Intelligent Buildings

Below are some essays written during my time attending the taught postgraduate course MSc in Intelligent Buildings at Reading University. Be aware that these answers/discussions are purely from my own interpretations and may not be the best answers.

First Year

Module 1 - Concepts, Strategies and Management

A Critical Appraisal of Botleys Mansion as an Intelligent Building from the perspective of an IT Specialist Supplier

Module 2 - Building Systems, Architecture and People

The External and Internal Environments, including people within them, provide the stimuli for human reactions. Discuss the role of buildings within this context

Module 4 - Integrated Building Design 1

To Upgrade the Intelligence of an Existing Building

Module 5 - Financial Analysis and Investment Appraisal

The Defence Sector contracts the use of Integrated Logistic Support as a management discipline for procurement; demanding continued monitoring by the user for 'through life' analysis of its projects. What problems or shortfalls can be anticipated in transferring the 'best practice' into the construction industry

Second Year

Module 3 - Information Technology and Communications

Describe six novel applications of expert systems/neural networks/genetic algorithms (2 of each technology) in an intelligent building complex

Module 6 - Facilities Management

1. Provide your own critique of the issues that arise in the two case studies ('Will This Open Space Work?' and 'Bag of Chiat'). Include both positive and negative elements. This critique should address:

objectives and business drivers, both perceived and actual.
practical issues of implementation and how this was carried out.
analysis of success and failure

2. If you were asked to consider introducing a flexible working approach in your organisation, what would you do? Prepare a summary paper setting out the issues as you see them. You should take account of the following:

Business considerations and priorities
The important stages of implementation
The physical requirements
Organisational, cultural, building and technology considerations
Opportunities and constraints
Metrics to be used for measurement of your proposed plan to determine degree of success or failure

Module 9 - Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation

"The New Report to the Club of Rome (Factor Four by Weizsacker and Lovins published by Earthscan) describes how we can double wealth whilst halving resource use. Schumacher (in Small is Beautiful 1973 published by Blond & Briggs) discusses how communities can establish fulfilling work for everyone without aspiring to traditional markers of economic success.

Society is ever changing, technology is rapidly changing too. How can sustainability be incorporated into our civilisation under these conditions?"

Module 7 - Design Management

Select a specialist trade contract package in the area of a supplier of intelligent building services and:

identify the interface with other packages
map the information flows within the package
map the information flows across the interface boundaries
identify the responsibilities for the information flows
critically appraise the package documentation to achieve efficient information flows across the package boundaries
propose improvements in the management of the package with either the (a) internal specialists or, (b) the external contractor/construction management system

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