RIBS is the fancy acronym of my research topic – “RIBS: Relationship between Intelligent Buildings and Sustainability”. This research is a step towards my ambitious dream to identify an optimised solution of sustainability and intelligence in buildings that will help the agenda of comfort, safety, security, energy efficiency, and monetary savings in a technologically advanced world. The main focus of this study is to determine a connection between building intelligence and energy consumption as well as users’ perception of comfort in an intelligent space.
The twenty first century is an era of technological progress termed as the Information/ Digital age and has spread its reach in all the possible fields known to mankind. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that the architecture and building industry have also been dramatically altered in this age. The study of current advancements and the speculations for the future have already established intelligent buildings as a current novel approach and a norm for the future. It has been foreseen that “by 2020 the majority of new buildings being constructed around the world, and many that are being refurbished, will be increasingly intelligent”. On the other hand with problems such as global warming, resource depletion, deforestation, irresponsible urbanisation, etc. plaguing the planet; sustainable development is one of the rising issues of concern. Buildings are responsible for at least 40% of energy consumption in most countries. And as energy prices climb and the focus on environmental performance intensifies, buildings will have to make extra efforts to steer towards the sustainable way. Since intelligent buildings are the current trend, and the future foresees a huge growth potential, their being sustainable can make a huge positive difference on the environment. Ideally this implicates that if intelligent buildings are our future and so is the need for sustainability then it would benefit to have an integration of both and strive towards common goals.
The main reason for doing this particular research is its timely nature in todays world and the expertise I bring to Green Labs through my work. I visualise the Green Labs as a practical manifestation of my research by integrating architectural design, green technologies and intelligent building systems as a pragmatic approach leading towards the holistic sustainability aspect. This is the first blog related to my research and I will be mapping its progress through more blogs to come!
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Good luck on your research. Without a doubt, a new age of building systems that can both regulate conditions as well as inform occupants will be instrumental tools in doing more with less. At the same time, I think it’s important to remember that these technologies are tools, not solutions.
Sustainability is not a technological fix to supplement a wasteful lifestyle. On the contrary, sustainability is the lifestyle. It’s a mantra of existence based on notions of stasis and balance. In looking at the relationship that we have and will have with the spaces that we occupy, our homes and offices, should we be making the home intelligent in the hopes that it trumps the ignorance of its occupants? Or should we be making the home intelligent enough that it teaches the occupants about living more sustainably?
At the end of the day, the biggest advances in making our society more sustainable will come from us choosing to live in a more sustainable way. It is not something we can innovate our way out of.
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