Smart innovations for construction — RG Group

Smart innovations for construction

The impact that the pandemic has had on our lives and work has forced a rethink of the way that we occupy, and interact with, many of our shared spaces. For example, remote working and online shopping became the norm in 2020–21 and we all spent a lot more time at a distance from one another. But, as we start to see a return to more ‘real world’ living, smart innovations for construction are providing options to make office and retail environments even more enhanced.

Evolving the smart office

Office construction innovation revolves around the creation of smart spaces and systems. The choice of lighting and HVAC systems will have a big impact on building efficiency, for example, as well as whether or not smart tools, such as automation, can be introduced. Inbuilt sensors may be crucial in the near future when it comes to monitoring how many people are in a space at the same time and creating more COVID-safe layouts. Sensors will also be able to generate data on how buildings are being used and whether there are opportunities for optimisation.

Retail construction developments

The biggest innovation in terms of retail construction is going to be finding ways to integrate more Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. This type of software essentially enables machines to think and evolve, helping human teams to use data more efficiently and make more effective decisions. From store displays to smart shelf tags, AI will soon be everywhere in retail, from tills to people counters integrated into retail developments that can provide key data on shopper movements to help calculate the success of promotions and sales.

The Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT is going to be an increasingly important factor in construction and pave the wave for a wealth of innovation in building design. This could be something as simple as the sensors that can be used to monitor movements or using inbuilt beacons in a retail environment to provide promotions and coupons to shoppers at key moments during their journey through a store. This kind of technology requires robust internal networks (beacons, for example, require BlueTooth) and should be part of building design. Where that’s the case it can be a powerful way to create strong foundations for success for any business occupying this kind of optimised, smart environment.

Creating environments that cater to the need for personalisation

It’s widely acknowledged now that personalisation is one of the biggest components of a positive customer experience. This is the process of designing experiences that feel individual to customers and doing that requires environments that they can feel connected to. Smart building industry trends provide a wide range of options for identifying what is likely to contribute to these positive experiences, including being able to use tech to gather data for footfall tracking analytics that can help to refine what brands are offering in-store.

Innovation is a driving force in construction and even more so today as our habits change in response to the lifestyles created by the pandemic. From IoT to smart offices, the construction sector has a big contribution to make.

Originally published at https://rg-group.co.uk on February 4, 2022.