What Are Cognitive Buildings?
Buildings are generally thought of as static ‘containers’ that are occupied by humans, activities, and objects. However, buildings are extraordinarily complex, dynamic objects that contain dozens of sophisticated sub-systems.
A modern, cutting-edge building can be so complex that it emulates the systems within the human body. Modern buildings are beginning to have central data centers (i.e. “brains”) and are referred to as “cognitive buildings.”
This article explains the definition of a cognitive building, how these cognitive ‘brains’ aim to function with existing systems, and how they will shape the smart buildings of the future.
Buildings and the Human Body
Modern buildings contain highly complex plumbing, ventilation, electrical, waste-disposal, structural, exterior, and maintenance systems. These are metaphorically akin to the human body’s circulation, respiratory, nervous, digestive, skeletal, integumentary, and endocrine systems.
For example, the human body’s circulation system uses the heart to provide blood to organs and temperature regulation systems. Similarly, building plumbing systems use pumps to provide water to fixtures like sinks, toilets, and drinking fountains while also providing water to hydronic (heating/cooling) systems such as water heaters, chillers, and variable air volume (VAV) units.
Similar to how the brain controls the heart, lungs, and human senses, building management systems (BMS) control complex building sub-systems such as pumps, ventilation units, and smart-building IoT sensors . Yet historically, BMS were programmatic and relatively unsophisticated compared to the human brain.
The Advent of Cognitive Buildings
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology combined with smart building IoT systems now aim to replace standard building management systems to not only regulate and control building subsystems, but understand them and provide intelligent insights and recommended actions for improving them.
In Amsterdam’s technologically groundbreaking smart building, The Edge, which is widely regarded as the greenest and most intelligent building on the planet, the neurological system that makes up the building and its BMS comprises over 28,000 sensors. These sensors educate the building’s neural network to inform the sub-systems to dynamically adjust based on building occupancy. Even more impressively, this AI network also informs the building’s current and future occupants where to occupy so that the building can run as efficiently as possible.
Each occupant of The Edge is equipped with a smart device that is integrated with their daily calendar, known collaborators, and expected occupational habits. Based on the collective needs of the building’s occupants and processes, The Edge will dictate the spaces and rooms that are actively available for occupancy in real-time.
Subsequently, The Edge’s cognitive network will activate and regulate the complex ventilation, heating, cooling, lighting, and security systems to efficiently permit occupiable spaces. The lighting system throughout the building is powered by the same cables that provide internet throughout the building. These lights also boast motion, light, temperature, humidity, and infrared sensors. When connected to the building’s BMS AI network, this ‘digital ceiling’ is like the nerves in human skin and muscles, constantly collecting data and actioning the needs of the building.
Cognitive Buildings of the Future
Smart buildings such as The Edge are a step towards the fully automated and cognitive smart buildings of future. Intelligent buildings like the BEEAH headquarters , which opened in the United Arab Emirates in May 2022, boast AI facial recognition security, an AI concierge, a virtual personal assistant, predictive maintenance, contactless navigation, comfort control, and many more cognitive smart building features.
As buildings such as The Edge and the BEEAH headquarters continue to evolve and improve, the next generation of cognitive buildings will continue to push the bleeding edge of AI and IoT technology TO create more sustainable, efficient, and optimized smart buildings of the future.
