Sustainable intelligent buildings for people: A review

Intelligent buildings need to be sustainable (i.e. sustain their performance for future generations), healthy and technologically up to date; meet regulatory demands; meet the needs of the occupants; and be flexible and adaptable enough to deal with change. Buildings will contain a variety of systems devised by many people, and yet the relationship between buildings and people can only work satisfactorily if there is integration between the supply- and demand-side stakeholders as well as between the occupants, the systems and the building. To achieve this, systems thinking is essential in planning, design and management, together with the ability to create and innovate while remaining practical (see Glossary). The ultimate objective should be simplicity rather than complexity. This requires not only technical ability but also the powers of interpretation, imagination and even intuition. Building Regulations can stifle creativity but are necessary to set a minimum level of expectation and obey health and s...