Application of technology in smart buildings and cities

By Elías Cedillo Hernández
Grupo Be IT and BuróMC CEO.

Talking about smart buildings or cities is just one part of the technological evolution in construction. Today, there are not only smart buildings like the Warren Koyo I, built in 2021, whose efficiency surpasses what was achievable 15 years ago. Countries like Japan not only have smart buildings but also smart cities, such as Woven City, located at the foot of Mount Fuji—a project by Toyota—or Fujisawa, a former Panasonic factory town equipped with solar panels and intelligent monitoring systems, home to around 2,000 people.

The implementation of technology in smart buildings and cities is on the rise, aiming to improve efficiency and the quality of life for residents and occupants.
According to the “Smart Buildings Market Trends” study by Mordor Intelligence, the market value in 2023 was approximately $82.85 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.96%. This suggests that we are heading toward greater adoption of these spaces in the coming years.
What can we gain from the implementation of visible and invisible technology in the construction of smart buildings and cities? To understand this, it’s useful to distinguish between two concepts: “smart” buildings and "intelligent" convergent buildings. While both types use advanced technology, the main difference lies in how they are managed and operated.
In a “smart” building, users program the systems to operate optimally according to their preferences. In contrast, an "intelligent" convergent building has the capability to detect and process information on its own, automatically adjusting its systems to achieve the best performance.

For a building to truly be an "intelligent" convergent building, it needs sensors that capture data from the external environment and communication pathways that transport this information to the building or city's “brain,” which can be located on-site or in the cloud.
It must also have machine learning algorithms to process this data and determine the optimal actions to take, achieving better performance of the building or city’s resources.

Panduit, one of our partners, mentions in its article “Infrastructure for Smart Building Technologies” that implementing an intelligent convergent building can generate savings of up to 30% compared to a smart building with similar functionality. Grupo Arqual, a leader in the architectural industry in Mexico, notes that buildings can now incorporate advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT). These tools enable efficient management of critical aspects such as security, accessibility, and energy efficiency. For example, IoT sensors collect real-time data to automatically adjust lighting, climate control, and security systems, achieving up to 15% energy savings and a 25% reduction in maintenance costs. In summary, the evolution towards smart buildings and cities represents not just a technological advancement but also an opportunity to improve quality of life and sustainability in our communities. The integration of advanced technologies promises a future where the spaces in which we live and work are more efficient, secure, and adaptive to our needs.