We are in the midst of an unprecedented global crisis. Pandemics have happened before, many of them more deadly than we expect COVID-19 to be, but in our increasingly populated and globalized society, the impact and the reaction are different. Today, in our highly connected world of smartphones and smart buildings, we should be better placed to protect people, gather useful data, enact more effective emergency health policy, and control the spread of the virus better than ever before — or so you would think.
Smart buildings have made great strides in the last decade by making building systems more efficient while making occupants safer, healthier, and more productive. However, in the face of the coronavirus crisis and subsequent social distancing or lockdown conditions, our smart commercial buildings didn’t have any innovative or high-tech solutions to protect occupants while they work and play.