THE HUMAN TOUCH

echnology has shaped the way we interact with the built environment for, well, as long as we’ve been building environments. The advance of digital connectivity in the past few decades has seen us connect with our spaces in new ways. For facility managers and occupants, this usually means via computerised and connected interfaces as we type, log in, clock on and share data. A new movement is underway, though, which lets people connect with tech, and therefore built environments, in more natural, seamless and intuitive ways. Facial recognition, fingerprint scanning and voice technology are presenting new, unique solutions for building managers and the occupants and guests who frequent their spaces. Facial recognition is unlocking ways to identify people and has vast utility in security, access control and employee time tracking. It’s slowly doing away with locks and keys, manual check-in and the humble