Everything seems to be smart these days. Smartphones, smartwatches, smart homes and now, smart buildings. But what exactly is a smart building? Keep reading to find out all you need to know.
Buildings have come a long way over the years. From bricks and mortar to high-rise glass skyscrapers, the architectural evolution of buildings has changed tremendously. No longer do buildings consist of four walls to provide shelter and warmth. Nowadays, intricate systems are installed to accommodate the modern ways of life, such as air conditioners and central heating systems, electricity supply, access control, security and much more.
But when does a building stop become a standard building and become a smart building?
The term ‘smart’ is an acronym for ‘Self Monitoring, Analysis and Report Technology’. When applied to an object, such as a ‘smart building’, it is implying that the building has added value compared to the non-smart version. This is in terms of using the Internet of Things (IoT), to be controlled remotely via an internet connection, automated, provide monitoring and reporting on the system’s actions, as well as generally being connected and integrated into our digital world.
A smart building is therefore a building that uses devices such as sensors, the internet and software to connect its various systems. This allows for the controlling and monitoring of the building characteristics, analysis of the data and reporting on the insights to better understand the building’s efficiencies in the way that it operates.
The shift towards smarter infrastructure is driven by both cost efficiencies and the UK’s net zero targets. The overall UK Smart Building Market was projected to exceed £7.5 billion in revenue in 2024 and is expected to grow significantly over the next few years, demonstrating the widespread adoption of smart buildings technology in commercial settings across the country. For sectors such as property management, this evolution is rapidly becoming a standard requirement rather than a luxury, ensuring assets remain compliant and competitive for tenants and investors alike.
Within a smart building, all the internal core systems are connected and interlinked. For example, the security system, lighting set-up and central heating. With a smart building, all of these systems are able to communicate with each other and work together to improve building efficiencies.
The integration of these systems not only enhances daily operations but also provides significant environmental benefits. While historic data suggested smart buildings could achieve an energy saving of 30-50% compared to existing buildings, modern solutions are pushing this even further, especially when considering the operational savings and reduced carbon footprint. Furthermore, centralising management allows for better oversight, particularly when systems like CCTV monitoring are integrated into a single, cloud-based platform for enhanced security. For more on this, you can look at the benefits of cloud-based security systems for businesses. Not only costs-efficient but better for the environment too.
The integration of sensors within a smart building is key in its ‘smart’ functioning and are responsible for collecting the building’s data. This data is then used to make decisions on where to allocate resources. For example, your access control system can determine which rooms within a building are occupied and this data can be communicated to your lighting and central heating systems to notify them to only operate in the rooms where people are present.
The use of sensors in a smart building, therefore, helps to create efficiencies, such as only lighting up and heating rooms when people are in them, thus providing efficient energy usage that is cost-effective. For commercial clients in office environments, this level of granular control is vital for managing overheads.
A smart building can be set up to carry out the gathering and analysis of building data automatically, as well as in real-time. This means that all efficiencies are made with live data and allows for constant adjustments to be made without the need for staff involvement.
A key application of automation in modern infrastructure is predictive maintenance. By continuously analysing performance data from critical systems like HVAC and fire detection, the building can predict equipment failures before they occur. This shifts maintenance from a reactive, costly model to a proactive, scheduled one, dramatically improving uptime and reducing long-term costs. This powerful capability is fundamentally how smart technology is shaping the future of commercial security and building management.
With constant monitoring and data collection, smart buildings provide an unbelievable amount of information that can be used to improve building operations, as well as provide critical business insights that an average building just isn’t able to deliver.
This data is instrumental in compliance, especially concerning life safety. Integrated fire risk assessments, for instance, can leverage sensor data on occupancy and environmental conditions to provide a more accurate and dynamic risk profile of the building. Furthermore, having detailed operational logs is essential for upholding your legal obligations, particularly understanding legal responsibility in fire incidents.
There are so many systems that can be connected within smart buildings. With the fast development rate of technology, they are only likely to increase. Examples of the most common types of systems connected in smart buildings are:
Crucially, the interconnectivity of these systems means that an event triggered by one system—such as a fire alarm—can instantly communicate with others, for example, overriding the access control to release all doors for a swift evacuation, which highlights the importance of integrating intruder alarms with fire safety systems.
While the benefits of connected systems are clear, they also introduce new vulnerabilities. The reliance on Internet of Things (IoT) devices—from sensors to cameras—creates a broader attack surface for cybercriminals. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has identified digital risk as one of the fastest-growing threats, with reports indicating a rise in cyber incidents affecting UK smart buildings in the last year. These threats target operational technology like HVAC and access control, which can lead to significant disruptions, financial loss, or even compromise occupant safety.
To mitigate this, sophisticated solutions are required to ensure that the convenience of connectivity doesn’t come at the expense of security. Modern security protocols recommend that businesses adopt layered defences and ensure their technology is up-to-date, which is a key reason why cloud-based security is safer than on-premise in 2025. By segmenting the building’s operational network from its IT network and enforcing strict access controls, such as those detailed by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), businesses can protect against unauthorised access and potential breaches.
At BusinessWatch, we specialise in both integrating your security, fire safety and access control systems into smart buildings, as well as upgrading existing systems to work with a smart building. We are fully NSI Gold approved and provide a bespoke design that will work for your business, building and employees.
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote today by calling 0330 094 7404 or contacting us online.
