| Since the Industrial Revolution, it has been a goal of | | | | and insulation are also being made more ecologically |
| architects to create buildings and homes that can | | | | friendly with the reduction of the amount of toxins |
| automatically adjust and respond to the people inside | | | | that they once contained. |
| and the environment outside. These functions of | | | | Part of living or working in a smart building is having |
| these intelligent buildings were originally conceived for | | | | the facility immediately respond to your needs. A |
| the purpose of making life easier for the inhabitants, | | | | facility's subsystem can learn the lifestyle and |
| but over time, advances in modern technology has | | | | behavior of its occupants and, over time, can |
| seen these once dreamed of features become | | | | respond automatically to adjust the indoor |
| reality. | | | | environment to his or her liking. For example, |
| The rapid growth of suburbia after World War II | | | | someone who always adjusts the thermostat to a |
| created a boom of homes that incorporated | | | | certain temperature at bedtime, and again when they |
| energy-efficiency in their design. During the computer | | | | wake up in the morning, can have that action |
| age of the late 1970's through the 1980's and 90's, it | | | | "learned" by the subsystem and it will work to adjust |
| became possible to control certain functions of a | | | | the air temperature at those times. Even something |
| home through a central, remote location. Today, | | | | as simple as having the television turned on when |
| those energy efficient building practices are combined | | | | you arrive home can be programmed into a smart |
| with a environmentally friendly building materials and | | | | building. Other more extensive examples include a |
| techniques, as well as a building management system | | | | building that can sense seismic activity, such as a |
| that reduces energy consumption and improves the | | | | small earthquake, and perform a computerized |
| quality of life of its inhabitants. | | | | structural assessment to predicatively compensate |
| A smart building works efficiently to control air quality | | | | for any vulnerability. |
| and temperature, maximizing its output of clean air, | | | | Building management systems can sense the |
| while minimizing the amount of environmentally | | | | movement in a facility and can monitor temperature |
| harmful byproducts. Using as little energy as possible, | | | | spikes (as in a fire or something about to catch fire), |
| or creating its own sustainable energy through the | | | | chemical leaks, mechanical breakdowns, etc. All this |
| use of solar panels or wind turbines, an intelligent | | | | can be done wirelessly, though wifi systems that are |
| facility can store excess electricity for future use or | | | | easily installed and require very little in terms of |
| sell it to the power company to aid in the electrical | | | | installation and maintenance. |
| needs of the community. | | | | Advances in technology have made our lives |
| Using building materials that are locally manufactured | | | | extremely easier and allows us to get things done |
| cuts down on the emissions of transportation | | | | quickly and more efficiently. Our living and working |
| vehicles. Some new construction materials require | | | | facilities have benefited from these technological |
| very little cleanup, resulting in less waste for our | | | | breakthroughs, and as a result, so has our |
| landfills. Other construction necessities like adhesives | | | | environment. |