How do more intelligent buildings fit into the big picture of smarter cities? Steve Teubner, smart buildings solution leader at EY, discussed the role of smart buildings in the broader city ecosystem at the recent Smart Cities Week D.C. conference.
“One of the things we’re looking at with buildings within the city ecosystem is, what can buildings do to really enhance the overall community of a city, of a neighborhood,” Teubner said. “We’re looking at smart buildings within the bigger ecosystem of smarter cities, and how can a building be effectively used to be … a more sustainable environment and how do we really address occupant requirements?”
He went on to say that most buildings are vacant around 40% of the time, and EY is looking at how deploying internet of things solutions can improve utilization of buildings and whether the use of space and the physical environment can be optimized or resources shared across environments. People move in and out of building spaces, and networks often cross in-building and outdoor environments as well, particularly in campus settings.
“We’re seeing more campuses. We’re seeing more mixed-use type of buildings that are part of the broader context, so the network then extends beyond the building envelope into your community,” Teubner said.
Cities themselves play an important role in not only the commissioning of buildings, but potentially in the overall balancing of smart city public priorities, including sustainability, with private development of spaces.
Watch the interview with Teubner below: