View from America: strategies for a safer and more humane built environment
By Philip R. Juneau. Thanks to COVID-19, we are experiencing change in so many ways, which has left us feeling uneasy, to say the least. As we very cautiously enter back into social and business environments, we are not sure what our future interactions will be like. With so much information being thrown our way, […]
The New Reality: using KNX to create virus-conscious buildings by treating internal spaces as a single environment
By Mark Warburton, Ivory Egg. One of the immediate impacts that the pandemic will have on our industry is changes to the specifications on new projects. Even if the current coronavirus crisis comes to a quick close (which looks increasing unlikely), building specifications are still likely to be adapted to include some of the lessons […]
The Show Must Go On: operating a showroom in socially-distant times
By Graham Oliver, JUNG UK JUNG UK is one of 19 subsidiaries of the German parent company Albrecht JUNG GmbH & Co KG. JUNG products have been available in the UK for many years, but not through dedicated JUNG channels, which led to insufficient specification business. My own company, Door Entry IP Ltd (DEIP), was […]
Panel Design: getting the most from valuable space
By Simon Buddle, Future Ready Homes. Many years ago, I worked on a video installation in a swimming pool. The displayed film had been specially recorded. It spanned a huge sweeping landscape capturing beautiful mountains, and in the foreground, the meadows and foothills. The aspect ratio was 5:1 and the film was to form the […]
Interview: Vidar Thomassen, Zennio UK
Vidar Thomassen has worked in the lighting and controls industry for 30 years, almost 20 of which have been spent in the UK. For the past 25 years, he has been involved with KNX and has worked with brands such as Jung and Berker, and for the last seven years, exclusively with Zennio. In late […]
Future-proofing: beware of smart home products with a limited lifespan
By Paul Foulkes, Theben and KNX UK. Not having to worry whether your technology is functioning as it should, whether it be your car starting, the fridge running or the boiler supplying heat and hot water, engenders a sense of security. If these functions are interrupted or fail to happen, the consequences can be challenging, […]
Wellness: the WELL building standard, clean air and KNX
By Simon Buddle, Future Ready Homes. Fresh air ought to be a given – something that is taken for granted, simply part of the world we live in. If you live in the Alps or an idyllic backwater in Wales or Scotland, then you can be pretty sure that the quality of the air you […]
Dealing with Pandemics: using sensors for smarter, more adaptable cities
By Cedrik Neike, Siemens Smart Infrastructure. The coronavirus pandemic is a new experience for every one of us. It has changed life as we know it – at work, at home and for public interactions. As some countries start to ease restrictions on public life, how can we go back to ‘normal’ while still maintaining […]
Black Lives Matter: in our industry too
By Mark Warburton, Ivory Egg. With the global protests against police brutality and racism, I’ve decided to step away from my usual subjects. Although this isn’t my story to tell, I believe we should all be making a stand, otherwise change will never happen. We all have a role to play in ensuring equal rights […]
Keeping your Distance: offering customers peace of mind through KNX remote access
By Mark Warburton, Ivory Egg. With everything that’s been going on over the last few months, it’s easy to forget the change of seasons, especially for those that have been on the strictest of lockdowns. As we start to see a relaxation of restrictions, it feels like we are all leaving our homes to a […]