Intelligent building envelopes connect smart buildings with smart cities, thereby creating healthy, comfortable, secure and networked working and living spaces. In this regard, the façade is accorded special significance as the connection between the inside and outside.
With the Internet of Façades (IOF), Schüco has the vision of networking the façade as a holistic and intelligent system. At BAU 2019, the company presented initial solutions for smart units in the building envelope. These provide the client, fabricator and investor with information to help with use, maintenance and value retention.
Windows, sliding systems and doors are becoming smart. Thanks to innovative technology, digital twins of the mechanic and mechatronic units in the building envelope can be created. This has enabled Schüco to make all of the mechanic and mechatronic systems smart.
Benefits for the fabricator
If a unit is currently or will soon be defective, no longer fully functional or is due for maintenance, the smart unit identifies this status and notifies the user. The fabricator can call up information about installed components, required replacement parts, test reports, certificates or CE markings and respond accordingly. This saves time and money, opening up a whole new range of services for the fabricator and therefore also new market opportunities for sustainable growth.
Benefits for the client or investor
In addition to information regarding functionality and upcoming maintenance cycles, proper operation and care are also important for the client or investor. The smart unit detects, for example, whether it is being used correctly or too intensely, and provides the appropriate operating, care and maintenance instructions to remedy this. A further advantage is that the smart Schüco unit detects, for example, when the humidity level in the building is too high and notifies the user of potential damage to the fabric of the building, so that prompt action can be taken and long-term value retention can be ensured.
