ARTICLE
BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES
The first building in the world that
interacts with people
• Agnelli Foundation’s historic headquarters in
Italy transformed into a digitally responsive
building
• Innovative indoor positioning system from
Siemens
• Real time adaptation of occupants needs
through Internet of Things technologies
• Communication with the building systems via
an easy-to-use smartphone app
A
gnelli Foundation in Italy has had
its historic headquarters in Turin
transformed into an advanced
Internet of Things (IoT) office building,
demonstrating how digitalization is
transforming conventional workplaces
into the smart workplaces of the future.
The new office featuring 3,000 m2 of
coworking space was opened in mid-
June.
three-axis indoor
positioning
system based on smartphones and
custom tags was installed. It detects
and communicates the presence
of occupants and positioning data,
automatically triggering the appropriate
response of the building’s facilities.
features can be adapted in real time
The indoor positioning system is
The project implemented the concept
of Carlo Ratti Associati architects for the
landmark site of the Agnelli Foundation:
creating optimal working conditions in
the building in real time through geo-
localization of people moving inside
the complex. This means more efficient
management of the building systems
as well as greater comfort for people
in terms of heating, cooling, shading,
lighting, access, and space availability.
depending on the number of people in
different environments.
Hundreds of sensors monitor all kinds of
building data, including the location of
the occupants but without identifying
them. Sensors constantly check
temperatures, CO2 concentration,
and availability of meeting rooms. A
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integrated with Desigo CC, the building
management system from Siemens
which monitors climate, lighting, access
control, CCTV and alarms and can be
used to book meeting rooms. All these
The easy to use system has a gaming-
style interface and is available through
an app for people who are in the
building. The app lets occupants
access the building, interact with
coworkers and book meeting rooms
as well as personalize their preferred
environmental settings.
www.siemens.com
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“Intelligent devices generate huge
amounts of data every day, every hour
and every second. With the right digital
tools it is possible to leverage the data
and interact with the environment as
never before.