Koh-Gratton: The fastest- growing segment in smart buildings lies in predictive maintenance, thanks in part to advancements in big data analytics and machine learning (Credit: Kone Singapore)
SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - Grand Hyatt Singapore on Scotts Road is undergoing a two-year refurbishment that began officially on Oct 18, 2021. The first phase of the renovation takes place at the Terrace Wing, which houses facilities including the swimming pool, spa, gym, poolside restaurant Oasis, as well as tennis and badminton courts. The spaces will be designed by Tokyo-based Nao Taniyama & Associates, with interior design by London-based Strickland & Partners and urban landscaping by UK-based landscape architect Grant Associates.
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The 51-year-old, 677-key Grand Hyatt Singapore is being upgraded into “a smart hotel”. The major refurbishment scope includes its elevators and escalators, that will be installed by Kone Singapore. “When refurbishing an older building, we want to look into the whole user journey — the people flow, and the role the elevators plays in a smart building concept,” says Sylvia Koh-Gratton, Kone managing director, Singapore. “In any building, the two most visible areas are the elevators and washrooms.”
Grand Hyatt Hotel, where refurbishments are underway, including upgrading of its infrastructure into “a smart hotel” (Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
Kone is also working closely with Grand Hyatt to integrate robots to take on a wider range of work — beyond cleaning, picking up laundry and food delivery, adds Koh-Gratton.
Kone is already collaborating with Changi General Hospital and CapitaLand Investment (CLI) to testbed the integration of multifunctional robots and building infrastructure, according to a press release on May 28. Other testbeds are at Heartbeat @ Bedok sports centre and the CLI-led Smart Urban Co-innovation Lab (the Lab) at Singapore Science Park 2.
These testbeds are guided by a new national standard, Technical Reference 93, that allows communication between the robots and lifts as well as automated doors. This way, robots can travel autonomously and safely through indoor and outdoor spaces as well as gain access to various floors in a multi-storey building.
Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat said in his speech, on May 28 at “Vibrant Partnerships Enabling Robotics In How We Live, Work & Play”, that Singapore is the second most automated country in the world, after South Korea, with more than 600 industrial robots per 10,000 workers. “The number of industrial robots in the world may not seem large — numbering three million last year, compared to the more than three billion people employed worldwide,” says Heng. “But industrial robots are increasing at a very fast pace. The numbers doubled over the past five years.”
With the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Heng adds that we must expect not only more robots, but also much greater integration of technology with our daily lives. “Machines will replace manual handling of simple or repetitive tasks, freeing up humans to take on more complex endeavours,” he adds. “With an ageing and eventually shrinking workforce, automation and robots can reduce our manpower needs.”
Beyond automation and robots, Koh-Gratton believes that the fastest-growing segment in smart buildings lies in predictive maintenance, where the condition and performance of in-service equipment are continually monitored and the equipment proactively serviced to prevent breakdown. This will increase the value of buildings by prolonging equipment lifespan, she explains.
Predictive maintenance is possible, thanks in part to advancements in big data analytics and machine learning, according to Koh-Gratton. Kone has more than 170,000 elevators globally that are connected to the Kone Digital Platform where operating data is collected and transmitted to an AI-based engine that monitors and identifies potential issues before a breakdown happens. The local service teams will be alerted to carry out pre-emptive servicing, thereby reducing disruptions, Koh-Gratton observes.
Founded in 1910 in Helsinki, Finland, Kone’s core business is in the manufacture of elevators and escalators. However, in recent years, it has expanded its business scope to include smart building and sustainable solutions. Kone opened its office in Singapore in the 1978 and established its new Asia Pacific headquarters at a 25,000 sq ft facility at Mapletree Industrial Trust’s high-tech space located at 30A Kallang Place in 2018.
79 Robinson, where Kone turnstiles and elevators with destination control functions are used (Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
As Singapore moves towards becoming a smart nation, there is an increased appetite to upgrade older buildings into “smart buildings”. This is especially significant in the CBD, in response to a flight to quality, Koh-Gratton notes. To encourage the renewal of the CBD, URA has introduced the CBD Incentive Scheme in the 2019 Master Plan.
New commercial and mixed-use developments that are fitted with Kone elevators include CapitaSky, the 29-storey, Grade-A office block at 79 Robinson Road; Rochester Commons, which is positioned as Singapore’s “first campus-style” integrated development with an office tower, shared executive learning centre and hotel when it was completed at the end of last year; and Keppel Towers redevelopment, which will see the new 32-storey office tower fitted with 23 Kone elevators. (Find Singapore commercial properties with our commercial directory)
On June 21, Kone Corp announced that it won three awards at the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design 2022 competition, for a series of culture-inspired elevator interiors, a voice-operated call system and an energy saving motor.
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