Monash Uni to create 'cognitive office buildings'

Monash University will crowdsource data from staff and students’ to better understand how they use and navigate buildings on campus.

The university said in a statement that it will use big data to "intelligently and automatically alter the internal environment" of buildings in order to create more efficient, comfortable spaces.

The project will use technology from industrial automation company Honeywell

Staff and students will be able to use a mobile app to "rate spaces, how they navigate buildings and to report faults".

The app data will also tell Monash "how often and when buildings are accessed."

"The data will feed into Honeywell’s command and control suite based in the 'future control room' at Monash to connect key personnel with data visualisations," it said.

"[The room] will provide simple, intuitive displays to building operations teams and allow them to enhance facilities and security management, and to create comfortable spaces for students and staff while reducing energy consumption."

In addition to assisting with day-to-day management of the facilities, the project also aims to create an environment for further research work.

Dean of the IT faculty, Professor Jon Whittle, said the university, which has 78,000 students and 16,000 staff across 150 buildings, is a “significant consumer of energy” comparable to a small city.

“The team at Monash, working together with Honeywell, are changing the way building performance data can be used to help mitigate risk, enhance business continuity and reduce operational costs.”