If sustainability drove the last wave of disruption, smart technology is driving the next. But forget tricked-up tech. The real secret is to create a frictionless workday, says Charter Hall’s Simon Stockfeld.
As the cost of connected sensors and cloud computing continue to fall, intelligent building systems are evolving rapidly. In fact, tech analyst Gartner estimates that up to 10 billion devices will be installed in buildings by 2020, making it one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
But all this technology is meaningless unless it creates a better experience for the people who spend their days in buildings, says Stockfeld, Charter Hall’s Regional Development Director.
“It’s not about tech for the sake of tech, but about investing in technology that takes the pain points out of the workday.
“We know people are working longer hours, and that interweaving a strong wellness program throughout the workday is increasingly important to people. Technology can make that happen.”
Charter Hall is currently testing a host of smart technologies on two projects – Adelaide’s GPO Exchange and Melbourne’s Wesley Place – as it rolls out its “frictionless workday” strategy. Central to this strategy is Charli, a tenant app developed in partnership with CBRE.
With Charli in their hands, tenants can book a Pilates class or a meeting room, read real-time building updates, flag maintenance issues or order a coffee on the run. The app also gathers granular occupant data to help Charter Hall fine tune its tenant services and offering.
“Our customers create communities and cultures within their tenancies, but Charli enables us to create communities within our buildings. This is exciting because we know people are happier at work when they feel like they are part of something bigger.”
Stockfeld says using Charli will help Charter Hall gain deeper insights into the unique differences between each building community, “because what works well in one building may not work as well in another and Charli allows us to curate the experience”.
At two of Charter Hall’s newest and most high-tech developments, Charli is just the start of the smart building experience.
When the $250 million GPO Exchange opens its doors in Adelaide later this year, building users won’t 
need a physical access pass to enter the building or use the printer. Smart phones will replace swipe cards, sensing will gather data to help people customise their experience, and a “strong tech backbone” will connect the building’s systems.
“This will be a powerful tool as all the data comes back to one central point to digest. We’ll have more information about how the building is being used than we’ve ever had before,” Stockfeld explains.
Charter Hall is taking smart technology a step further at the $1.2 billion Wesley Place precinct, which will see three commercial buildings sit alongside the historic Wesley Church on Melbourne’s Lonsdale Street.
Opening in 2020, Wesley Place will boast public Wi-Fi, real-time dashboards in building lobbies and lifts, and electronic vehicle charging stations in the carparks. Smart bins with integrated compact mechanisms and alerts will help building managers to monitor and manage waste. Number plate recognition will make entry and exiting the carpark an easy exercise.
While many of these smart technologies will help Charter Hall to manage resources and reduce unnecessary consumption, sustainability isn’t the only benefit.
“Our customers’ expectations are that we will get the sustainability right. But technology that has the ability to open the car park gate on arrival or that knows when the bathrooms need to be refreshed can really make a big difference to your day,” Stockfeld says.
Stockfeld already has his eye on Charter Hall’s next big project, a Premium grade office tower at 555 Collins Street in Melbourne.
“Our technology strategy for this project is that it needs to be better than what we’ve done before. We will learn from our first two technology-enabled buildings, keep looking at where technology is heading and listen to the feedback from our tenant customers.
“In the future buildings will recognise you, tell you what lift to catch, update you on the weather and remind you of your upcoming yoga session. The intersection of artificial intelligence, technology and buildings is exciting – and we’re only seeing the very beginning of what’s possible.”