Utilizing Smart Systems to Enhance the Sustainability of Egyptian Administrative Buildings

Abstract

Smart buildings have grabbed the attention of researchers since the 1980s. Until now, there has been no specific definition for smart buildings, which came from modern technologies and applications that rely on smart systems, significantly affecting the construction industry. Based on the importance of the administrative building sector in Egypt, this study proposed a general framework enumerating smart systems that positively impact this sector at the environmental, social, and economic levels (the three key pillars of sustainability). Various methods were used, including induction, descriptive, analysis, survey, and deduction. It enumerated and analyzed the Egyptian context through three case studies to reveal the gap between their current situation and the one hoped for in its three categories, Smart Security and Safety Systems, Smart Auxiliary Systems, and Smart Entertainment Systems. The findings of this study for the first category showed an average of 47% for security systems and 67% for safety systems. The category of smart auxiliary systems was divided into five sub-categories, showing 39% in climatic control systems, 60% in energy management systems, 100% in HVAC control systems, 50% in lighting control systems, and 56% in water management systems. Finally, the smart entertainment systems category was divided into three sub-categories, showing 42% in Wi-Fi and Internet systems, 44% in video surveillance systems, and 67% in sound and video intercom systems. Therefore, these quantitative findings represent promising results that motivate the Egyptian context to move forward in this direction by using smart systems to improve the sustainability of Egyptian administrative buildings.