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.
What does smart office actually mean? How would you describe this term?
Andreas Thamm: As I see it, a building is smart when it is connected to the internet and stores data in a cloud environment – data that can then be put to use. This means that there is so much hardware integrated – including sensor technology – that it is possible to understand how people use the building.
What does that mean, specifically? I go inside and …?
Andreas Thamm: You go inside and the building knows you’re there. Then it regulates the lights at your workplace just the way you like them. The technology could also inform your colleagues that, for example, you are already in the office. But, of course, it can also be used for other organizational purposes: first thing in the morning over breakfast, I can see if there’s a desk or parking space available and then book them.
That’s especially important during the pandemic, right?
Andreas Thamm: Right! You can see beforehand if desks have been blocked to comply with distancing requirements. Apart from that, the building’s sensor technology can tell you if you are not adhering to a specified minimum distance or a pre-defined routing.
If it were possible to reduce personnel costs by a small percentage – for instance by lowering sickness rates – this would save millions of euros for large companies.
Andreas Thamm, smart office expert
What is sensor technology, exactly?
Andreas Thamm: The term refers to small electronic components that record defined conditions and changes, for example in brightness, noise, CO2 content, etc.
But it does generate unbelievable amounts of data. Is the new 5G technology essential for this?
Andreas Thamm: Yes! The more modern and high-performance these networks, the better.
What advantages does the smart office have for employers or owners?
Andreas Thamm: As an owner, I would be interested in having low running costs compared with other buildings. And as an employer, I would also be interested in other aspects: people want to work in cool buildings like this. But above all, it’s a question of boosting employee motivation and health by improving the indoor climate and other adjustable factors. If it were possible to reduce personnel costs by a small percentage – for instance by lowering sickness rates – this would save millions of euros for large companies.
It sounds like we are only just beginning to realize everything that is possible …
Andreas Thamm: This really is just the tip of the iceberg. As I see it, if you have more information, you can do more with it than other people. There is great potential for the future here.
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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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
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 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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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”.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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”.
#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.
#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!
#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.
