Intelligent Buildings should make People feel Better, says Arup's Read

Gone are the dreams of buildings 'bristling with technology' says Arup Communications' Jim Read - instead they should make their inhabitants feel better.

Read was speaking on "integrating people, technology and place" at 4dspace, a conference last month at the ICA, London, organised to explore interactive architecture, its potential and its use, as part of the onedotzero festival.

He described the mismatch of expectations between users and technology companies, pointing out that Arup Communications itself has shifted from 100% technology specialists to a mix of technical experts, architects and business process people in a move to better meet people's requirements. Ask companies what the future is and they will say 'broadband, convergence and mobility'. Ask users and they say hopefully: 'efficiency, reliability and simplicity?'.

Specifically, in terms of technology, users want better connectivity at reduced cost; good mobile communications; graphics and video capabilities; and the fast set-up of straightforward facilities with no hassle, he told the audience.

And in terms of space, they want flexibility; control of the local environment and adaptable working areas.

He pointed out that a lot of what goes into meeting these requirements is actually hidden from the users' view. It involves things like building ducts for cabling, and moving to thin clients to serve IT needs so that the active parts of the technology can be stored in spaces away from the building in which people are working. 'Thin client: thin building,' he quipped.

He also gave some examples of adaptations that are, or soon will be, working, such as the Cathay Pacific airport lounge. The lounge is kitted with communication technologies and designed as a series of personal office spaces, where comfortable chairs sit alongside seats at desks. There was a sharp intake of breath when the designs were unveiled, he said, but the lounge is working well.

And Heathrow's Terminal Five will be built with the means of tracking passengers to get them through the bulk of the airport to the gate on time.

He said that developers were being slow to see the point of building to allow for this kind of modification and growth. If it costs 10% more, they aren't interested unless it adds at least 10-15% to their rent and it's difficult to prove that it will, said Read.

But the future he sees is one in which buildings are attentive and harmonious, rather than ostentatiously technology-laden - that 90s' definition is dead, he said.

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