Top CRE executives discuss the “Smart Office.”

Video Transcript:

Hussain Ali-Khan, Global Alliance Director, CBRE

I think it has to do with a couple of different things.

Gabrielle Rubin Deveaux, Global Real Estate & Facilities, Buzzfeed

What is a smart office.? Well, you know, what is smart? Is smart technology, software, having good amenities…? it's a lot of different ways. How do you describe smart?

Tama Huang, Chief Innovation Officer, CohnReznick

I think historically we've thought of buildings and the landlords that provide those buildings as being responsible for the cardiovascular system of the building. Right. So making sure the plumbing is there, making sure the walls are setup, there's hot water, cold water, air, and bandwidth.

Jack Sibley, Technology & Innovation Strategies, TH Real Estate

So I think a small office is very similar to a smart building. Ultimately, it's not just about having a lot of technology in there. It's about really how do those systems interact with each other and how they ultimately create a step change in efficiency or create a step change in user experience.

Tama Huang, Chief Innovation Officer, CohnReznick

What we're getting to today is that there is an expectation that the landlord will also provide for neurological system of the building. So it's not just you know making sure the plumbing is there but starting to provide for technology that is smart enough to detect that, you know, that people in certain sectors that need to be cooled or heated, and when they're not there anymore, to be able to save on energy and making those buildings efficient.

Adam Stoltz, National Director, Consulting Services - Transwestern

Smart office should be one that has a variety of systems from security and audio visual and HVAC related, not to mention again to arrival and departure, including thinking about the visitor experience, that help to eliminate friction wherever they can.

Gabrielle Rubin Deveaux, Global Real Estate & Facilities, Buzzfeed

For us we're pretty scrappy as far as our physical space. I have not put in a lot of technology because I think it's constantly evolving and I don't want to be tethered to that, and then it become obsolete. So I think the smartest thing is to actually have flexibility in your space, because your business is constantly changing and you have to be able to change with it.

Tama Huang, Chief Innovation Officer, CohnReznick

I think what we're going next still is that there's even a psychological element with where we're wanting buildings to become sensitive, not just smart, but knowing what where you will be, what you would like, understanding you as an individual and tailoring your experience inside of the building to your preferences. I think that that is really where we're starting to tailor towards, which is not just knowing that you are there but knowing who you are.

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