By: Mr Sammeer Pakvasa-MD, Eleganz Interiors

With smart technology has taken over the world in the last few years, almost each and every aspect of modern life has now been transformed forever. Be it smart gadgets, smart homes, or smart cars, the focus on using technology to enhance convenience has now opened up a whole gamut of possibilities for almost every industry. Hence, it should come as no surprise that most corporates are increasingly transforming their offices into smart offices, to make the most efficient use of the space. Innovative design ideas, utilising unique concepts, help such smart offices achieve a mix of comfort, safety, and warmth, while also being utilitarian and aesthetically pleasing. A few of the common features of such offices are:

IoT Devices

The advancements in connected devices have today has given rise to the Internet of Things, a concept where almost each and every device in the office is interconnected and can function intelligently. Be it doors with motion sensors, windows with temperature and light sensitive blinders or more, IoT devices have today made corporate life much more efficient. It helps cut down on the energy usage costs and facilitates greatly enhanced convenience for the employees. In addition to this, such devices are also able to collect data on general office usage to adopt more intelligent, conservation practices.

Smart lighting

One of the biggest reasons for high electricity bills and the wastage of energy are leaving lights on even when not in use. Hence, smart lighting has proven to be the best way to avoid wasteful depletion of resources, by intelligently switching lights off, when not in use, and on again, when the sensors detect presence. In addition to this, many such devices also, have the capability of dimming lights or increasing the brightness, depending on the available light in the room, which is extremely useful in conserving power and promoting responsible energy usage.

Biophilic Designing

Yet another aspect of smart office designs, which is rapidly gaining in popularity, biophilic designing utilises the power of nature to introduce a healthier and more relaxing environment in an office space. By integrating indoor plants, creepers, and lots of open views, along with natural lighting, it helps breathe fresh air into the concrete buildings. This, in fact, has been proven to be highly effective in acting as a stress buster for employees, and even prevent physical ailments and diseases, which often accompany sitting in a closed office space all day, every day.

Wireless charging in tables/desks

Wireless charging is now a popular facility being used by many modern offices, which not only help reduce the clutter of a million different wires and cords but also helps save energy usage, as well. When desks or tables in such offices are fitted with wireless charging technology, one only needs to place their smartphones, laptops, tabs, and the like, on their surface, to have them start charging. Once the devices have been charged fully, the power is cut off automatically, reducing wastage of power. As such, these tables and desks help improve efficiency significantly, while also improving the aesthetics of the office environment.

Intelligent climate control

One of the biggest inconveniences that many employees face in modern offices is the temperature. With central air conditioning being common in almost all offices, nowadays, regulating the temperature every time it gets too cold or too hot becomes a huge bother. As such, AI-equipped intelligent temperature control is today rapidly gaining acceptance in corporate organisations for a way to reduce energy consumption, while also facilitating comfort and convenience for their employees