Premium tenants are looking beyond location and base-building services. They want spaces that are enjoyable to be in, support the way their teams work and operate at a reasonable cost.
Smart building technology plays an important role in meeting these expectations. We believe it shouldn’t be treated as an add-on but as part of how a building is designed and operates. It improves reliability, reduces friction and makes a space easier to use and enjoy.
For building owners and managers, this has become a fundamental part of attracting and retaining tenants.
Creating a workplace tenants choose
Today’s commercial tenants are operating in a very different environment to the one many existing buildings were designed for. Their expectations are shaped by rapid advances in technology and the pace at which their own business is evolving.
Many buildings still reflect an earlier view of technology where systems operated independently and served a single purpose. That approach no longer aligns with how tenants work today.
Tenants expect reliable connectivity, seamless access to systems and environments that support their day-to-day operations without friction. These expectations are consistent across organisations, regardless of sector.
To meet this, buildings need to respond to how tenants use a space now while allowing for change over time. The systems and infrastructure we design today need to remain usable and adaptable, without requiring significant rework, to stay relevant over the life of the asset.
Designing human-centric smart buildings to attract and retain tenants
A smart building uses data to improve user experience, operational efficiency and sustainability. By using one common network for access, security, airflow, lighting and day-to-day operations, it’s able to make use of previously untapped information. Integrated technology gathers and blends this information, enabling the system to solve everyday problems for the building’s users, managers and owners.
A smart building uses technology to enable outcomes for all users. This includes the new starter, administrator, business owner, building manager and building owner. By gathering data, and blending it to create useful information and automations, a smart building can create value for everyone.
As engineers, we ask our clients a number of questions before we begin mapping out a smart building solution, including:
- how can we make a day easier and more enjoyable for the people who use the building?
- what everyday problems can we solve?
If we can solve users’ daily angst, we can make the office seem like a better place to be than home. We approach all of this with the aim of increasing the value of the building, fostering a culture of hybrid working and maximising its appeal to younger generations.
When we identify these human needs and shape our technology to meet them, we make employees happier. They become more engaged and productive and more likely to stay in the building for longer. True smart buildings step beyond building engineering systems into human-centric design.
Comfort
Building comfort for tenants is made up of many elements, including lighting, temperature, air movement, air quality, noise and visibility. Not all of these elements can be driven by technology but technology can certainly help identify issues that cause discomfort through monitoring and reporting. There are, of course, some things that technology can control to improve comfort.
The temperature of an office needs to be comfortable for everyone. We can do this by creating a temperature system that respond to tenants’ feedback in real time by adjusting the heating or air conditioning. It’s well-known that, on the whole, women feel the cold more than men and prefer warmer temperatures. To have one fixed temperature doesn’t meet everyone’s needs.
The air conditioning in a meeting room can also be programmed to adjust to the number of people attending a meeting, so it winds down if there are only 4 people in an 8-person meeting room. This increases comfort, energy efficiency and the lifetime of the unit. The air conditioning, lights and audio visual (AV) can also all be switched on 10 minutes before the start of the meeting, saving time for meeting organisers and administrators.
A tenant may want the option to dim the office lighting at the end of the day to match their circadian rhythm or they may want spaces with natural lighting to recharge. These needs are likely to change daily. Contemporary lighting systems now allow this flexibility and can respond to people’s needs in real time.
We can also set up the building to monitor, and report on, air quality and respond to high pollen count or bushfire smoke. Similarly, we can keep track of cleanliness and hygiene and receive notifications when consumables like soap or toilet paper are running low.
Convenience
Time is a limited resource, so reducing friction in day-to-day tasks becomes valuable.
How about having a coffee ready to pick up from the barista on the ground floor, activated by the card or phone that opened the lobby turnstile? Maybe the AV could switch on 10 minutes before a meeting, prompted by a calendar entry?
We can pull data from existing systems and give it additional purpose, making the day-to-day more seamless for tenants.
Connectivity
Tenants expect to work from anywhere in the building and still connect to the systems they need, whether that’s a meeting room, shared space or outdoor area.
They want visibility of lift demand so they can plan movement through the building.
They also benefit from timely information – such as events in shared spaces – allowing them to make better use of the building throughout the day.
Community
A new tenant might be one of many in a high-rise office tower, and it’s important they don’t feel isolated. Smart technology can help connect tenants and support interaction between organisations within the building.
Efficiency
Using people counting, we can understand how spaces are being used and turn down or switch off areas that aren’t required. This has multiple benefits, supporting collaboration, reducing energy consumption, extending plant life and aligning building operation with actual demand. This benefits tenants, building managers and owners.
When a meeting room is booked, the cafe below can receive a notification to prepare a catering quote based on attendee numbers. With real-time updates, this can be adjusted as needed.
Simple ideas, supported by straightforward technology, can make a measurable difference to how a building operates, reduce time spent on routine tasks and improve overall efficiency.
Productivity
Creating a building that supports different ways of working contributes to tenant productivity.
Meetings can take place across a range of spaces – desks, shared areas or outdoor environments – while maintaining access to the systems required.
When building systems are consistent and reliable, tenants can operate without disruption, regardless of where or how they choose to work. This supports better outcomes without adding complexity.
Delivering on what matters to tenants
Smart buildings aren’t just about improving experience. They provide a measurable way to align building performance with what tenants value – reliability, efficiency and clear sustainability outcomes.
For asset owners, this translates to stronger demand, longer leases, premium rent and more resilient assets.
