Events key to bringing UK’s smart buildings up to speed

The organisers of a major conference in Derby into smart building technology believe more events on the future of the workplace are key to ensuring the UK does not lag further behind other countries.

Rob Pritchard, managing director of Derby-based IT firm Scenariio, says its Workplace Technology Conference, which took place last month, helps push forward a much-needed conversation about how the country’s commercial buildings could be better geared up for the 21st Century.

The conference, which took place at The Chocolate Factory in Siddals Road, brought together experts in the field of smart technology and exhibitors from a host of firms including software designers and manufacturers of devices such as movement sensors, LED lighting, network infrastructures and data centres.

It also hosted a number of talks and open discussions, looking at an array of subjects such as how AI will change the workplace experience for employees, how integrating technology into workplace design can aid people’s wellbeing and the ROI of building intelligence.

Attendees included landlords, architects, fit-out experts and tech firms, including test and measurement firm Devtank.

The keynote speaker, Andrew Heywood Hughes, told the conference how a new approach to building design is benefitting organisations such as the NHS by taking a patient-focussed approach to creating the environments capable of helping people feel more at ease, helping their return to health.

Andrew, founder and managing director of ANHH Consulting, which is based at Keele University, has worked with the NHS and advised delegates to understand how to explore their innovations from the end-user’s point of view.

And he raised awareness of how little is spent on designing and building new premises in comparison to the eventual running costs, with just 0.2% of the overall lifetime cost of a building going on design and 80% going on keeping it operational.

Rob said: “Smart technology makes a huge difference in helping to control running costs, yet Andrew’s talk was a perfect illustration of how too little thought and budget is invested in the design stage, which is the point at which the technology needs to be considered.

“As a result, the UK is lagging behind other countries when it comes to installing smart technology.

“That’s why getting people together and generating these conversations at events such as our conference is so important, not only for our industry but for anyone who is involved in designing or operating the UK’s workplaces.

“We’re hugely grateful to everybody who attended our event, either as an exhibitor or as a delegate. It was a real success and all the hard work that went into organising it was more than worth it.”