Sunday Mid-Day - June, 2005

There are buildings and then there are smart buildings – Deepali Nandwani

Technology is not just changing our lifestyles, but also the homes we live in. Intelligent buildings, or buildings that are electronically enhanced and react automatically to conditions and situations around them, could well be the future of architecture in India.

We already have two intelligent buildings – the Cognizant Technology Solutions building in Chennai and closer home, Gera Legend in Pune.

The concept of intelligent buildings originated in the United States in the early 1980s. These buildings use electronics extensively and are energy efficient, with hi-tech safety systems, telecommunication systems, and automation in place. “The ultimate dream in the design of an intelligent building is to integrate the four operating areas into one single computerized system,” says Laxman Thite, architect of Gera Legend.

Central to an ‘intelligent building’ is a Building Management System that can control, monitor and optimize the services such as lights, heating, security, alarms, access control, ventilation, air-conditioning, and in modern buildings that extensively use computer systems, secure the networks and databanks.

The technology, in fact, is so advanced that an intelligent building would boast of motion sensor lights, which switch on automatically when they sense movement and go off, based on a timer after detected motion stops.

Besides the lights, there are monitoring systems for electrical lines, the generator system, the elevator and the water supply. In Gera Legend, for instance, the system monitors all incoming power lines, and also keeps a track of when the generator needs to be switched on. In case the generator does not get switched on automatically, alarm conditions are triggered. The system also monitors the generator diesel and coolant levels.

Similarly, the water supply system monitors the levels in both the overhead and the underground water tanks. The alarm system is triggered if the water level reaches really low. Also, intelligent air-conditioning system senses the number of persons present in a room and adjusts the compressor, to deliver better cooling.

Intelligent buildings also have in-built access control systems, especially in commercial buildings.

“Every intelligent building also has to have biometric access control, where fingerprint recognition locks eliminate the need for numerous keys. You can enter by just registering your fingerprint,” reveals Thite. Intelligent buildings work towards one goal: using high technology to maximize the performance, reducing manpower dependence, and minimizing costs.