New technologies are creating novel tools to pursue healthy and sustainable buildings. At the same time, North America is moving toward a post-pandemic, new normal.

FacilitiesNet.com predicts expanded use of facility technology in collaboration with the continuing high demand for real estate. Whether you need to spot opportunities to accommodate the evolving needs of tenants or want to anticipate what shifts might lie ahead for your buildings, one thing is clear: physical environments will need to provide the in-building experience that stakeholders want, including a focus on available data, sustainability initiatives, and most importantly, indoor air quality and building health.

1. Healthier and smarter buildings driven by tenants – Building owners who focus on providing healthier and smarter spaces will find greater opportunities to satisfy current tenants and recruit new occupants.
2. Healthy building standards will attract tenants and increase portfolio values – Landlords of healthy buildings can collect between 4.4 and 7.7 percent more per square foot in rent than nearby, non-certified and non-registered peers. When building owners use adopted and certified standards, they will increase their bottom lines. But to truly utilize a healthy building technology to its full potential, owners and managers need to be consistent with the collection and analysis of data.
3. Data will be king – More than simply informing behind-the-scenes building operations, these data and insights will also actively drive decisions to improve occupant comfort and health. Data needs to flow into a platform configured by building professionals to manage the indoor environments better. An intelligent building platform can connect disparate thermostats, air quality, occupancy sensors, and mechanical equipment to take action automatically.
4. Sustainability remains a concern for building owners – In 2022, landlords and tenants will leverage technologies to minimize energy usage and reduce their carbon footprint. The goal is to allocate energy usage proportional to the capacity in use. For further insights into sustainability, technologies exist that help utility customers determine whether they source their energy from renewable sources. Using these technologies, property owners can buy energy only when renewables are available, helping meet corporate sustainability goals and reducing their carbon footprints.
5. The workplace as an experience will drive building management  – The Great Resignation has made it apparent that people prioritize their physical and mental health when choosing employment. These choices will also be aligned with the building environments in which they might find themselves working. Since the future of work will likely be hybrid, employees will come to the office with focused intentions. Since many people will continue to have the option to work remotely, the office will instead need to provide a space for specific uses – i.e., in-person client meetings or team collaborations. In this way, the office becomes a destination for meaningful and purposeful interactions.

Read the full article on FacilitiesNet.com, here.

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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