Smart buildings and campuses are reshaping the way organisations manage safety, efficiency and sustainability. Gerard Donohue, Chief Technology Officer, Telent, says from universities to military bases and workplaces, data-driven insights and AI-driven systems are driving more responsive, resilient and sustainable environments.
Gone are the days of discrete and siloed building management. The modern workplace is a completely different entity from what it once was and that is by design. The UK government and many organisations are investing in smart buildings and campuses to meet new demands for security, efficiency, user experience and sustainability.
Reflecting this shift, the global market for smart infrastructure was valued at US$485.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$1.5 trillion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.3%. Smart campuses and buildings are being leveraged strategically, now more than ever, meaning data is constantly being captured through various tools. Using technologies such as cameras, sensors and connected devices has provided new insight into how people interact with spaces.
What the new age of smart buildings boils down to is the utilisation of technology to improve workflow, people traffic, user profiles and building usage – anything connected to a network that can collect data and be correlated. Over time this creates a living picture of how spaces are really used, allowing organisations to spot inefficiencies, identify bottlenecks and predict demand rather than simply reacting to it.
Ultimately, these insights help organisations improve user experience, manage resources efficiently and respond to real-time needs. For some organisations this is essential rather than optional, especially where safety, compliance or sustainability targets are at stake.
From functional to flexible: Buildings after COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped how we view shared spaces. As hybrid work models became the norm and public health took centre stage, expectations for buildings changed overnight. No longer was it enough for workplaces and campuses to be functional. They must now be adaptive, hygienic and able to respond dynamically to changing occupancy patterns.
Employees, students and visitors want confidence in their environment: ventilation that adjusts to footfall, lighting that supports wellbeing and layouts that reflect new modes of collaboration. These demands have elevated smart infrastructure from a nice-to-have to a critical tool for resilience, user trust and Business Continuity.
The pandemic also accelerated digital expectations. People became accustomed to apps that could monitor their health, deliver services instantly and adapt to their personal needs. Now, they expect physical spaces to operate in a similar way. Workplaces and campuses that cannot provide this flexibility risk falling behind in attracting talent, supporting productivity and meeting wellbeing standards.
Smart infrastructure bridges this gap by making the built environment more responsive not only to operational requirements but also to the evolving expectations of the people who use it every day.
Smart technology in high security settings
Smart environments have especially impactful applications in high-security institutions such as police stations, prisons, military bases and universities. These settings are often under pressure to do more with less with budgets tightly controlled and demands for accountability higher than ever. Despite being relatively cash-constrained, they cannot compromise on safety, efficiency or sustainability.
Each of these environments faces unique challenges but they share common priorities: the need for continuous monitoring, intelligent space utilisation and support for wellbeing, all while aligning with ambitious net zero goals. Smart technology helps to meet these requirements by providing data-driven insights that enable leaders to anticipate issues, cut waste and optimise how facilities are used.
From reducing unnecessary energy consumption to creating safer spaces for staff, detainees, students or military personnel, smart solutions deliver not just operational savings but also tangible improvements in trust, care and long-term resilience.
In police stations, smart technology is being trialled to support detainee welfare through continuous, non-intrusive monitoring. Sensors can now detect multiple events including changes in heart rate, breathing patterns, air quality and signs of physical distress. This provides officers with a clearer picture of detainee wellbeing with additional data to complement regular physical checks. The focus is on reducing risk in custody suites where incidents such as self-harm or substance ingestion remain critical concerns. By using real-time data and AI to flag unusual behaviour, these systems help staff intervene earlier, allocate resources more effectively and document incidents with greater accuracy.
Military bases’ core focus is maximising the wellbeing of personnel. Smart technology is increasingly being deployed to reduce risks in non-combative scenarios and to ease the burden on human resources. Routine duties such as gate checks, perimeter surveillance and guard patrols can now be augmented with systems that combine automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), advanced CCTV analytics and Artificial Intelligence. These technologies not only detect potential security breaches more but also ensure responses are consistent and evidence based. By shifting repetitive and resource-intensive tasks onto intelligent platforms, bases can free personnel to focus on higher-value duties, creating environments that are not only safer but also more efficient and resilient in the long-term.
Smart campuses such as universities also face similar challenges, but more for the utilisation of health, wellbeing, footfall and the impact on the capacity of their user communities. These campuses function like mini cities with lecture halls, accommodation, laboratories and social spaces all drawing on the same energy infrastructure. Having control of your environment and enabling its flexible usage based upon known variables is key not only to daily operations but also to long-term sustainability.
This flexibility makes it possible to better understand the building fabric’s role in carbon reduction, which is a critical part of meeting net zero targets that are now central to institutional strategies. Technologies such as sensors, CCTV aligned with AI-driven data analytics and Building Management Systems (BMS) enable this adaptability by maximising the use of assets and aligning them with real-time demand.
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are a particularly important focus as they are often the largest consumers of energy on a campus. By programming HVAC systems to respond dynamically to occupancy levels, universities can ensure that large lecture theatres are only heated, cooled or ventilated when in use while study areas and corridors automatically adjust airflow and temperature according to footfall patterns.
Over time, the insights gathered from these systems give facility managers a comprehensive view of behaviour across the campus. This allows them to anticipate peak usage, plan maintenance more effectively and identify underutilised assets that could be reconfigured, all while delivering a healthier and more comfortable environment for students and staff.
Doing more with less
Across sectors, the push for smart infrastructure is driven by a combination of cost control, sustainability and a looming workforce crisis. Organisations are being forced to find new ways to do more with less, making technology the only scalable solution to meet rising expectations.
Many organisations are looking to reduce operational expenses (OpEx) by reducing site visits and scheduled maintenance inspections. With smart technology, instead of multiple site visits, the use of AI and video analytics allows for remote inspection that can be shared amongst others and predictive maintenance visits, cutting carbon emissions and costs at the same time.
Challenges of deploying smart infrastructure
The biggest constraint is often what is already there. Many organisations still run on legacy infrastructure that was never designed to talk to modern systems. In some cases, this means outdated wiring and hardware; in others, siloed software platforms that do not integrate with new digital tools. Add to this the reality of limited budgets and competing demands, and the cost of a full replacement can quickly become unmanageable.
For critical environments such as hospitals, airports or police stations, downtime during major upgrades is another barrier that can put safety and service continuity at risk. But ripping everything out is not the only option. Organisations are finding smart ways to extend the life of their existing systems by enabling them with new technology.
Internet of Things (IoT) overlays, cloud-based monitoring platforms and digital twins can all sit on top of current infrastructure to create smarter environments without the upheaval of starting from scratch.
In many cases, this phased strategy delivers better value for money and ensures upgrades are aligned to real operational needs.
Facilities managers no longer have to ‘make do’ with systems that drain time and resources. Instead, they can use technology to extend the life of their assets, reduce frustration for staff and create a platform that is ready for the next wave of innovation.
The future of smart buildings and campuses
In five to 10 years, there will be very few industries without a smart environment. While human involvement will still matter, much of the heavy lifting will be handled by AI and automation. Systems designed to operate within clearly defined boundaries will manage environments, flag issues and make decisions safely and efficiently.
The workplace of the future will not only be more automated but also more human in feel. Smart environments will remove the friction of everyday tasks, create seamless user experiences and enable richer collaboration. Ironically, this evolution could draw more people back into physical spaces.
Smart technology is not just about automation; it is about creating environments that are safer, more efficient and more sustainable through optimised energy usage.
By capturing and acting on real-time data, organisations can balance safety, efficiency and sustainability in ways that were previously out of reach, setting a strong foundation for the next stage of smart infrastructure.
