Better, more efficient buildings are more complex and costly to build – aren’t they? Jim Sinopoli of Smart Buildings LLC explains how intelligent architecture and IT control systems can in fact make buildings cheaper, safer and easier to construct, occupy and own.

The New Economy: What is your definition of a smart building?

Jim Sinopoli: A Smart Building has historically been thought of as a combination of building automation and telecommunications. The first mention of a smarter, more intelligent building was around twenty five years ago when PCs came onto the market place. The telecommunications industry was deregulated and some advances had been made in building automation. The smart building has several uses of technology to enable several things. From a building owner and building management to be able to construct and operate the building more efficiently to occupants, visitors and tenants who can be more productive and be in a heathy and safer environment.

The New Economy: What do Smart Buildings do that conventional buildings can not?

Jim Sinopoli: Smart building at a technical level is having systems tied to each other and integrated so you get more functionality out of the systems and therefore better performance in the buildings.

The New Economy: You have been consulting in this area for decades, what have been the landmarks for your company and what would be a typical client for you?

Jim Sinopoli: The landmarks, in terms of getting to designing the buildings and the systems, have been some of the major advancements in technology which have now enabled the smart building over the last five of six years. The clients we have been involved with have been both new construction and existing buildings. We have been fortunate enough to work with companies such as Microsoft, Cleveland Clinic, major developers in Central America and governments such as the Ministry of High Red in Saudi Arabia.

The New Economy: There is a preconception that Smart Buildings are not just more complex, but more costly. Is that correct?

Jim Sinopoli: I believe the perception is correct but the reality is slightly different. One of things Smart Buildings does is to put the systems in more efficiently, recognising the commonality that the systems all have. For example cable, cable pathways, they need room, they need power, they need system administration terminals. If you can recognise that, you can put the systems in more efficiently and save some construction dollars. It is similar to what is going on with the Green Buildings where people have ideas that there is a premium to be paid for Green Buildings, over time it becomes part of the practice of architects and engineers and they really don’t cost anymore to produce.

The New Economy: That is an interesting point that you raise, are Smart Buildings the same as Green Buildings?

Jim Sinopoli: There is a major overlap of the two. The systems that Smart Building are related to such as the air ventilation system the lighting system and the plug load are the main energy consuming control systems. The are both related to a Green Building and a Smart Building. Green is a little different in that it also deals with sustainabilities, so your interest is in recycling, materials and sustainable sights.

The New Economy: What are the key technologies used in Smart Buildings?

Jim Sinopoli: What has happened over the last the last ten or twelve years, is that the infrastructure of a typical data network has penetrated other systems. We now have telephone systems which are basically network appliances on a data network. The same has happened to surveillance cameras which are now network appliances on IT networks. So you are starting to see the penetration of that IT infrastructure in each of the building systems at each level.

The New Economy: What would you sight as examples of best practice in Smart Buildings?

Jim Sinopoli: There is probably three or four best practices that I see. One is to actually know, from a consulting stand point, what the business and the building is being used for. The business owner may have finical objectives which you have to take into consideration. Each building use is slightly different. There is going to be a common core of systems but you are going to have specialty systems for healthcare, education and commercial office buildings. The second thing is to be involved with the smart building approach very early in the design, (early participation). You also want to set expectations with the owner as to what is possible and what is practical. Coordinate with the other design team members, who may not have been involved with a Smart Building design, and coordinate with them on their designs. Then finally we feel it is important if the focus, which is sometimes difficult in new construction, is really on building operation. Seventy-five percent of the life cycle cost of a building is on operations. There are many times during construction of a building where the focus is on first cost construction budget so if you take a longer term view of how the building should operate and perform, you will be better off in the long run.

The New Economy: Where can we go for more information on Smart buildings, if we want to find out more about them?

Jim Sinopoli: There are several sources. I would start in the UK with the University of Reading (‘who have’ 05:42) an educational program on Intelligent Buildings. There are organisations in North America such as The Continental Automated Building Association. Organisations in Asia include the Asia Intelligent Building Institute. There are books, I have a book out called ‘The Smart Buildings Systems for Architects, Owners and Builders’. There are newsletters available. I think the idea of getting educated and being trained is important in this arena. The focus on energy and green and sustainability has really transformed the way we are deigning, constructing and operating buildings. Part of that is a change in skill sets and knowledge that is needed by building owners, designers and building management.