What’s Smarter Now? Episode 2: Getting Started with Smart Building Technology

23 April 2024

The “What’s Smarter Now?” podcast series continued in April 2024 with our second episode, “Getting Started with Smart Building Technology.” Co-hosted with Umesh Bhutoria, founder and CEO of Xempla – Decision Support System for Enterprise Asset Management, this installment brought valuable insights from leading real estate and facility management experts: Charlotte Langthaler, Director of Smart Buildings at CBRE, and Renata Hartle, Technology Solutions Director at Colliers. Our discussion focused on charting the practical journey towards a smarter, more sustainable built environment, dissecting where the industry stands, its immediate needs, and how to accelerate progress.

Charlotte and Renata provided a comprehensive overview of the smart building industry’s current state and future direction. They highlighted the escalating importance of sustainability (ESG) as a primary driver for smart building adoption, while also confronting the significant challenges that impede widespread implementation.

Key themes explored in this episode included:

  • Smart Buildings as Business as Usual: Driven by ESG goals, evolving hybrid working models, and the imperative for operational efficiency, integrating smart solutions is no longer a question of ‘why’ but ‘how’. Renata noted, “I would say that if we look at the innovation curve, the smart buildings are in early majority… no one is leaving this behind anymore… I feel like occupiers are not asking why is this only marketing what do I get they turn into asking how do you deliver it what exactly… It’s becoming business as usual”. Charlotte underscored this shift, stating, “We are clear on the need for smart buildings like achieving sustainability goals… there is a big shift between before it was good to have you know smart buildings and now it’s more like must have”.
  • Key Challenges and Opportunities:
    • Interoperability and Collaboration: Overcoming siloed systems and fostering genuine collaboration between various vendors is crucial for unlocking smart buildings’ full potential.
    • Cybersecurity: The increasing connectivity within buildings brings heightened risks. Robust cybersecurity measures, ongoing staff training, and a shift from reactive to proactive approaches are paramount. Charlotte emphasised, “The amount of connected sensors and connected devices it just keeps on growing but the problem is like it brings a lot of risks… the industry should really be aware uh about this cyber security”. Renata added, “Often the biggest risk are people… it’s crazy uh how many times I find during audits that security team has like one email and one password… there’s a lot of work around this matter”.
    • Workforce Upskilling and Change Management: Educating and empowering facilities management teams to effectively leverage smart technologies is essential to avoid creating “stupid buildings” filled with underutilised tech. Charlotte stressed, “We can have all the best Technologies in the world but if the operation team doesn’t know how to leverage them well we just end up with a stupid building… they need to be trained they need to be really brought up to speed on Smart buildings”.
  • Standardisation and Certification: The adoption of global standards like WiredScore and SmartScore provides a common language and framework, enabling faster decision-making and facilitating the replication of successful solutions. Renata observed, “When we have a global standard… everybody… can Benchmark to that… there is organization that has an R&D team that is actually uh taking care of it… the trust from the investor from developers is huge”.
  • The Power of Data: Smart buildings generate vast amounts of data. When properly collected, integrated, and analysed, this data can drive significant improvements in sustainability, operational efficiency, and occupant experience. Renata expressed optimism for the future, noting, “I really hope that AI will help here… AI and Technical Solutions are like how we get there… [AI can] analyze data and be kind of a facility manager between those systems to feed those systems with better information… and no human can do that individually”.
  • Collaboration as the Path Forward: The episode underscored that sharing knowledge, best practices, and even data (where appropriate) through case studies, webinars, industry events, and research committees is vital for accelerating progress and achieving collective goals. Renata concluded, “ESG is really tying things together it’s really bringing us together because we have the same goals… we need to learn from each other otherwise we’re not going to do it… socially responsible business… such information in my opinion should be shared”.

This episode highlighted that the smart building industry is at a pivotal moment, with widespread adoption driven by sustainability and a clearer understanding of benefits. Overcoming challenges in interoperability, cybersecurity, and workforce readiness is crucial. Collaboration, standardisation, and data-driven decisions are the path to a smarter, more efficient, and sustainable built environment.

You can listen to the full episode here:

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About Me

Justin is an author and market engagement specialist, adept at connecting research, innovation, go-to-market activation, and business transformation through strategic content, connections, and conversations. For over two decades, he has conceived and led large-scale stakeholder engagement programmes across diverse sectors.

In his recent capacity, he applied his entrepreneurial drive and strategic leadership as Executive Director for the Digital Buildings Council (DBC), a dynamic not-for-profit industry group he helped to catalyse into existence. His work there mirrored the high-impact consultancy services he provides, involving helping the organisation break through a crowded and often confusing sector, establishing the DBC as a source of clarity and strategic guidance. A significant achievement included helping establish and facilitating the collaboration between DBC on the crucial Review of The RIBA Smart Buildings Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work, with its original co-authors, underscoring its rapid impact in the built environment.

Further extending his leadership in the field, Justin has recently been appointed to the Editorial Guidance Panel for Build in Digital magazine, where he will help guide editorial strategy and highlight emerging trends in smart and digital buildings. He was also nominated in the Digital Construction Power Players 2025 list by Digital Construction Plus.

Connect with me on LinkedIn or get in touch there.