Magazine
MAGAZIN
The building that thinks
#smart office

The building that thinks

You’ve seen smart homes, now it’s time for smart buildings. Cube Berlin, an office complex that controls itself via artificial intelligence, opened in early 2020.

The system knows how many people are in the office at any given time and sets the room temperature accordingly. It also picks up on personal preferences from individual air-conditioning, lighting and sunshade settings. If a lift needs to be serviced, the relevant service provider is alerted before the lift’s performance is affected. For many people, self-learning buildings may sound like the stuff of dystopian science fiction. But as the latest studies have shown, the climate change transition will not happen without intelligent buildings. Cube Berlin, which opened in February 2020, is one of the first office complexes with built-in artificial intelligence.

Where are all the intelligent buildings?

While smart homes have long since become reality, other kinds of intelligent buildings are lagging far behind. According to a study, tech-savvy customers bought some 657 million “smart home devices” for their homes in 2018. And even though many private users still opt for manual control, there is enormous growth in demand for end devices.

Cube Berlin on Washingtonplatz
Cube Berlin, one of the first ever smart commercial buildings, opened in early 2020. All processes are controlled by artificial intelligence.

The “boiler room” that controls the building technology in these smart commercial buildings is now located on the internet. The central system is connected to the individual room and instrument controls either directly or via the Internet of Things (IoT). Individual processes are digitized and provide a wealth of data via sensors. Even though the technical possibilities have been available for some time, smart buildings are still a rarity. A study by Technologiestiftung Berlin cites a number of reasons for this.

In many cases, devices still lack interfaces that facilitate simple plug and play. It’s also difficult to find qualified technicians capable of installing and servicing all this new technology. Lastly, data collection must comply with data protection legislation and all access rights must be clearly defined.

Smart buildings – the key to renewable energy

If we are serious about moving towards renewable energy and meeting climate targets, we urgently need to digitize buildings. The following figures show this.

The "brain" of Cube Berlin
With smart buildings, processes are controlled via artificial intelligence and networking at all levels.

Some 40% of primary energy is used by the building sector. Experts estimate that energy consumption in buildings could be reduced by 30% merely by configuring existing household technology according to actual usage. With smart buildings, energy efficiency is optimized in real time.

Cube Berlin and its brain

One of the first ever intelligent buildings has taken shape in Berlin. With its futuristic cubature and double glass façade, the €100 million building on Washingtonplatz calls to mind a gigantic ice cube. Cube Berlin was designed by Copenhagen-based architectural firm 3XN, which declares on its website: “We believe that architecture shapes behaviour.” But with the Berlin office complex, it seems to be the other way around.

As a smart building, Cube Berlin learns from the people who live and work in it.

www.cube-berlin.de

“As a smart building, Cube Berlin learns from the people who live and work in it. Intelligent building technology knows the requirements and wishes of every user in every location and adapts optimally to individual needs” – this is taken from the instruction manual for the wholly digitized building.

Cube Berlin’s double façade prior to completion
Cube Berlin’s double façade prior to completion

Developers CA Immo refer to the central control of the eleven-storey commercial building as the “brain”. As the project website explains: “Behind Cube Berlin’s elegant façade, the ‘brain’ unites various smart technologies into a self-learning system.” This calls for massive amounts of real-time data, recorded via the 3,750 sensors, 750 beacons (Bluetooth hardware transmitters) and 140 mobile phone antennae installed in the building.

For Cube users, all of this runs via an app that navigates them through the 19,000 m² building, allowing them to book workspace, food and the in-house parcel service. The user software also helps to regulate light and temperature and even shows users where the nearest parking space is – avoiding emissions they would have produced when looking for somewhere to park.

Text: Gertraud Gerst
Translation: Rosemary Bridger-Lippe
Photos: Getty Images, CA Immo

Other articles
that might interest you

A whole town built of wood
#city planning
A whole town built of wood

Wendelstrand near Gothenburg is a new community and housing development with social and ecological sustainability, sited in a disused quarry. The master plan and Lakehouse by the architects at Snøhetta show how urban planning and housing construction can be reimagined.

Award-winning engineered timber design
#smart office
Award-winning engineered timber design

Completed in Gothenburg and made of wood, Nodi was named business building of the year 2021. It is another prestigious timber construction in the portfolio of White Arkitekter, the architects responsible for timber high-rise Sara Kulturhus in Skellefteå.

In the depths of the forest
#smart office
In the depths of the forest

Dense, green forests are often synonymous with calm, nature and unspoiled landscapes – but they also need care and attention. Such forestry operations can inspire interesting architecture, as shown by the Forest Administration Lodge in Czechia.

Better, greener, cleaner
#greenbuilding
Better, greener, cleaner

The teams at Berlin Waste Management are out and about day in day out, keeping Germany’s capital city looking good and ensuring resources remain in the cycle. Their new headquarters in Südkreuz have the same aspirations and are a prime example of sustainable ideas.

Race to the top goes Down Under
#greenbuilding
Race to the top goes Down Under

The new contender in the pursuit of the world’s tallest timber high-rise is called C6. Due for construction in South Perth, Australia, it will soar to a height of 189 metres. Residents will have access to a fleet of 80 Teslas as a special green benefit.

Digital and climate neutral
#greenbuilding
Digital and climate neutral

Their pioneering timber high-rise gained international recognition for the architects at White Arkitekter. Researcher and architect Jonas Runberger explains why computational design processes are so important for reaching climate goals.

Timber engineering with industrial chic
#smart office
Timber engineering with industrial chic

Its facade is made from recycled aluminium, and the load-bearing structure follows a hybrid timber design. Named i8, this office building in Munich’s Werksviertel is committed to decarbonization and forms a link with the neighbourhood’s industrial past.

A little help from Mother Nature
#smart office
A little help from Mother Nature

Bangkok-based Plan Associates is one of Thailand’s elite architectural firms. In the north of the kingdom, they have created a new office building that harnesses the forces of nature.

More than just a workplace for IBM
#smart office
More than just a workplace for IBM

Powerhouse Company has designed the new Amsterdam headquarters of IT giant IBM, delivering on the company’s vision for the working world of tomorrow: a sustainable building that is not so much a traditional office as a pleasant and healthy meeting place for sharing ideas.

Just like a holiday
#smart office
Just like a holiday

In the Brazilian city of Manaus, Laurent Troost Architectures has created an office as a statement that harmonizes nature with urban life. It also demonstrates that a working environment is perfectly able to recreate a holiday feeling.

Zurich Airport opts for timber
#greenbuilding
Zurich Airport opts for timber

Sustainability is reaching new heights for the new design of Dock A at Zurich Airport. In the design competition organized by Flughafen Zurich AG, the jury selected “Raumfachwerk”, a project submitted by BIG, HOK and 10:8 Architekten consisting primarily of timber.

Cool ideas for big issues of the future
#smart office
Cool ideas for big issues of the future

Japanese technology giant Konica Minolta is treating its new research centre not only to a modern design, but also to architecture offering clever alternatives in the fight against climate change.

A breath of fresh air in Rotterdam
#smart office
A breath of fresh air in Rotterdam

Europe’s largest port is seeing an innovation boom that is expected to drive the entire Dutch energy transition. As part of the post-pandemic recovery, the iconic World Port Center has been sustainably renovated.

In the green heart of a chocolate giant
#smart office
In the green heart of a chocolate giant

The Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end chocolate and cocoa products. At the new headquarters in Zurich, diversity of flavours and sustainability are as integral as well-being in the workplace and upcycling of materials.

Google architecture yields top results
#smart office
Google architecture yields top results

Technology meets architecture: in Silicon Valley, internet giant Google has constructed a building complex based on its very own vision for the first time. With its sustainable design, the Bay View Campus is geared towards the future of work.

Timber showcase for Volvo
#greenbuilding
Timber showcase for Volvo

A special kind of discovery world is taking shape in Gothenburg, where Swedish vehicle manufacturer Volvo is using timber construction and nature to create its World of Volvo. The components and engineering for Henning Larsen’s design are being provided by Austrian firm Wiehag.

How to upcycle a high-rise
#greenbuilding
How to upcycle a high-rise

Danish architects 3XN are operating a separate division called GXN that develops green innovations. In this interview, Kim Herforth Nielsen and Kåre Poulsgaard talk about behavioural design, carbon as a market driver, and their radical high-rise project in Sydney.

Inclusive office as a smart village
#smart office
Inclusive office as a smart village

Non-profit association Aktion Mensch has an emphatic motto – “Together we will win”. Inclusion is especially important to this private charity, which runs a lottery to support social projects. Its focus is also reflected in the organization’s new head office in Bonn, Germany. The design concept by the Ippolito Fleitz Group takes diversity as a central theme. And it also turns interior design into a strong framework for displaying the humane side to life.

From heating plant to co-working centre
#smart office
From heating plant to co-working centre

Studio Perspektiv has transformed a historic industrial landmark into a modern office building. Bratislava’s former heating plant, designed in functionalist style by architect Dušan Jurkovič, now serves as a spacious Base4Work co-working centre.

Green oasis in concrete tower
#smart office
Green oasis in concrete tower

In the Vietnamese metropolis Ho Chi Minh City, an increasing number of new office towers are shooting skyward. Local architectural office MIA Design Studio makes sure that nature isn’t forgotten in the process. Even if it has to flourish inside busy interiors.

High-tech timber for Norwegian banking
#smart office
High-tech timber for Norwegian banking

Timber construction can be decidedly high-tech, as illustrated by the head office built for SR Bank in Stavanger, Norway. Bjergsted Financial Park offers workplaces that are fit for the future, and it is among Europe’s largest engineered timber buildings.

Pairing wood and stone in a Danish design
#smart office
Pairing wood and stone in a Danish design

Sejet Plant Breeding in Denmark develops modern grain varieties. The company cultivates plants using state-of-the-art, sustainable technology, and has adopted the same approach for its new entrance building, designed by GinnerupArkitekter.

In the service of biological diversity
In the service of biological diversity

Good news for local fauna: The dedication of not-for-profit organization CABI to combatting climate change through innovative agricultural solutions is reflected in the architecture of its new headquarters in England.

“Smart means something is communicating with me”
#smart office
“Smart means something is communicating with me”

Alan Hofmann is a building engineer and timber constructor from Austria. His company Woodplan occupies a digital niche for building projects around the world. In this interview he describes his interpretation of intelligent offices, and how an office can be smart in an old Austrian building.

In full control
#smart office
In full control

In everyday office life, automation is especially key to success. Lighting, sound, shading, heating, cooling, ventilation and access systems can be operated centrally with intelligent controls by Loxone.

New Work from New York
#smart office
New Work from New York

The new co-working space Hammerbrooklyn in Hamburg is designed to be a place of inspiration and creativity. Besides its passion and dedication, this curated community thrives on a desire for innovation and thirst for the future.

A ship drops anchor
#smart office
A ship drops anchor

Cologne is home to one of Germany’s most digitalized office buildings, known as The Ship. Inspired by its success as a model of contemporary working, a second project is being added just next door: the Vorum.

A Cobot Hub for humans and robots
#smart office
A Cobot Hub for humans and robots

Heralding a bright future in an innovative, exciting location, this robotics centre in Denmark designed by 3XN is expected to become the perfect place to work. It is a Cobot Hub for the employees at two companies. And also for the robots developed there.

Cost-free solutions on a billion-dollar market
#smart office
Cost-free solutions on a billion-dollar market

Big tech can actually be avoided. The small Swiss company Infomaniak is taking on digital office tech giants like Zoom and Microsoft. Without any charges or advertising, it is offering videoconferencing that can also be used by inexperienced users.

Sealed by the sultan
#smart office
Sealed by the sultan

In Istanbul the two spectacular towers for Ziraat Bank have grown high into the sky. While their shape is oriented on traditional calligraphy, the interior displays state-of-the-art technical features.

A little bird told you …
#smart office
A little bird told you …

Inspired by traditional survival strategies of experienced miners, the architects at 3XN/GXN have “bred” a stylish canary that takes care of our health in the workplace.

A wanderer with a high-tech trailer
#smart office
A wanderer with a high-tech trailer

As he was constantly on the move, technology entrepreneur Jeff Kleck was looking for a clever solution for a live-work space. His brilliant idea? To convert an old Airstream into what is probably the world’s best mobile smart office, which he calls “Kugelschiff”.

How smart lifts think for us
#smart office
How smart lifts think for us

Automated machine communication is enabling new applications. In predictive maintenance, smart lifts indicate whether they are working or need attention.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg!”
#smart office
“This is just the tip of the iceberg!”

Andreas Thamm is a “smart office” expert. As Chairman of the Management Board at UBM Development Germany, he is steering the company towards an intelligent future. It is an issue that is particularly relevant in times of COVID-19.

The digital world of tomorrow
#smart office
The digital world of tomorrow

In China, Zaha Hadid Architects are building two 400-metre giant structures that make sensational use of digital possibilities. With its smart solutions, Tower C is efficient and, above all, environmentally friendly.

Office tower as city highlight
#smart office
Office tower as city highlight

Architecture studio Foster + Partners have designed an extraordinary office tower for the heart of Buenos Aires. As a sustainable and flexible building, Avenida Cordoba 120 is set to provide more than just an optimum working environment. Its public space is intended to enhance the entire district.

The flexible icon
#smart office
The flexible icon

The office complex ICÔNE has been created by the architects at Foster + Partners as an elegant answer to current working trends. This new flex office building is currently under construction in Luxembourg’s Belval Quarter, where urban renewal is set to create the city’s new “best address”.

Beneath the dragon’s skin
#city planning #smart office
Beneath the dragon’s skin

The new showpiece unveiled by Swatch is not a watch, but office architecture at its finest. To create the reptilian curves of the new Swatch headquarters in Biel, star architect Shigeru Ban has built one of the world’s largest timber-framed constructions.

Google (re)invents itself
#smart office
Google (re)invents itself

Internet giant Google wants to do more than provide the right answers every time on the digital front. With the construction of the new headquarters in Silicon Valley, it wants to supply the solution to every workplace problem. Specifically, it aims to revolutionize working environments completely!

Axel Springer: new headquarters as a statement
#smart office
Axel Springer: new headquarters as a statement

Berlin has a new landmark: the new Axel Springer building. The avant-garde complex isn’t just an urban statement, it also stands for the future of working in the digital world.