SMART BUILDING SHOWCASE: NEW JLL APAC HEADQUARTERS DELIVERS HIGH EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION
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uilding owners and operators have been facing an exceptional number of economic and operational challenges, maybe even the greatest of their careers. While this has put many organisations under stress, it has also been an opportunity to reassess the characteristics of buildings that can affect occupant wellbeing and productivity, as well as operational performance. The most visionary of businesses are taking a holistic approach, fully embracing the many benefits of smart building technology to move forward more quickly and successfully. As noted by Darren Battle, JLL Asia-Pacific Head of Corporate Real Estate and Workplace, “For businesses to recover fully, a smarter approach to infrastructure management is required.” Global property services company JLL took their own advice when setting the requirements for their new Asia–Pacific headquarters in Singapore. The building is the company’s first smart office pilot, acting as a model for the ‘Future of Workplace’. Battle explained, “At JLL we try to embrace the human side of business. At our APAC headquarters, we put people-centricity at the heart of its design. We believe that delivering the best human experience in the office space is absolutely key to our operational excellence.” The challenge for JLL was to consolidate four offices from across Singapore into a state-of-the-art space with the best possible human experience. It needed to be a relevant, engaging work environment for a new generation of the workforce. Balanced against being people-centric, the building also needed to be hyper-efficient and sustainable. Such a place would require an intelligent infrastructure.
A smart choice of smart building technology and services Core to enabling the ambitious goals of the project was the right choice of smart building technology. JLL found this in Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Building platform. The key to designing and delivering the solution was the support of Automated Lifestyle, a Schneider Electric Light and Room Control EcoXpert Partner. Esther Wong, Director at Automated Lifestyle, said, “A smart office starts with a smart system designed to help measure and manage energy usage and wellness conditions. We worked with Schneider Electric at every step of the way to bring JLL a complete smart office solution.” The complete and integrated building solution includes over 150 IoT-enabled sensors to monitor space utilisation, people movement and air quality. Throughout the electrical distribution system, energy monitoring includes the use of wireless PowerTag energy meters. All room environmental and lighting conditions are managed using the KNX Lighting Control System and SE 8000 Room Controllers that provide control over lighting, blinds and kinetic sculptures. Audiovisual systems are also integrated for convenient control.
50 INSIGHTS 2022
At the heart of the solution are advanced monitoring, control, and analytic applications and services. Building management tasks are automated by EcoStruxure Building Operation application and networked automation servers. The application includes an Energy Expert module that helps the facility team track energy use, meet conservation objectives and detect, diagnose and respond quickly to any power-related issues. Finally, EcoStruxure Building Advisor connects JLL to a team of experts that proactively monitor and maintain building performance, while helping optimise maintenance and maximise asset value.
Where technology and human experience come together The result of a strong vision driving the right design choices has resulted in a Grade A office that sets a new benchmark for the
