Building Management

The asset management department in municipalities typically oversees the replacement and upgrade schedules for existing buildings. Aging buildings and infrastructure present ongoing challenges where building replacement is not possible due to their historical character. The cost of heritage conservation is significant, yet their principles tend to be divorced from environmental sustainability considerations, focusing instead on fire safety, accessibility, lead and asbestos removal, and seismic strengthening. However, the operational costs of these buildings are also high. Energy inefficiency, poor thermal insulation, poor ventilation and air quality, and leaky windows and doors lead to high maintenance costs.

Applications & Solutions: Retrofitting Historical Buildings

Coupling building maintenance and conservation needs through deep energy retrofits of historical buildings can substantially extend their life while preserving architectural features and improving comfort and design. Deep energy retrofits coupling the replacement of major building assets with redesign of energy systems involving energy modelling and redesign, and upgrades to building envelope. This requires coordinating heritage conservation efforts with asset management upgrade and replacement schedules. The unique conditions of historical buildings require early identification and assessment of challenges and solutions from an engineering, design, and occupant perspective with clear project goals and priorities identified at the outset. Smart solutions allow evaluating where building upgrades are needed by modelling performance and connecting building energy systems through automation.

Technologies

On-site, or in situ investigation – Takes a whole building approach to upgrades by revealing cross-linkages in building systems which can help to identify overlap in solutions and prioritize investments that resolve multiple issues. Occupant surveys – Identifies the building’s needs and functions. This is important to optimize performance for users as a goal in engineering and design solutions.

Infrared thermography – Aids in visualizing where heat gains and loss occur in buildings, to target insulation and ventilation efforts. Building sensors – Uses passive infrared, LiDAR, and cameras to detect the presence of occupants and if BAS enabled, can adjust the heating, cooling, and ventilation setpoints when a building is unoccupied.

Building meters – These devices include air quality monitors, smart thermostats, and smart meters. Air quality monitors detect carbon dioxide and other pollutants to measure fresh air circulation and when connected to BAS they form the information-sensor pathway for smart monitoring. IoT enabled thermostats that allow operators to automate adjust temperature setpoints adjustment based on building occupancy. Energy meters use live energy consumption connected with utility networks to enable time-of-use pricing.

Integrated building automation systems (BAS) – The complex integration of multiple energy systems and monitoring sensors requires a coordinated approach to managing indoor climate control and operational performance of a building. Combines operational control of heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, and home security systems to manage energy systems and home technologies. This relies on sensors, energy meters, and wi-fi enabled devices to be coordinated through an application interface. Designing BAS using IoT connected devices allows for live feedback and predictive algorithms to control setpoints and automate building systems.

Applications & Solutions: Smart Heritage

Smart heritage is a concept that seeks to overcome the idea that architectural heritage remains “frozen in time” by integrating historical evolution through narrative and storytelling to link present day uses with the past functions of a building. For buildings that are frequented by tourists, this approach helps to convey the importance of preserving buildings while educating the public and fostering community through the historical connection to place.

Technologies

Green building certification – Buildings that achieve green building certification can showcase these features in retrofitted heritage buildings. This includes installing information plaques next to updated building systems describing the purpose of the technology and the amount of energy or water conserved. Visitors interested in a green building tour can be provided a map of plaque locations in the building.

Digital kiosks – Digital kiosks can inform visitors of integral information about a heritage building and can act as a one-stop source of guidance on municipal services and events, and activities. Conservation initiatives can be highlighted with live-feeds of the energy, water, and cost-savings of upgrading activities.

Interactive digital mapping – Spatial data and building modelling can be used to create interactive digital mapping to support historical storytelling. This can attract and educate visitors on the heritage aspects of a building, linking past and present functions to preservation efforts. Visitors can interact with building features which in turn collects data on number of users, feedback on the features, and other research and knowledge building data collection.

Managing Liability Issues

Privacy

Issues.

⚠️ Wherever information is collected that has the possibility of personally identifying an individual, a privacy assessment is needed. In building energy systems, the privacy implications are low unless advanced surveillance systems are being implemented that is capable of identifying individuals. However, if smart heritage design is integrated into heritage building retrofits, privacy considerations arise where interactive features may require consent for participation in data collection initiatives.

Managing issues.

✅ Capture data impersonally. Record feedback and comments in an anonymous way that cannot be attributed to individuals.

✅ Choose the technology appropriate to the task. Low-tech solutions in some contexts may be preferable to high-tech ones, consider the non-technical benefits of an activity and whether the technology is enhancing the outcomes and protecting privacy or if it is obstructing the development of trust and community.

✅ Data-fuzzing. Employ data-fuzzing techniques to preserve privacy. For example, do not include start and end points in route data so that a particular route cannot be traced to an individual. Similarly, fuzzing data of sensitive areas provides an additional layer of security for personal information.

✅ Obtain consent. Some exhibitions integrate selfie booths, biosensor collection and other sensitive information. These interactive displays should build in consent forms indicating the purpose of data collection, the use and retention of data.

✅ De-identify as soon as possible. If personal information absolutely must be collected, it should be stripped away as soon as possible.

✅ Limit data collection to only that which is needed. Collection of highly sensitive personal information through visitor surveys and interactive displays require an examination of why the information is being collected and what purpose it serves to avoid engaging more serious privacy concerns.

✅ Only keep data for a limited time. Data collected from interactive systems should be collected for a defined period of time and destroyed afterwards.

✅ Follow good privacy practices.

Security

Issues.

⚠️ Security issues emerge from the hardware and software components of technology. Software issues will require security review to ensure that they are well-programmed and not prone to backdoor malware and privacy breaches.

Managing issues.

✅ In the building retrofits context, software security must be high where potentially surveilling technologies are used, such as cameras built into interactive kiosks or IoT connected security systems.

✅ Many of the same solutions to privacy issues will address security issues: e.g., de-identify at source if possible, or as soon as possible if otherwise. Where personal information is collected, it should be held in a secure location.

✅ Access should be limited to those with a need to use the information.

✅ Follow good security practices.

Procurement

Issues.

⚠️ Compatibility and synchronicity across hardware and software systems is a critical liability risk because the effectiveness of smart systems relies upon coordinating functions. If third parties are involved in data collection and analysis, contracts should be reviewed to ensure data stewardship is aligned with privacy policies.

Managing issues.

✅ Linking sensors, monitors, and energy consumption information to optimize performance is envisioned as the ideal in theory. But introduces contractual, privacy, security and safety risks when examining building systems at an ecosystem level.

✅ Follow sound procurement practices.

Operations

Issues.

⚠️ Comprehensive retrofit design and modelling should alleviate many operational risks associated with hardware performance. However, operational issues are more likely to arise from software failures.

Managing issues.

✅ Comprehensive software testing must be undertaken before allowing full automation of connected devices without operational oversight. In fact, designing software systems that ousts facility oversight can lead to system-wide failure in the future especially since software engineers are often unavailable to troubleshoot system or correct customized features. Staff software training on new systems and ongoing training on software updates is essential to mitigating software failures.