Dan Diehl from Remi Network shared an article that explains how to provide healthy environments and, at the same time, meet climate goals. With the new variants of COVID 19, such as Delta, tenants and occupants have begun to worry again. Building owners and occupants need to prioritize healthy indoor air quality, especially ventilation systems. “At the same time, the U.S. and other leading industrial countries are setting aggressive carbon-reduction goals that push building o

Forbes released a recent article that analyzes how PropTech is key when it comes to the modernization of future workspaces. Property technology market started to rise after the pandemic, with it, also the proptech boom is emerging. Major commercial real estate brokerages (JLL and Cushman & Wakefield) “have taken a bet of confidence in the space by backing proptech venture capital funds”. ProTech is developing solutions for new concerns regarding office spaces triggered by the

Science Daily released an article that shares a study made by Incheon National University that analyses how climate change and air pollution is triggering the necessity of efficient, low-cost and portable gas sensors that can detect toxic gases in real time. “Organic polymer-based sensors have the potential to fulfill all these requirements, but they're not durable at room temperature”. Experts now affirm that this durability problem can be resolved with “a hybrid organic-ino

From US$3 billion in 2014 to US$18 billion in 2018, fundraising in the proptech, or property technology, industry has dramatically increased. Experts affirm that investors believe that proptech will have a significant influence on the industry for the coming years. Investing News Network released an interesting article about this in it's latest publication. PropTech is a concept used to explain how technology and innovative ideas can transform property management strategies a

EIN PressWire recently posted about a collaboration between Disruptive Technologies, HeadsUp and the global coworking provider Spaces. The three companies are monitoring occupancy and looking to implement different strategies in order to maximize office space use. Spaces focus on the creation of creative office environments for innovators, forward thinkers and game-changers that look for comfortable and stylish spaces to work, meet and collaborate. But it has had a hard time

The pandemic has accelerated the integration of spatial intelligence solutions in order to achieve the optimization of operations in industries. MH&L Magazine published an article that analyzes the benefits of integrating this technology in warehouses. Some of the key points discussed were “real-time operational visibility, enabling warehouse operators to increase worker productivity, asset utilization and safety”. The increase of e-commerce during the pandemic has also trigg

Traditional operations and practices for buildings are long gone. The priority in terms of space right now relies on the provision of better solutions for energy efficiency and occupants wellness. Intelligent CIO published a recent article that analyzes 3 ways in which smart buildings technology can create sustainable environments. “One way building operations are changing is by using smart building technology. Using Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) and the Internet of Things (IoT)

Building, Design and Construction Magazine published a recent article that analyses a study conducted by Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY) called Digital Twin: the Age of Aquarius in construction and real estate. The piece illustrates how advancements in artificial intelligence, sensor technology and machine learning are making digital twin technologies a key element for the development and management of new and existing buildings. “The paper outlines the technology’s value

CONTEXT: Case One: This week Katerra, who began as an innovator of a novel steel frame system and transformed into a vertical building industry integrator, collapse leaving dozens (?) of projects and an assembly of 20 formally independent companies and 3,000+ employees stranded. Case Two: In 2019, in ye ‘ole days pre-covid, WeWork went from global real estate super-nova to a limp basket of cold in a matter of weeks (provide scale of collapse). In addition to their impressive

Technology is getting increasingly important for human and urban development. According to Smart Cities World Platform, Rome’s municipality, in Italy, is conducting three different trials to diminish pollution and risk in the city by incorporating artificial intelligence and sensors into its city streets. “Sony Europe IMX500 image sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) processing functionality are at the core of three trials being run by Greentech specialist Envision in th

How after-covid offices should be? Workplaces are definitely going to change, now more than ever, since an important part of the workforce works remotely. More outdoor areas, new hybrid conference rooms for remote and present workers, robots setting up spaces, adaptive furniture that can be easily set, moved or replaced in minutes; are some ideas that Google has developed. “In 2018, Google’s real estate group began to consider what it could do differently. It turned to the co

A recent article in Architecture and Design looks at how technology is adapting in buildings for a post-COVID future. From contactless designs to occupancy sensing to measurement of various health factors, technology is helping buildings reopen. The key considerations for designers to create safer spaces via technology are adaptability, monitoring and control through the collection of data and the use of sensors. “With motorised doors and intelligent lighting and HVAC, it wou

A recent article in Architecture Daily looks at how sensors and comfort surveys will play an important role in bringing people back to the office. “After a year of living in spaces where they have a high level of personal control, returning building occupants will likely bristle at the standard one-size-fits-all method of building operations. Occupants will desire their offices to accommodate their comfort needs, and building owners will have to provide safe and comfortable s

A recent article in IOT World Today looks at how COVID-19 is refocusing the role of smart technologies from energy savings to health issues such as social distancing validation and air quality. From the report: “...we are now seeing an increased focus on the use of smart environmental sensors that track noise, light, CO2, particulates and volatile organic compounds in the workplace.” At MKThink we're developing creative processes and tools to develop intelligent places that a

Airbus recently won a Crystal Cabin Award for 2020 with its "AirSpace Cabin Vision 2030". What can we learn from the future of aviation with regards to intelligent places? Configurability: The new cabin space allows for people traveling in groups or families to arrange their seating to face each Dynamic Spaces: Using surround screens spaces can change from Bar Club to Exercise room to you name it Artificial Outside Views: The ability to bring the outside in, even if it's not

We spend more than 90% of our days indoors but we have very little information on the health of those indoor spaces. That's why in 2017 we worked with a Bay area school to measure the health and energy performance of one of their newest buildings on campus. We installed a range of sensors in 8 classrooms to measure environmental variables such as: CO2 Concentration Levels (~ air quality) Air Temperature & Humidity (~ thermal quality) Decibel Levels (~ auditory quality) Lighti

The New York Times has been running some really cool science stories this year, and a recent one on the benefits of fresh air ventilation in classrooms got their Virtual Reality (VR) treatment! Check it out here Scroll to the bottom and you'll see a QR code to try out. At MKThink, we're constantly measuring our environments to understand how they affect our behaviors and performance. We're both conducting our own research and leveraging the very good research being done aroun

#spatialintelligence

A lot has gone wrong over the last year, but there've also seen a lot of silver linings. One of those silver linings is the acceleration of "smart environments" that can sense and respond to the needs of people and environment -- keeping people safe and healthy and reducing resource use. A recent article in IOT World Today noted how sensor giants like Schneider Electric are working to roll out smart systems in their new factories to reduce waste and keep workers safe and heal

Our environments impact how we think, feel and act. From the air we breathe to the colors of the walls, it all matters. And that's why "spatial intelligence" is an important and emerging field. What is Spatial Intelligence? The understanding, measurement and connection of the physical, "spatial", world to outcomes in other areas we care about, such as human cognition, environmental sustainability and so forth. Through Spatial Intelligence we are trying to understand how air t