9 FEB - APRIL 2024PropTechOutlookmaintaining the accuracy of this dataset. We can also add in information on the material composition of every element in the building. This should include details on its sourcing and compliance ­ a material passport ­ but in addition we should really be adding in information on how materials can be recycled or importantly reused as part of circular economy principles. Following these principles, we have a 100-percent accurate record of what components and materials make up our building and how we can recycle or reuse components when the building has fulfilled its useful purpose. If we want to remodel a building in the future, then we have a comprehensive model asset to manipulate digitally and redesign before we even set foot in the physical space. It's going to be valuable too if we can share our digital twin building material data, floor layouts and virtual schematics for way finding with the emergency services if there was ever a future incident in our building.Returning to the theme of building components that provide accurate data on performance and usage, most large and complex building services items now use sensors that measure and monitor, but we should be looking to get this same communication from our smallest components: e.g. switches. Once we have a fully integrated and monitored building, we can create a true Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system. This is the gold standard for FM systems ­ with automated pre-emptive maintenance regimes based on manufacturers specifications, automated ordering of parts and intelligent scheduling with maintenance teams. So, we no longer have to fix broken-down components reactively. Instead we optimise efficiencies throughout the product's lifecycle by pre-emptive maintenance, in the same way we do with servicing our cars. This is an increasingly important consideration as building services move towards a servitization operating model ­ where building owners buy lumens of light for a specified duration - not the physical light itself. The Digital Twin concept is eminently achievable right now. The technologies exist for every element I've outlined above. What we haven't yet achieved is to bring this philosophy together in its entirety within one building. There has been a corruption of the concept of smart buildings over the past few years ­ the term has increasingly been used as a catch all for the latest technology that claims to do something better or solve a new problem. The biggest issue we see with our clients is that the adoption of the latest gadget doesn't really solve a problem, and more often creates a host of new challenges because the technology has been applied without context.What a so-called smart building actually is today is incredibly difficult to quantify and even harder to explain, as it means different things to different audiences. For us, we focus on building spaces that are tailored to our client's requirements, both now and in the future. Technology and automation are transforming our industry, but it's important to stress that it is people that are either our greatest opportunity or our most challenging impediment to this change. What is key is changing the nature of our conversations with clients, getting involved earlier in the decision-making process, diversifying our workforces and appealing to demographics that would previously never have considered a career in construction. This is how our industry will become more productive, technology-enabled and deliver better spaces that help us all to thrive. Digital Twin - a concept that creates a digital clone of the physical infrastructure­there is an opportunity to help transform the perception gap that has dogged the sector
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