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internet of things ARCHIVE

Tag Archive for: internet of things

Spiral 926736 640

Towards the Circular Economy through Urban Innovation

November 16, 2018/in Insights/by Lucy Matchett

In an article featured by PLACETECH, Lucy Matchett, Senior Consultant at Hillbreak, shares lessons from Amsterdam on ways in which innovative design and technology are being deployed to advance the circular economy.

The Netherlands is renowned for innovation and creative responses to global megatrends. For example, and despite geographic constraints, The Netherlands has recently become the world’s second largest exporter of food by value, second only to the United States, which has 270 times its landmass’[i]. It has also been paving the way for high tech water management for a number of years, as much of the country sits below sea level[ii]. Now, its cities must respond anew to the opportunities and challenges posed by urbanisation and population growth, despite already being one of the most densely populated countries in the world[iii].

Is the circular economy the solution?

The circular economy offers The Netherlands a solution to these unprecedented challenges. Understanding that the current model of economic growth is unsustainable and detrimental to society, the circular economy is a restorative and regenerative alternative[iv]. Based on a system which decouples ‘economic activity from the consumption of finite resources’[v], the circular economy encourages value to be found in typical waste materials and products. The Netherlands see this approach as a viable alternative to economic growth and prosperity for its citizens. The growth in population and further urbanisation without this paradigm shift would otherwise lead to environmental degradation, pollution and, potentially, social unrest as people compete for limited space, food and commodities.

The Netherlands therefore have chosen to develop a circular economy by 2050[vi]. Within the geographic constraints of their cities, a circular economic model would help to ensure that growth is sustainable. For example, in Amsterdam and Utrecht alone, it is expected that population figures will be 150,000 greater in both cities by 2040 (growing to 950,000 and 450,000 respectively). Beyond the binary growth opportunities this will bring for the market, how this impacts the real estate sector will be realised in two key ways: first in the design of buildings and the products within them for re-use and longevity (otherwise known as cradle to cradle design[vii]); and secondly, in the shared use of space and amenities.

How is the Dutch real estate market responding?

The Edge Olympic[viii]and Bajes Kwartier[ix]in Amsterdam are two great examples of how the circular economy is being integrated as both projects are renovating and reactivating areas that are already part of the city fabric. The Edge Olympic is Edge Technologies’ 11,117 sq m Grade A office, whilst Bajes Kwartier is an exciting redevelopment of a 1970s prison into a mixed-use quarter. Both developments, although at different scales, have firstly considered the re-use of buildings already positioned within the city, and then additionally, the flexibility of that space once redeveloped.

The result is a modern ‘inspiring workplace’ at The Edge Olympic which has used a smart, digital infrastructure to allow occupiers of the building to optimally utilise the space in the building. This type of building management not only improves the accessibility of the space, but also leads to energy efficiencies too, with comfort control being demand-led, taking into consideration real-time occupational density and personal comfort preferences.

At Bajes Kwartier, the circular economic model is being advanced through a number of different approaches. One example of how flexibility will be achieved is through the planned shared amenities and sustainable mobility. Smart landscape planning, for example, will ensure adequate provisions of green space for all the occupants, despite limited private outdoor space. In addition, carefully curated transportation routes will ensure that shared vehicles and active alternatives (walking and cycling) are preferred.

Another example which has circular economy principles incorporated into the entire design, is The Circl, a novel gastronomic venture in Amsterdam[x]. Although a temporary use of space, this building shows what is possible when cradle to cradle principles are designed throughout a building. Built for future disassembly and re-use, this energy positive building worked with a number of suppliers to offer them long-term services rather than a one-off product which has enabled this building to use 60% fewer virgin materials. For example, Mitsubishi provided a lift service rather than a product which ensured they didn’t over specify the number of lifts in the building and have designed them to last with easily replaceable components.

The future of the circular economy within the real estate sector in particular will be enabled and will rely heavily on data. As this area evolves, the real estate sector will see exciting disruptions. MADASTER, based in Amsterdam, creates digital material passports[xi]which will allow manufacturers to give their materials an identity so that value can be recreated at the end of their current use. Applied successfully, this type of innovation could have implications from a regulatory perspective too, as authorities change from a system of taxing labour, to the taxation of materials to further reduce the use of virgin and non-renewable materials.

Is the circular economy the future?

The circular economy presents The Netherlands and other economies with a practical and desirable means of realising better growth and prosperity. What is already clear from the Dutch approach is that partnerships will form, and profitable business models will follow, once a compelling, overarching vision (to develop a circular economy by 2050) is in place.

These insights were gathered during a study tour of Amsterdam and Utrecht organised by the Urban Land Institute, a non-for-profit professional research body focused on creating leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities.

[i]https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/09/holland-agriculture-sustainable-farming/
[ii]https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/15/world/europe/climate-change-rotterdam.html
[iii]https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/information/facts-and-figures.htm
[iv]https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept
[v]https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept
[vi]https://www.government.nl/documents/policy-notes/2016/09/14/a-circular-economy-in-the-netherlands-by-2050
[vii]https://www.epea.com/cradle-to-cradle/
[viii]https://www.edge-olympic.com/
[ix]http://oma.eu/projects/bajes-kwartier
[x]https://circl.nl/themakingof/en/
[xi]https://www.madaster.com/nl
https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/spiral-926736_640.jpg 480 640 Lucy Matchett https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png Lucy Matchett2018-11-16 09:26:072019-01-14 22:04:56Towards the Circular Economy through Urban Innovation

The Age of #PropTech Dawns!

June 13, 2017/in Insights/by John Ratcliffe

Contrary to ‘populist’ opinion, ‘globalisation’ has not stopped. Digital convergence, oblivious of boundaries, has moved it ascendantly to the clouds. Vast streams of information and data constantly wash around our communication systems connecting everything, everywhere to everyone. This onslaught of the ‘Internet of Things’ is transforming the very way we live, work and play. So much so, that ‘connectivity’ has become the 4th utility, just as vital for subsistence, productivity and pleasure as water, gas and electricity. Ahead – perhaps even already – artificial intelligence, digital disruption and cyber systems will reorder the world.

Such hyperbole has become almost hackneyed over the past few years, especially in the fields of finance and banking where ‘FinTech’ is now familiar lexicon. The new buzzword around the realm of real estate, however, is ‘PropTech’, and though some aficionados in the spheres of property technology and innovation are showing some signs of PropTech fatigue, it is becoming clear that the next few years will witness some of the most thrilling and radical transformations and transitions that the real estate industry has ever seen. Truly, it is the Dawn of PropTech.

What is PropTech?

Whether it is in finance, banking, health, tourism, travel, energy, transportation, or even education and leisure, the prime reasons for using technology platforms are to speed things up, make them cheaper and the process more efficient. Despite some emergent signs in the early 2000’s, when the residential property market started to recognise the potential of technology to deliver ubiquity, transparency and efficiency to sales and lettings search in the sector, the real estate industry has seemed relatively slow to innovate and adapt.

Beneath the surface, however, significant change has progressively been taking place, and the complex, multi-various, competitive and high-value world of real estate is swiftly emerging from its outmoded and maladroit slumber as one of the hottest and fiercest fields for innovation, investment and entrepreneurship. Thus the term ‘PropTech’ is now sweeping around the media, innovation and real estate circles, spawning a multitude of new proficiencies and specialist start-ups concerned with inventing, adapting, refining and enhancing the range of services provided by the property industry in finding, funding, buying, selling, renting, sharing, building, occupying, heating and managing residential and commercial property.

The Driving Forces

Alongside speed, cost and efficiency, some of the major drivers and manifestations of change caused by technology on commercial real estate can be summarised as follows:

  • Smarter, and more holistic, tools are increasingly available; simplifying, synchronising and streamlining various stages of enquiry, selection, negotiation, completion and occupation throughout the property disposition and delivery processes.
  • The self-service culture permeating so many business sectors is impacting more and more upon the real estate industry. First, with residential, and more recently, commercial.
  • There is a changing dynamic in the nature of work and the needs of the workplace. Flexibility, adaptability and connectivity are the modern maxims in terms of location, layout and leasing. Wellbeing at work a developing watchword. And the pursuit of common standards, shared data sources and transactional transparency is quickening.
  • Blockchain, as “a platform for truth and trust”, could be set to revolutionise the world economy. An immutable, distributed database of digital assets, it is already transforming the financial services industry, and seems certain to impact on the commercial real estate business. It will: verify data swiftly and efficiently between collaborating parties; accelerate and authenticate workflow throughout real estate transactions; and, generally add value to all concerned through a seamless centralised system.
  • The power of artificial intelligence (AI), together with virtual and augmented reality (VR & AR), already familiar in the design and construction processes, is now spreading to sales, lettings and management functions across the real estate sectors. Cutting-edge and compatible user-interface  (UI) technology, in the form of apps and chatbots, is speeding-up enquiry and decision-making procedures. And, AI will assimilate ‘players’, preferences and performance to predict demand and supply, as well as pricing, probability and priorities.

What Next?

Apart from a hope and expectation that people will stop talking and writing about the ‘Uberization’ of the workplace, and a welcome inevitability that the very term ‘PropTech’ itself will start to disappear from the professional lexicon as technology oriented property usage becomes the norm, there are a number of issues and trends worthy of mention. Here are our top 10:

  1. First, and perhaps foremost, the promotion and implementation of ‘sustainable development’ in all its forms across the built environment will be fostered and furthered (e.g. location, transport, design, funding, energy, materials, space efficiency, and the like).
  2. Locational choice will be broadened, and split operations facilitated, with prospective occupiers able to site much, or even all, of their business operations in fringe central city areas or smaller towns.
  3. Adopting flexible work solutions such as co-working, live-and-work and serviced spaces, occupiers can adjust size, tenure and situation to meet their specific business development needs and generally use their property assets more efficiently.
  4. Smarter energy systems regarding both use and storage will give building owners and occupiers greater and greater control over costs and contingency.
  5. Advanced management frameworks and platforms will assist landlords in two ways: locally, by providing feedback from both the building services dashboard systems, as well as the more personalised tenants experience about the working environment (e.g. WeWork); and, universally, by reference to common platforms providing comparative evidence (e.g. Infabode).
  6. Whilst the world of work is succumbing to successive bouts of technological progress, corporations across the globe are having to compete in the ever-intensifying ‘war for talent’. Smarter spaces are also having to be made healthier, collegial and more convivial — humanised! Millennials, who will make up three-quarters of the workforce by 2025, constantly seek a more civilised as well as connected workplace. Again, however, the boundaries are blurred, for much of their desired cultural ambience has a technological source.
  7. The concept and practice of ‘crowdfunding’ for property investment and development has already commenced, initially in the residential sector (e.g. Property Partner), but there is likely to be massive growth across all sectors of the real estate industry over the next few years, especially in the commercial field (e.g. Transcendent Real Estate). The lending market, moreover, is already seeing the emergence of ‘frictionless’ mortgages, where digital technology has completely streamlined the process of house purchase through the use of online portals, easily accessible property data and electronic contracts.
  8. The title, role and function of “controllership” will burgeon. Not only will controllership be responsible for overseeing the integrity of an organisation’s financial processes, systems and delivery models; but, as a leading management consultancy avers: “increasingly world-class controllership functions will strategically leverage technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, manage risk and control costs to help drive enterprise performance through value-added capabilities.” (Deloitte Tech Trends, 2016).
  9. Unquestionably, as the impact of technology on property expands and develops, so too will the need for appropriate legislation and regulation. Money laundering, fraud, market manipulation, burglary and invasion of privacy, with a direct link to PropTech, have all been witnessed over the past few years. Collaboration and transparency between all parties within the real estate milieu must surely be the keywords for a sensible and secure framework to be devised and governed.
  10. The debate will continue to rage over whether AI is going to create or destroy jobs for humans!

The next few years will almost certainly witness a storm of start-ups, a deluge of data and digitisation, torrents of technological innovation, a maelstrom of mergers and a positive plethora of platforms. Above all, most assuredly, ‘agility’ will be the hallmark of successful property professionals over the period, combined with a mindset of collective endeavour and mutual enterprise. PropTech is, at heart, a collaborative community, and a new connected age has dawned for all.


Jon Lovell, co-founder of Hillbreak, will be moderating a panel at the ULI UK Tech Conference on 20 June, exploring the impacts of the tech revolution on the urban realm and ways in which cities, property organisations and government can harness the potential benefits.  

https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/board-453758_1280.jpg 577 850 John Ratcliffe https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png John Ratcliffe2017-06-13 12:13:072017-06-13 12:13:07The Age of #PropTech Dawns!
Circuit Board

Smart buildings: How IoT technology aims to add value for real estate companies

April 21, 2016/in Insights/by Jon Lovell

We’ve recently been working with the Deloitte Centre for Financial Services on this new piece of research to show how technology – and specifically the Internet of Things – can have a role in shifting the value paradigm for commercial real estate.

Published today by Deloitte University Press, the report articulates how information-based applications have the potential to add new ways for the commercial real estate sector to create value for customers, differentiate from competitors, and to find new sources of revenue.

It shows how IoT can help to improve building performance and support portfolio risk management and liquidity by focus on employee and occupant health and productivity, enabling service innovation to tenants, and delivering sustainability benefits to wider urban systems.

http://dupress.com/…/internet-of-things-iot-commercial-re…/…

https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/circuit-board.jpg 533 800 Jon Lovell https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png Jon Lovell2016-04-21 11:02:062016-05-06 11:22:56Smart buildings: How IoT technology aims to add value for real estate companies
Lisbon

Shaping the Future – Key Trends in the Real Estate Sector

November 25, 2015/in Insights, Resources/by Jon Lovell

Jon Lovell today presented to the Building Energy Symposium in Lisbon, Portugal. He illustrated how a range of global megatrends are coalescing to create a new operating environment, with associated risks and opportunities, for the commercial real estate market, and for cities.

A copy of his slides can be downloaded here:

Building Energy Symposium

Building Energy Symposium

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building Energy Symposium, Lisbon (Jon Lovell 25.11.2015)

 

https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lisbon.jpg 533 800 Jon Lovell https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png Jon Lovell2015-11-25 22:25:232016-05-06 11:24:22Shaping the Future – Key Trends in the Real Estate Sector

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