Developed with ScanTech Digital, Glider Technology, Kier and Hoare Lea, this free resource will support anyone involved in the design of newbuild, retrofit or refurbishment projects to implement smart building technology.
The Smart Building Overlay introduces smart building terminology and outlines the benefits of embedding smart building technology from the outset. Its principles can be applied to projects of all scales and scopes.
At a domestic level, smart building technology can be used to remotely and automatically manage heating, lighting, security, appliances, electric vehicle charging and air quality.
Commercially, it can support business activity and space versatility, and optimise management and maintenance regimes. For example, in an office building, a system that automatically adjusts lighting and heating in response to weather conditions and occupancy levels can reduce energy consumption and operational costs as well as providing user comfort.
Smart building technology also supplies data on building performance, helping to evaluate and address operational energy usage, and mitigate safety risks.
RIBA President Muyiwa Oki said:
“The Smart Building Overlay is a helpful roadmap to guide built environment professionals in using smart technology, which is an important tool to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Our research shows that, too often, the decision to include smart technology in a project is often made too late. So, this guide prompts the client and project team to integrate smart technology discussions at every stage of design and construction. It recommends involving specialists at the earliest possible stage to ensure successful project outcomes.”
ScanTech Digital MD Matthew Bott “It’s been a labour of love and a hugely rewarding experience working with fellow authors and peer reviewers from across industry for the past 18+ months to produce the first Smart Buildings Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work.
We started on this journey because we found there was no clear guidance on how to integrate the design of smart technology into the wider design process for buildings, and we were finding the aspirations for smart technology were being raised too late in the process. The RIBA’s Plan of Work is an ideal backbone for the guidance as it is used by architects, project managers and the wider built environment. As smart technology has the potential to fundamentally affect the design of building at concept design stage, it is important that the message is spread as widely as possible especially as the Overlay applies to new buildings and retrofit projects across all sectors. My personal hope is that the Overlay promotes awareness and timely decision-making so that the technology can achieve its full potential.
ScanTech Digital plays a vital part in the digitalisation of a building – from creating a model as the first step in a retrofit project to carrying out model validation of new construction. By accurately capturing and modelling or verifying a space, we de-risk and accelerate the design process and ensure the asset model at practical completion is accurate – which is a critical step in achieving a truly smart building.”
