I was excited to attend the virtual launch of WiredScore's SmartScore today. SmartScore sets in place a clear framework to assess a smart building, putting people rather than technology as the focus to produce a user-centric review.

At the start of 2020, the real estate team at Forsters was given a very informative talk by Tom McClellan, a director of WiredScore, about their focus on connectivity in buildings, and it was clear that looking to the future was a key part of what they do. SmartScore is a new assessment in response to three clear trends which are driving the need for smart buildings: the increasing use of technology in our personal lives, the rapid changing of work habits driven by the pandemic, and the climate crisis highlighting the importance of reducing carbon emissions.

What is a smart building I hear you ask? To quote the white paper produced by WiredScore "a smart building delivers outstanding outcomes for all users, through digital technology, to exceed their evolving expectations". To get a handle on what people want from a smart building, WiredScore established the WiredScore Smart Council comprising over 90 landlords, tenants and property professionals from around the world. This has resulted in a global standard of measurement focusing on four key outcomes that a smart building must deliver: an inspirational experience, sustainability, cost efficiency, and being future proofed by design. 

We heard at the launch that six technological foundations underpin these outcomes. These are digital connectivity, the more traditional building systems such as heating and lighting, integration of the occupier into the landlord's network, governance (the smart strategy of the building), cyber security and data sharing. More information is provided in the white paper published online by WiredScore.

So far, 70 buildings and 44 landlords across 7 countries have adopted SmartScore for their buildings, including several here in London, such as No.1 Knightsbridge owned by Aberdeen Standard Investments. Given the success of WiredScore's existing connectivity rating, I can only see SmartScore gaining popularity as a means of bringing together the various elements which occupiers increasingly want to see from their spaces. With people (hopefully) soon starting a return to the office, in whatever form that may take, the focus on technology and corporate objectives around sustainability and carbon reduction has never been more important, making SmartScore a timely new certification.