along with non-sector companies entering the market, often confuses clients leading to disjointed design, investment and operational strategies within their buildings.

Logically, a solid investment in the right BEMS design and technology provides a robust platform from which to scale-up to iBEMS (Intelligent BEMS) providing the right level of integration and interoperability to achieve the clients Smart Building aspirations.

NDA Consulting - Your natural smart buildings partner

A Smart Building investment requires the grounding of an effective specification. An effective specification requires the grounding of a professional team. Such investment covers a diverse terrain, is often littered with opacity, and presents a significant challenge to a client.

Being well established as our clients BEMS and Controls Consultant of choice makes us perfectly placed to develop the necessary iBEMS solutions to meet the growing need for Smart Buildings Features, Functions and Services (SFFS).

NDA are Technology neutral and MSI neutral  enabling us to be inherently positioned to offer unique value to our clients.

Smart Buildings Design

Smart Buildings design is often typically a ‘Bottom-up’ approach;

  • Select and specify technologies
  • Engineer and converge with other systems (if possible..)
  • Deliver what is possible to the operation (not usually realised at ‘day 1’ completion)
  • Adapt what is installed to best utilise

NDA Consulting adopt a best practice ‘Top-down’ approach to Smart Buildings design. In a collaborative design process with our clients and using our unique ‘Model-IB’ design tool, we are able to develop and track the Smart Building design process and deliver specifications which;

  • Define value centric deliverable Smart Features, Functions and Services (SFFS)
  • Specify technologies and solutions to deliver
  • Deploy SFFS aligned with the required building operation on day 1 and deliver value

Benefits of Top-Down approach;

  1. All SFFS are aligned to the operation
  2. All SFFS are value centric
  3. Just the right amount and type of technology deployed. Lean investment, no gimmicks.

Our Smart Building design services are aligned with the RIBA Plan of Work design stages and recommended Smart Building design overlay.

Smart Building overlay to the RIBA plan of work

RIBA with generous support of ScanTech Digital, Hoare Lea, Kier and Glider Technology, have developed a Smart Building Overlay to provide guidance on smart building technology through each RIBA Plan of Work stage; aligning decision-making with project outcomes and helping designers integrate the technology to support them.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) serves our members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities, and a sustainable environment. Smart building technology creates opportunities to enhance and innovate how we interact with, manage, and improve our built environment.

RIBA, with generous support of ScanTech Digital, Hoare Lea, Kier, and Glider Technology, is proud to have created the Smart Building Overlay to the 2020  RIBA Plan of Work.

Building intelligence is growing at a rapid rate as is the demand for smart, connected buildings. The Smart Building Overlay is therefore well placed as a resource for all built environment professionals, clients and end users, looking for guidance on how to incorporate smart building technology in any building typology within the framework of the RIBA Plan of Work.

The main objective of the Smart Building Overlay is to prompt discussions of smart building technology at each work stage to support timely decisions, so that the project aspirations articulated at the outset are delivered at completion. It encourages users to consider how the technology might support their desired project outcomes and helps them define ‘how smart’ they want their project to be.

This document therefore seeks to highlight the benefits of a smart building, introduce smart building terminology, and support timely decision-making throughout all work stages, while adhering to the existing  RIBA Plan of Work framework.

Smart Buildings

Model-IB interactive Smart Building Design

Our unique specification development service provides a roadmap for a functional driven design aligned to measurable performance and accurately defined cost. It demonstrates effective coverage of the terrain and produces a fully illustrated investment. Professionally informed decisions can then be made.

We articulate the service through a unique development platform to illustrate holistic mapping of features, enabling technologies, digital estate, data ontology, persona, finance and staged approval, and deploy the platform as a tool for client, design and projects team engagement to safeguard aligned delivery, validation and a successful project outcome.

Benefits of using NDA Model-IB tool;

  1. Function driven design, reduced ambiguity, reduced design meeting times, fully transparent process
  2. Design signed off against delivered functions. Client gets what they invested in and what they need.

Smart Buildings design steps

Accessing the on-line Model-IB platform clients work with us to develop and sign-off their design at all stages (typically);

a. Step 1 – ‘Optioneering’ workshop(s), interactive app driven to determine development of e.g.;

  • Digital Estate and associated platforms e.g. IoT
  • Adaptive Environments
  • Connected Occupant Services
  • Well-being management
  • Incident management

b. Step 2 – Stage 1 Model-IB development;

  • Develop SFFS within each concept (High-level)
  • Establish value e.g. Energy or Operational efficiencies
  • App driven review and sign-off stage 1 with client

c. Step 3 – Stage 2 Model-IB development;

  • Expand each deliverable SFFS for detailed ‘cause & effect’
  • Define C&E and simulate operation
  • App driven review and sign-off stage 2 with client

d. Step 4 – Produce Smart Buildings performance specification

  • Engage with other Building Services design teams
  • Establish core data platform for digital estate e.g. MS Azure, Google Cloud, AWS etc
  • Define technology types required
  • Define interoperability standards
  • Finalise Smart Building Specification
  • Obtain client approval

Value proposition

NDA Consulting offer;

  • Value centric top-down thinking Consultancy
  • Unique interactive Smart Building modelling platform
  • Continuous research into cutting edge tech and services
  • First class documentation and specification generation
  • Experienced MSI contractor evaluation
  • Experienced technical project delivery and witnessing
  • Product and MSI neutral

We look forward to discussing your Smart Building project and ensuring your successful investment.

 
NDA Consulting Ltd
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