Technology + Built Environment
The current wave of AI lives in documents, emails, and dashboards. The next wave will live in space. Embodied AI means software plus sensors plus motors operating in the real world: machines that can see a corridor, decide what to do, and act on it without waiting for a human. Once AI can move, buildings […]
There’s a moment in every smart building project when the confetti settles and reality walks in. The app works. The dashboards load. Then, within weeks, the control room drifts back to radio calls and spreadsheets. The gap isn’t technological, it’s operational. That’s why the most valuable deliverable on any PropTech programme isn’t a feature list, […]
You’d be forgiven for thinking PropTech was on a rocket ship. Flashy demos. AI-powered everything. A conference circuit full of optimism and matching lanyards. And yet, behind the scenes, the UK PropTech sector is beginning to show signs of fatigue. Not a dramatic collapse, but a slow, quiet unravelling that’s easy to miss if you’re […]
Have you ever walked into a building and instantly felt relaxed, productive, or inexplicably on edge? That’s not by accident, it’s the “vibe” at play. But now, there’s a new, tech-savvy cousin on the scene: vibe coding. I’m excited about what it could mean for smart buildings. Google defines vibe coding as: “Vibe coding is […]
One of the questions I get asked most, in boardrooms, conferences, or even in the pub, is: “What’s next for smart buildings?” It used to be a fun question. I’d launch into some enthusiasm about self-healing systems, walls that would talk back to you, or what was real about AI in mobile apps. These days, […]
One might be forgiven for believing that the value proposition of smart building technology has already won its case. After all, who doesn’t want a workplace that’s more efficient, sustainable, and responsive? Yet, large corporate occupiers still find themselves staring blankly at dashboards brimming with data, wondering how exactly this aligns with their ESG reporting, […]
Read the article: https://hstalks.com/article/9166/realising-the-value-of-smart-buildings-with-enterp/ Matthew Marson and Andrew Targell Corporate Real Estate Journal, 14 (3), 242-253 (2025) Abstract The proliferation of smart buildings, driven by advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics, promises numerous benefits for a business. Despite significant investment in these technologies, many organisations have struggled […]
In the smart building industry, one of the main hurdles to achieving optimal building performance has historically been the management and interpretation of unstructured data. Advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have dramatically reduced this barrier. AI has demonstrated remarkable capabilities in recognising and interpreting relationships between building assets without explicit labels. For example, AI can […]
Read the article: https://www.jll.com/en-ae/insights/solving-the-challenges-of-smart-cities Smart cities represent a future in which urban spaces and infrastructures are seamlessly integrated using advanced technologies—Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and more. By orchestrating these tools, those delivering smart cities can improve operational efficiencies, reduce resource consumption, and enhance the overall quality of life for […]
Read the article: https://design-middleeast.com/ai-drives-innovation-and-investment-in-middle-easte-real-estate/ AI IS DRIVING NEXT-GEN URBAN DEVELOPMENT, WITH JLL’S DR. MATTHEW MARSON HIGHLIGHTING SMARTER BUILDINGS, EFFICIENT OPERATIONS, AND DATA-LED INVESTMENTS ACROSS THE GCC. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping commercial real estate, driving efficiency, precision, and competitive advantage. As an early adopter of digital transformation, the Middle East is uniquely positioned to capitalize […]