Smart buildings are no longer the preserve of premium corporate office stock or super prime apartment developments. More and more we are seeing Build To Rent (BTR) and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) providers implementing robotics, automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms to enhance the residents experience.

This can include fitting virtual assistance devices to interact with conversational AI platforms that contact concierge, book exercise classes or even report faults within the residential until such as a lack of heating, air conditioning or water leaks. Through a series of APIs (Application Programme Interfaces) these can be linked with field service management platforms to issue work orders for engineer attendance – this can be vital in speeding up engineer attendance and fault rectification, reducing collateral damage from a system fault.

We are also seeing further interactions with building Mechanical and Electrical systems such as the installation of solenoid valves that isolate water systems within an apartment if there is no movement detected for 24 hours. When you consider the extensive damage that can occur from even a minor water leak if an apartment is vacant for a weak, these low-cost interventions can prove themselves invaluable in no time.

The key with AI is to have clarity on what you are looking to achieve, or which real world problems you are keen to solve. All to often with the ‘art of the possible’ associated with smart buildings, much like with our smart phones and their almost infinite number of apps available, it is easy to lose track of what you are actually looking to achieve and be blinded by the latest marketing pitch – I mean, just how many retro arcade games do you actually need before your phone memory becomes full?

If you are considering deploying an AI platform within your development, our team are always on hand to offer free and impartial advise upon the practical uses and benefits within the BTR and PBSA sectors.