Project: User-centered view of smart buildings as a dynamic system
Goal: Catalog of measures for the user-optimized design of smart buildings

Berlin, January 11, 2023. The non-profit Smart Building Innovation Foundation (SBIF), founded at the beginning of 2022, and the System Design course at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (HTW) have agreed on a cooperation. In a joint project, which is supervised by Prof. Pelin Celik, Department of Design and Culture, System Design, on the university's side, new method-based foundations for the representation of complex benefit-centered dynamics and systemic relationships in a smart building are to be developed.

For this purpose, surveys are carried out that concern the interaction between users and smart buildings. The focus is primarily on correlations or systemic connections between building efficiency (technology), user focus (user acceptance and user satisfaction) and interaction (interaction type, intensity, possibility, etc. ...). The user/smart building interaction should be the focus of the project as a variable that influences the other variables. The study focuses on the operational phase of a smart building. In a further step, conclusions for planning should be drawn from the knowledge gained. The findings of the project and the resulting added value should be presented publicly and made accessible to business and science. A prioritized catalog of measures provides concrete recommendations for action and planning.

For more sustainable, healthier and more efficient buildings

Smart buildings make a crucial contribution to achieving long-term urban sustainability. Their overall efficiency depends largely on the interaction and systemic consideration between users and technologies. How comfortable an employee feels in the office depends on a combination of many factors, for example the interaction between room temperature, air quality and lighting. Another example is the type of use of office buildings with flexible offices. How intuitively and efficiently office users move around the building can be influenced by smart elevator technology and wayfinding systems. These examples show that interaction can accelerate but also slow down the acceptance and practical application of technical innovations.