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Owajionyi L. Frank / AARCHES J 6(3) 2007

INTELLIGENT BUILDING CONCEPT:

the challenges for building practitioners in the 21st century
Owajionyi L. FRANK

Department of Architecture, Rivers State University of Science and Technology,

Port Harcourt
____________________________________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT: The concept of intelligent building started at the early 1980s in the United States of
America. Today, it has become a household name in the developed world. Intelligent buildings are
designed and managed to meet the changing environmental, business and human needs. They create
environments, which enable their users to achieve their objectives and enhance the potentials of
occupants while allowing efficient management of resources with minimum lifetime cost. Though
started in the 1980s, but fully developed in the 1990s, there are yet many people (professionals in the
building industry and non-professionals alike) who do not clearly understand the concept of "Intelligent
Building ", even in the developed world. There has not been sufficient education or enlightenment on this
style of inter-disciplinary approach to architecture, which could be called a "nouveau-post-modern
style". Here in Nigeria and other parts of the third world, the term 'intelligent building' leaves so many,
particularly those outside the building industry to wonder how an assemblage of inanimate building
materials and components can be intelligent. This paper therefore seeks to offer summarized and
simplified explanations of the concept of Intelligent Building. It also seeks to enlighten both the private
and corporate building developers on the emergent high-tech, environmental friendly, safe and
automated buildings, with effective telecom systems, and brings to fore, some challenges it poses to
building practitioners in Nigeria in the 21s' century.

Key words: automated, building, environment, intelligent, inter-disciplinary.


Owajionyi L. Frank / AARCHES J 6(3) 2007
INTRODUCTION
The concept of intelligent building was born in the
United States of America in the early 1980s (Climate
World, 2006). The first ever intelligent building in the
world, according to China Intelligent Building
Technology Information Network (C1BTIN) (2002)
was built in Hartford in the United States in 1984.
That notwithstanding, there has not been a clearly
defined concept of what is to be considered an
intelligent building even till date. Those outside the
construction industry often wonder how an assembly
of inanimate building materials can be intelligent,
even members of the industry, especially developers
and owners. Some see buildings furnished with the
latest technology as being intelligent.
C o g g a n ( 2 0 0 3 ) c i t e d t h e Engineering
Digest of November 1985 to have carried an article
showing how steel framing and cellular steel flooring
have contributed to building intelligence. By this time
also, several other mimeographs including Business
Week magazine had carried more articles on the
intelligent building business. Consequently, from the
mid-1980s, intelligent building had taken over the
property market adverts scene in the United States.
More people were being made to see (and lease) any
new building with the latest technologies as intelligent.
Even though the intelligent building notion has
been on for some years, there is not really a
universally acceptable definition of "intelligent
building". One definition, which resulted from the
International Symposium on "Intelligent Building",
May 28-29, 1985 in Toronto say: "an intelligent
building combines innovations, technological or
not, with skilful management, to maximize
return- on investment "(Coggan, 1997).
The Intelligent Building Institute in the United
States has proposed thus; "an intelligent building
is one that provides a productive and cost-
effective environment through optimization of its
four basic elements - structure, systems, services
and management, and the interrelationships
between them. Intelligent buildings help business
owners, property managers and occupants to realize
their goals in the areas of cost, comfort,
convenience, safety, long-term flexibility and
107
marketability (Coggan, 2003). Such definition
certainly leads to a broader meaning - overall
performance, not only of the building itself, but
also of the entire construction process.
An intelligent building maximizes the comfort
and productivity of its occupants and allows
building managers to manage their resources
effectively with minimal lifetime cost. This is
achieved through the integration of building and
office automation, information technology, and
advanced telecommunication systems (Temasek
Polytechnic, 2003). The new trend in intelligent
buildings is concentrated on both economic and
environmental sensitive developments. Flexibility
and low energy consumption have become the
issues, which must be addressed, to cope with the
fast growing technology and ever changing of the
modern world.
This paper examines the many complications
surrounding the definition of intelligent building
and attempts to summarize them into more
simplified, clearer and un-ambiguous terms. It also
seeks to enlighten both the private and corporate
building developers on this emergent high-tech,
environmental friendly, safe and automated buildings,
with effective telecom systems, and bring to fore,
some challenges it poses to building practitioners, in
Nigeria in the 21st century.
OBJECTIVES
The paper aims at realizing the following
objectives:
1.) Explains in simplified, clear and un-
ambiguous terms, the concept of Intelligent
Buildings.
2.) X-rays a few of the challenges that the
intelligent buildings concept pose for
building practitioners , particularly,
designers, trainers & trainees alike in this 21st
century.
3) Encourages further research works on this inter-
disciplinary concept within the developing nations,
particularly in Nigeria, and also redirect
designers and developers towards building

Owajionyi L. Frank / AARCHES J 6(3) 2007
intelligently as a means of sustainability in the
building sector.
INTELLIGENT BUILDING CONCEPT
DEFINED
Within the last two decades, there have been
several discussions and debates about the Intelligent
Building concept. Efforts have been made at
defining and quantifying what constitutes an
intelligent building, the result being that intelligent
building is not just one thing (Ehrlich, 2005). Climate
World (2006) also establishes the fact that there has
not been a universally acceptable, single and precise
definition of what intelligent building is.
Hands-on-Guide (2007) defines intelligent
building in the intelligent building dictionary as
"a building that integrates technology and process
to create a facility that is safe, more comfortable
and productive for its occupants, and more
operationally efficient for its owners. Advanced
technology combined with improved processes for
design, construction and operations provide a
superior indoor environment that improves
occupant comfort and productivity while reducing
energy consumption and operation staffing."
Other definitions of intelligent building are as
follows:
i) "A building and its infrastructure providing
the owner, operator a n d o c c u p a n t w i t h
a n environment that is flexible, effective,
comfortable and secure through the use
of integrated technological building
systems, c o m m u n i c a t i o n s and
con tro l." (Con tinenta l Automated
Building Association CABA, 2002).
ii) ''Use of technology and process to create
a building that is safer and more productive
for its o c c u p a n t s and more
operationally efficient for its owners”
(Ehrlich, 2005).
iii) "An intelligent building provides a
sustainable, responsive, effective
& supportive environment within which
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individuals and organizations can
achieve their objectives". (Intelligent
Building Group, n.d.)
iv) "An intelligent building creates an
environment which enables organizations to
achieve their objectives and enhance the
potential of occupants while allowing
efficient management of resources with
minimum lifetime cost". (University of
Reading, 2003)
v) "Intelligent building aims to promote the
construction of buildings which are both
more responsive to users' needs and much
more adaptable to changes inevitably
demanded by future or by current users as
their requirements change" (University of
Reading, 2003)
vi) "An intelligent building maximizes the
comfort and productivity of its occupants and
allows building managers to manage their
resources effectively with minimal lifetime
cost” (Temasek Polytechnic, 2003).
vii) "Intelligent buildings should be: an
investment-justified, highly efficient,
quite comfortable, convenient, very
safe space, provided through optimized
design of the four elements of buildings
structure, system, service and management,
and internal relations among them " (CIBTIN,
2002).
viii) "A building that in some way can sense its
environment, reach decisions about the state
of that environment and communicate those
decisions. In practice this should mean that a
'building can adjust some aspect of the
interior or exterior environment in
response to a change in some o t h e r
aspect of that environment"
(WIKIPEDIA, 2003).
ix) "An automated system that:

Owajionyi L. Frank / AARCHES J 6(3) 2007
- Senses what is going on indoors and
outdoors.
- Reacts to ensure, in the most efficient
way, safe and comfortable stay in it
minimizing amount of energy and resources
consumed.
- Interacts with people by means of
simple and easily accessible
communication channels." (Climate
World, 2006)
It is therefore evident that an intelligent building is
not just one thing; it is understood differently by
different people, but with some very clear cut themes
running through the various definitions/descriptions;
- an automated or computerized building,
- centrally controlled and managed,
- designed to ensure safety, comfort and
productivity for its occupants,
- ability to sense and react to the
environment,
- energy efficiency and
- life-time cost effectiveness.
However, it is not strange noting the diverse and
varying definitions of what intelligent building is,
because architecture itself is a subjective subject;
different approaches by different persons to
solving the same problems and achieving a
common end result.
In a simple and clear term, one can summarise
these definitions and explanations thus:
An intelligent building is a computer aided
(automated) building that is designed and
centrally managed to ensure safety, comfort and
productivity for its occupants as well as energy
efficiency, through sensing and communication
devices, thereby enhancing long-term
sustainability at minimal running cost.
Other terms which could be interchangeably
used to describe intelligent buildings are Smart
Buildings and Automated buildings,
HIGH TECH. AND INTER
DISCIPLINARY CONCEPT OF
INTELLIGENT BUILDING
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DESIGN, AND BUILDING
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The driving idea that led to conception
of intelligent building could be dated as far back to
the 1970's, when the industrial sector introduced
automated production processes to optimize plant
performance. This system and control concept
and application were then adapted, developed and
modularized in the 1980's, enabling transferability
of the technology and systems to residential and
commercial developments (Mills, 2004). This
system encompasses an enormous variety of
technologies. It cuts across numerous special
technologies; it is inter-disciplinary.
The aspect of Building Management
Systems is the central focus of Intelligent
Buildings concept; its purpose is to control, monitor
and optimize building services such as, Lighting,
Heating, Security, Close Circuit TV & Alarm
Systems. It also includes areas such as Access
Control, Audio-Visual & Entertainment Systems,
Ventilation, Filtration & Climate Control, etc.
Building Management system also could control
Staff Availability and Movement (attendance
control and reporting) (Mills, 2004)
According to Coggan (1997), intelligent
buildings use computers extensively and are
high-technology related. In fact, the National
Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC had a
committee dealing with "electronically enhanced."
This electronic view of intelligence addresses four
groups: ft Energy efficiency
 Life-safety systems
 Telecommunications systems
 Workplace automation
The ultimate dream in the design of an
intelligent building has always been to integrate
the four operating areas into one single
computerized system. This therefore involves
multi-professional participation right from the
project planning stage.
Integrating high technology into buildings is done
for three main purposes:- Efficiency, Employee
productivity and job satisfaction and Environmental

Owajionyi L. Frank / AARCHES J 6(3) 2007
concerns.
Energy Efficiency
Intelligence with respect to energy in an
intelligent building consists of the reduction of
energy use to the barest minimum. Computerized
systems are used extensively. Such systems go by
many names: Building Automation System (BAS),
Energy Management System (EMS), Energy
Management and Control System (EMCS), Central
Control and Monitoring System (CCMS) and
Facilities Management System (FMS).
One form of energy management system is
that which initiates responses to breakdowns
immediately by registering alarms for off-normal
conditions found in the building. This leads to a
more efficient maintenance of buildings,
fewer breakdowns, comfort and cost effectiveness.
In energy efficiency system, lighting and power
needs of the building are coordinated from a central
computer system, usually through pre-programmed
sensory device(s)
Life Safety System
Intelligence with respect to life safety in an
intelligent building consists of the use of high
technology to maximize the performance of fire
alarm and security systems while at the same time
minimizing costs (Coggan, 2000). Life-safety
factors involved in intelligent buildings are:
 Reduced manpower dependence
 Closed-circuit television
 Card access control (Smart Card System)
 Smoke detection
 Intrusion alarms
 Emergency control of elevators, HVAC
systems, doors UPS.
Telecommunications Systems
Intelligence with respect to
telecommunications in an intelligent building
consists of the offering to tenants of many
sophisticated telecom features at a considerably
reduced cost due to the fact that many users share the
equipment. Some of the telecom features involved
110
in intelligent buildings are:
 PBX telephone system
 Cablevision
 Videotext
 Electronic mail
Workplace automation
Intelligence with respect to workplace
automation in an intelligent building consists of the
use of high-tech office automation system to render
the operation of a company more efficient. This can be
done at a reduced cost to tenants by virtue of the
equipment being shared. Some of the factors
involved in workplace automation in intelligent
buildings are:
 Centralized Data Processing
 Word Processing
 Computer Aided Design
 Information Services
Another aspect of work place Automation is to
address the use of computer programs to provide
coordination of the many building subsystems
involved, in the regulating of the interior thermal
environment of the building and providing power to
all building systems. The goal is usually to reduce
the operating cost of the building(s) while
maintaining the desired environment for the
occupants. Because of the many sub-systems
contributing to the energy costs of operating a
building, these computer programs can be
extremely complex. They can extend well beyond
the current Building Automation Systems (BAS)
that typically address issues of energy savings by
reducing systems control of unoccupied spaces, and
shedding loads to prevent electrical utility demand
charges (Wikipedia,2003).
Opportunities for integrating other sub-
systems into the overall Mechanical and Electrical
Systems of intelligent buildings include:
 Active control of traditionally
passive elements such as glazing or
wall thermal transmission.
 Anticipatory strategies e.g.
incorporating weather forecasts into
control strategies or incorporation of
utility cost or demand forecasts into

Owajionyi L. Frank / AARCHES J 6(3) 2007
the operation.
 Adaptive learning continuous
learning from the building occupants
and adapting control strategies.
 Individual occupant tracking
tracking building occupants and
adapting the building systems
proactively to their demands.
 Fault detection, notification and
adaptation for equipment,
particularly critical equipment in the
mechanical and electrical systems
(Wikipedia2003).
 Beyond these energy-focused
applications of the intelligent
building concept there are many
other possible uses for similar
strategies. Some possibilities include:
 Building Security
 Usage charges for building facilities
 Way finding within the building
 Lighting customization to
provide different moods
 Preventive maintenance tracking
of building materials.
Some Aspects of Intelligent Building
Components in Nigeria
Some authors describe intelligent building as the
building for the future. That future is already here.
Although this paper did not carry out detailed study of
intelligent buildings in Nigeria, it noted that some
prominent buildings possesses semblance of
intelligence or some components and fittings are
intelligent. From the different description of what
intelligent building is as described in chapter 3
above, proves that even in the developed countries,
no single building possesses all aspects of
intelligent building.
The commonest and about the foremost
aspect of intelligence in buildings is the sensor
controlled glass doors which are available in many
public buildings. The close circuit television
system used to monitor selected parts of the
interior and immediate exterior spaces has also
111
been available in buildings where high security is
essential. Super markets and departmental shops in
Nigeria use it a lot. Recently hotels and some
companies access their hotel rooms and offices by
the use smart cards. In the Federal Palace Hotel in
Lagos for instance, the same smart card is used 1^
by guest to open the room door and to switch on the
light in the room. Another common aspect today is
the use of a mobile remote or an in-built sensor to
open the gate into a premises, sometimes also
through smart cards.
It is clear that very soon building
practitioners in Nigeria and indeed all over the
world will begin to look in the direction of
intelligent building, if their works will need to be
relevant in the property market.
THE CHALLENGE FOR OUR
BUILDING PRACTITIONERS IN
NIGERIA
Currently there has not been any building work in
Nigeria that is truly and completely intelligent.
Research work in this area appears not to be
available. Even in the United States, research works
became prominent from this millennium, though
there has been some publications in the form of
mimeographs and adverts in magazines, later, on-
line publications. Design, construction and
marketing of intelligent buildings could not gain
grounds in the developed nations until the 1990's.
It is therefore a responsibility on the building
practitioners; designers, builders, proprietors,
managers and researchers in Nigeria and indeed
other parts of the developing world to key-in to
this concept of nouveau-postmodern
architecture because very soon all over the
world, buildings without intelligence would be out
of fashion and eventually difficult to lease and
manage. This therefore poses some challenges to
practitioners in the building industry.
Designers: Building designers are also encouraged
to explore the advantages of online services through
the Internet to educate them on the current
technology if they want to remain relevant. -Short
courses are available in some universities in

Owajionyi L. Frank / AARCHES J 6(3) 2007
Singapore and the UK and other developed
countries. The School of Construction
Management and Engineering of the University
of Reading offer an M.Sc. in Intelligent Building
without a career break, taken in 8 modules spread
through a period of two to five years. Specialized
professionals, outside the country in the area of
building systems could also be brought in at the
conception stage.
Builders: As designers develop this new concept
and introduce it to the construction market, the
builders or contractors will be faced with the
challenges of building as designed. A new method
of construction will evolve; all spaces may need
to be interconnected with conduits, some
electrical and fire installations might need to come
up earlier than usual, etc. Generally. there is going
to be new challenges in the building construction
technology.
Proprietors: Building proprietors; private or
corporate will now be faced with the challenge of
sourcing for more funds as the initial cost of making
the building intelligent is bound to be higher than
normal. A lot of satisfaction is going to be enjoyed
by the building owners as they see their end product
meeting the needs of users, thus making life easier
for them. Old buildings, which are not intelligent,
will gradually fade out the property market.
Researchers: Building researchers and educators
will be challenged by this paper to investigate more
into building intelligently. They are the pivot and
vanguard of development in any society.
They therefore should be fully abreast of this
nouveau concept and should also explore the
short term training opportunities enumerated
above, to develop their perception of the concept.
Training in architecture needs to emphasize more
training in the computer education.
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CONCLUSION
The intelligent building concept is summarized in
this paper to mean a computer aided (automated)
building that is designed and centrally managed to
ensure, safety, comfort and productivity for its
occupants as well as energy efficiency, through
sensing and communication .(Devices, thereby
enhancing long-term sustainability at minimal
running cost. In a very clear term therefore,
intelligent building is a combination of
Architectural, Electrical and General Building
Services skills and the mastery of information
technology to achieve a functional, comfortable
and safe building that reduces the lifetime cost. It
would not be out of place to call it a computerized
building, though it requires a lot more than just
computers. In its most general sense, it should
mean a building that in some way can sense its
environment, reach decisions about the state of that
environment and communicate those decisions; the
building can adjust some aspect of the interior
or exterior environment in response to a change
in some other aspects of that environment. With
this style of design, building maintenance will be
prompt and avoidable.
It is not debatable that this is the way forward for
building design and construction in this
millennium. This paper therefore becomes
imperative as it is bound to agitate or redirect
designers and developers in Nigeria and other
developing nations towards building intelligently as
a means of sustainability in the building sector.
Building researchers and trainers alike would be
roused to do more work in this area, thus
contributing towards speedy maturity of the
Intelligent Building Concept.
REFERENCES
China Intelligent Building Technology
Information Network (CIBTIN)
(2002): Accessed: November 4,
2003. http ://www. ib-china. com/
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Climate World (2006): Intelligent ("smart") Association (CABA) (2002): "Best

building at to "Climate World" Practice Guide for Evaluating
Intelligent Building Technologies"
E x h i b i t i o n . http://www.cl Accessed: September 6,2007.
imatexpo.co m/topics/sm art/ http://www.caba.org Ehrlich, P. E. (2005):
"What is an Intelligent Building?"
Coggan, D. A. (1997): "How can Buildings Be Accessed: September 6,2007.
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4,2003http://www.coggan.com mi-mOBPR/is .

Coggan, D. A. (2000): "Intelligent Buildings Simply HandsonGuide (2007): "Intelligent

Explained Accessed: N o v e m b e r 2, Building" Intelligent Building Dictionary.
2 0 0 3 . http://www.coggan.com Coggan, Accessed: September 6,2007.
D. A. (2003): "Smart Buildings" Accessed: http://intelligent-building-
November 4,2003. dictionarv.com/words.php/t/iritelligent
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Owajionyi L. Frank / AARCHES J 6(3) 2007