Automatic for the people
Smart buildings - which can adapt to climate, residents' needs and energy sources - are seen as vital for sustainable cities of the future, writes Jamie Carter
The front door sees you coming and opens automatically, lighting your way to the kitchen and switching on the kettle. Your most-watched television channel appears on the screen while a hot bath starts running, sending you an SMS when it's ready. And what makes this home-of-the-future scenario part of something much cleverer - a smart building - is completely hidden from view.
From wind turbines and rooftops farms on apartment buildings to windows that darken in bright sunlight and even nano-coatings on walls that sense when someone inside moves, this is the stuff of the smart building.
"A smart building is one that operates dynamically and with autonomy to maintain the safety and comfort of its inhabitants," says John Milton-Benoit, general manager at Ireland-based United Technologies Research Centre, which focuses on building systems and smart grids. "It automatically accounts for factors such as weather conditions, system and subsystem performance, energy pricing data and energy consumption to operate at peak efficiency."
It may also generate its own energy. Howick Place in London is a brand new sustainable, smart building that comprises both apartments and office space, and it has photovoltaic roof panels to produce its own solar energy. "One of the most powerful tools … is the use of Combined Cooling, Heat and Power," says Howick Place's architect, Jonathan Carter. "This system essentially uses a gas source to provide electricity with heat generated as part of this process. The heat is then diverted to provide hot water and heating for both residential and office, and cooling for the offices via absorption chillers."
That helps it emit a fifth less CO 2 than regulations require, but Carter thinks there's more to being smart than simply being green. "To be considered really smart, a building needs to respond positively to its environment on many levels," he says.
As well as including 190 indoor secure spaces for bicycles, Howick Place's residents are invited to join a car club to reduce use of private vehicles. But it's what's on top that's really interesting: a roof garden complete with bird boxes. "It not only creates a very pleasant environment for the building's users, but also provides an important habitat for flora and fauna within a city setting," says Carter.