Technology has been integral to the design, construction, and function of buildings since the first structures were built to withstand the elements. In recent centuries, its presence has expanded to include the plumbing, electrical, and mechanical subsystems now essential to any structure. Today, we are in the midst of integrating a variety of new electronic additions to these technological systems, and it has become essential that we standardize their vital inclusion into buildings.

The convergence of these existing and new technologies into one centralized “brain” for a structure has become popularly known as a “smart building.” Smart buildings cannot exist without smart building owners - those who recognize the extra value their buildings have over buildings with similar styles and appearance but lacking the functionality or efficiencies brought by new technology. They become smart building owners when they decide to equip buildings with the latest technological advancements, knowing that the buildings then have longer life-cycles and will appeal to tenants and/or reduce operating costs. The smart building owner hires smart building architects, who in turn might have smart building engineers, consultants, contractors, and so on.

With so many voices contributing to their evolution, opinions vary on how these intelligent buildings should be defined. Likewise, there are a variety of stances on what convergence and systems integration really mean, especially among those who must justify the cost of the technology. Thus, if we are ever to propagate widespread agreement on these terms and concepts as they relate to commercial buildings, we must first prove the associated cost savings. These include reduced energy costs through automated systems management, reduced manpower expenditures with such technologies as electronic surveillance and security, and reduced operating and build-out expenses in areas where resources can be shared, such as wired and wireless networks, operating systems, and databases.

This is not to say that the way to prove costs savings is to design a building with a single network and a single computer controlling dozens of systems. Convergence means introducing best practices and standards to merge technological capabilities and operations for greater functionality.

The opportunities abound if this hurdle can be overcome. Already, real estate developers are taking notice of integrated systems’ potential. Building owners and facility managers are taking notice. And yes, the IT professionals are coming on board in a big way to embrace and drive these technology-enabled structures. They all want to know how their design teams can write good technical specifications for upcoming projects. This is the connection between the convergence of multiple technologies and the Construction Specification Institute’s (CSI) 2004 revision of its MasterFormat™ (MF/04). It was designed to allow this to happen.

CSI has done a tremendous favor to both the electronic systems technology and building industries in paving the way toward making intelligent building concepts a reality. MF/04 is the instruction manual for correctly specifying needed technology.

NSCA has already taken a strong stance on the MF/04 transition. We have supported this effort and have been part of its development. Next we will take a strong leadership role in developing strategies, education, and guidance for developers, architects, engineers, consultants, and others who incorporate the latest technology into their designs.

Our promise all along has been to advance the technology and the skill sets of those designing and integrating electronic systems and improve specification tools in a way that allows smart building owners to make smart investments. This is the future of our industry.

Chuck Wilson has been NSCA’s executive director since 1996. Much of his time is spent helping contractors with the challenges of today’s business environment. He often gives lectures and presentations; some topics are “Integrating Industry Trends Into Your Business Plan” and “Systems Contracting - By the Numbers.” Prior to joining NSCA, Wilson was a partner in Communications Engineering Co., where he served in many capacities for more than 20 years.