Technology + Built Environment
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 […]
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://www.constructionweekonline.com/events/cw-techcon-2025
As we look ahead to 2025, the intersection of technology and the built environment promises some steps closer to how we design, operate, and inhabit our spaces. In 2024, a lack of liquidity saw the industry cautiously dipping its toes into some of the tech it promised to. War, elections and lingering inflation prevented much […]
It’s starting to become clear to many across the industry that their smart buildings didn’t deliver the value that they were promised. From bombastic sales pitches to guaranteed savings, some have been left with lacklustre results or, at worst, nothing at all. And now that AI is being thrown into the mix, many are feeling […]
In his column, Dr. Marson addresses the smart building industry’s culture of secrecy, which hinders collective innovation and learning. He argues that sharing project successes is crucial for advancing the industry, fostering collaboration, and establishing benchmarks. Marson advocates for a shift towards openness, suggesting that collective wisdom and shared achievements would catalyze faster progress and forge a more interconnected, dynamic sector.
In his January 2024 column, Dr. Marson predicts trends in the smart buildings industry:
1. Widespread adoption of generative AI
2. Formation of more in-house smart building teams
3. Rationalization of the PropTech start-up market
4. Delays in achieving net zero carbon targets due to the pandemic. These changes will shape the future leaders in the industry.
In his August 2023 column, Matthew Marson reflects on the parallels between modern AI capabilities and those of the Terminator’s Cyberdyne Systems Model T101. He expresses a mix of optimism and cynicism about AI’s potential in smart building design, expressing concern about potential drawbacks and the impact on design uniqueness.
Matthew was recently featured as one of Building Magazine’s Digital Champions: https://www.building.co.uk/focus/introducing-buildings-digital-champions-you-have-just-got-to-be-brave/5100690.article#Katya_Valeva__BIM_strategy_consultant_Archilizer_not_pictured_in_group_photographs Matthew Marson, Head of Smart Places, WSP What do you do? I help our clients understand how they can get technology into the built environment. What’s holding construction back in the digital sphere? Why is it that Uber was so successful in the 12 months from […]