'Intelligent buildings not a distant dream'

Mumbai, May 13: Time is not far when your office greets you by recognising your fingertips and sensing the number of your guests to adjust the room temperature.

Intelligent buildings--a concept that took birth in United States in the early 1980's-- are the latest entrants in Indian architecture and have turned out to be the latest trend-setters in the rapid-expanding real estate industry.

Termed as smart buildings, such constructions are known for using high-end technology and extensive application of electronics to enable itself to react automatically to conditions and situations around them and is considered to be highly energy efficient.

Categorised as a top-rung building management system to control, monitor and optimise in-house services like lighting, heating, security, alarms, access control, ventilation and air-conditioning, the buildings ensure hi-tech safety, telecommunication and automation systems to the customer in a cost effective manner.

On sensing movements in the building, the lights will automatically switch on and will go off after detecting the termination of motion.

''In the expanding domestic real estate market, the entry of the new generation intelligent buildings is expected to create revolutions since they offer high-end technological benefits to customers at a reasonable cost'', said Kumar Pritamdas Gera, Managing Director of Gera Developments Limited, which had launched an intelligent building project for the first time in Goa.

The company had also completed two more projects in India-Cognizant Technology Solutions building in Chennai and closer home, Gera Legend in Pune, he said.

The automatic censoring has also been designed to monitor the electrical supply, generators, elevators and water supply in the apartment.

The system also monitors the generator diesel and coolant levels and water levels in both the overhead and the underground water tanks.

Intelligent buildings will also have in-built access control systems and biometric access control where fingerprint recognition locks eliminate the need for numerous keys.

The hardware and software components of the automation network will be furnished by a single supplier who would use compatible equipment and common Central Processing Units.

Intelligent buildings provides a productive and cost-effective environment through optimisation of its four basic elements - structure, systems, services and management - and the interrelationships between them.

The technology is likely to benefit business owners, property managers and occupants to realise their goals in the areas of cost, comfort, convenience, safety, long-term flexibility and marketability, said industry sources.

UNI