How technology is driving future-fit design

The increasing use of artificial intelligence and behavioural technologies in fit-out projects across the Asia Pacific region has driven a revolution in space design, improving efficiency, creativity and sustainability.

The emphasis is on how physical workspaces impact a business. Companies are increasingly reviewing how their workspace can assist in meeting sustainability targets and enhance employee wellbeing, productivity and inclusion.

This change has necessitated a multidisciplinary, strategic design approach for fit-out projects. Moreover, advanced technologies have elevated designers’ efficiency, driving innovation and sustainable practices in the design of physical spaces.

Dedicated to creating workplaces that are fit for the future, designers continuously work on technologies and keep upgrading them for their fit-out projects.

AI has revolutionised how spaces are designed to meet the users’ current and future needs, which used to involve extensive studies in the past. For instance, design software qbiq utilises AI algorithms to generate multiple layout options based on specific design criteria. This enables designers to focus on refining solutions and perfecting design details while significantly reducing the time spent on space planning.

Similarly, image generation tools such as Midjourney, which are AI-powered, stimulate creativity, enabling designers to visualise imaginative layouts and refine design details.

Many occupiers are already using sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to optimise energy consumption and occupancy. Meanwhile, emerging headsets and software provide insights into how the human mind responds to a workplace. Designers can leverage this data to create customised spaces to accommodate diverse working styles and foster collaboration and inclusion.

Understanding who uses a space and when and how they use it helps designers create spaces that enable organisations to make informed decisions, align with sustainability, ensure wellbeing and improve user experience.

Advanced technologies, such as building information modelling (BIM), allow the creation of digital twins and 3D models with embedded AI, offering extensive, real-time data with a detailed representation of a space. These models identify design clashes and enable designers to test all options in advance, reducing rework and improving accuracy.

Designers can leverage this data for space planning and maintenance tracking, as well as for improving building services and space utilisation, especially during evolving occupancy requirements.

Innovation and the latest technologies are driving design solutions that support sustainability, diversity and inclusion. Mobility Mojo is an example of a technology that evaluates floor plans based on accessibility requirements and offers recommendations for improvement. Another example is saveBOARD, which uses waste to produce low-carbon, chemical-free building material.

These innovative solutions enhance sustainability throughout the fit-out process, reducing carbon footprint and construction waste.

In a nutshell, in today’s evolving work landscape, harnessing technology offers a tremendous opportunity to create spaces that enhance productivity, well-being and sustainability.

The Asia Pacific region is at the forefront of this technology-driven transformation of workplaces, where data integration and analytics play an integral role.

As businesses increasingly rely on data to optimise space usage for cost efficiency and employee attraction/retention, adopting impactful technologies for space design becomes even more critical. In the years to come, technology-driven design will ensure that workplaces are not only sustainable and future-proof but also tailored to the needs of the occupants.

Discover how data-driven innovation can transform your workplace, reach out to a JLL expert today.