SMART BUILDINGS
Smart Education How digitalising education facilities can maximise efficiency in response to COVID-19
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hile lockdown restrictions are being eased, it is likely that COVID-19 will leave a lasting legacy on our attitudes to safety and building management. As schools readjust to operating within the new norm, one thing is for certain: there is always room for vigilance when it comes to school processes. Whether to reduce costs, maximise efficiencies, or achieve optimal well-being of schoolgoing children, smart technologies are here to stay for their extensive benefits. Schools of the future will be smarter COVID-19 has underscored the importance of automated processes,
26 | Summer 2020 | SMART AUTOMATION
which are adaptable to different building occupancies and shifting challenges. As schools around the world take the first steps towards digital transformation, the simplicity and ease of integration of some smart technologies are showing marked cost savings; streamlined safety, maintenance and operational efficiencies; and enhanced green potential. Real-time reporting from sensors and technologies are mobilising schools to adopt a data-driven approach to take their schools into the future. COVID-19 considerations Since withdrawn, the Government’s guidelines on schools’ management during COVID-19 have provided food
for thought for governing bodies and facilities managers in the school setting. It is also driving the adoption of data-based smart solutions to counteract operational challenges and reduce costs. The guidelines dealt with partially closed facilities - and guidelines for full opening have since been issued. Within the school context, the categories outlined in the original guidelines are perennially important and, with a bearing on safety, the more precise, the better. Coronavirus and temperature checking Across different facilities, temperature screening has become a naturalised daily occurrence,
