Smart Spaces to deliver Manchester’s first smart building at Ask Real Estate’s First Street

Smart Spaces, the leading smart building operating system and customer-experience app, has been appointed by Ask Real Estate to deploy its smart technology to the latest phase of First Street, a 400,000 sq ft development in the heart of Manchester.

The building will deliver 260,766 sq ft of offices and 21,111 sq ft of retail across nine storeys plus ground and basement is set to become the smartest building in Manchester. As Master Systems Integrator (MSI), Smart Spaces will work with the system vendors throughout each stage of development to connect the base build systems (to include HVAC, lighting, energy metering) to its digital twin (a 3D interactive replica of the building) and provide contactless access and 360 control for building users including:

• Touch-free access, lift, climate and lighting controls 
• Smart desk and meeting room booking 
• Seamless smart visitor management system 
• Real time occupancy with journey mapping 
• Predictive fault management 
• Real time energy footprint 
• Concierge, events and offers 

The community app has been designed to achieve new levels of data-driven occupier engagement through its advanced utilisation of the amenities including socialising, offers and events, as well as driving a smart sustainability strategy occupiers want to support. Access to the digital twin, with connected controls will provide the building management team the ability to simulate and effect changes in real-time via a web portal and further aid all stakeholders with visualisation of the building for maximum efficiency. 

In addition to the landlord provided community engagement app which includes lifestyle and concierge features and entry level access, occupiers will also be able to engage Smart Spaces to create their own branded app giving them control over their own workspace. 

Matthew O’Halloran, Director of Smart Spaces, said: “We are delighted to be working with Ask Real Estate to deliver the first smart building in Manchester and usher in a new age of real estate technology for the North West. Through the utilisation of our technology we can provide real estate solutions to enhance the efficiency of the building whilst delivering a seamless user experience for occupiers to the benefit of all.

“We have been deploying smart technology such as contactless access, smart visitor management systems and our community engagement app for the past 10 years, and as we look to the future and begin to make sense of what the new normal will look like, we know that our technology has a key role to play. Highly adaptable, Smart Spaces helps to ensure that the best processes are in place to aid business continuity, productivity, wellbeing and ultimately occupiers’ safety both in the immediate response to Covid-19 and importantly, over the longer term as well.”

John Hughes, Managing Director of Ask Real Estate, commented: “As First Street continues to expand and we work towards a start on site later this year, the commitment we have made in introducing Smart Space technology means that on completion, this building will be one of the smartest and most sustainable buildings outside London.

“We believe that having a smart platform integrated into the design ensures the efficiency and sustainability of a building, both key business drivers for future occupiers, and we look forward to working with Smart Spaces on the implementation of the technology.”