Complex "B2" at Terazije in Belgrade – It’s on you to become a tenant, the rest is on “intelligent building” technology

At the beginning of December, "intelligent building" B2 in 2 Balkanska Street at Terazije, in Belgrade, will get its first users, among which are two foreign banks and an audit company – said Dragan Praštalo, the Executive Director of “Mali Kolektiv”, at yesterday’s (November 12, 2008) press conference.

This unique building in the Balkans will make it possible for its tenants to have completely digitalized control over all devices for communication, lighting, air conditioning, fire protection and security.

B2 is the complex at 24,728 square meters and it will include a shopping mall, apartments and office space, as well as four underground floors for garage space. Due to specific location of the complex - the very center of Belgrade, the aim of "Mali Kolektiv" was to create a world-class living and business environment and “intelligent building” that can be maintained with reduced costs, smaller energy consumption and high level of personal security.

"Mali Kolektiv" chose Cisco Connected Real Estate to be its partner in realization of that project because, as it was explained at the press conference, that company offered a modern, reliable and efficient solution for building management.

- We knew that the information and communication technologies were the key to realization of our ambitions. We created a business model exclusively for rent and our aim was to achieve the best price. We want to provide a luxury accommodation to our tenants, as well as first-class entertainment and communication services and building’s and personal security that suit them. We received number of offers of world’s leading networking companies, but none of the vendors did not match the vision and technology offered by Cisco Connected Real Estate – said Dragan Praštalo.

"Mali Kolektiv" is of the opinion that, thanks to this network, it will be able to reduce the most significant building maintenance costs by 20-25%. Also, they expect to reduce operative costs by 30% and electricity bills by 40%.

Suzana Radović, the Sales Manager in "Cisco Serbia", said that the concept of company "Cisco" was to create the system that satisfied the users’ needs. The system is designed to reduce costs by replacing complex systems with simplified IP network that can be adapted to meet the requirements of the users.

As Radović explained, "Cisco" offered an integrated solution that united all subsystems.

- A modern building usually has about 30 discrete subsystems, including lighting, electricity, video surveillance, pone, Internet, intercom, heating and ventilation. Unlike classical buildings where every system requires special network that utilizes the owner’s protocols, all systems in B2 are virtually controlled through diversified IP network - Dragan Praštalo added.

Heating and energy management is one of the key fields where this system will show its benefits. A small meteorological station on the roof is set to foresee the changes and to react on them by, for example, lifting external shutters in order to maintain the temperature. The central system receives real-time information from over 1,000 sensors within the building and, therefore, it has better control over the overall needs for energy.

Local area network (LAN) is the central system within the building that makes it possible for all other systems to function, work, to be supervised and controlled 24 hours a day from the central control room. LAN also supports TV, voice, message sending services and information, as well as live broadcast from 300 IP video cameras that are installed all over the building. Following their arrival in B2, the visitors get a “smart card” that enables access to those parts of the building that their hosts allow them to see.

Secured access to Internet is available to all tenants and the speed ranges between 50 and 100 Mbps. Cisco CallManager enables advanced services of sending text and voice messages all around B2. The entire complex is equipped with wireless Internet. That does not only provide the access to Internet from a laptop computer or mobile phones, but also enables remote control from any part of the building. For example, while they are eating in one of the restaurants within the building, the tenants can turn on the heating in the bathroom before they get back home. Orders can also be sent via SMS. B2’s staff can even communicate by means of Cisco IP wireless phones while they are anywhere inside the building.

Praštalo explained that, by means of a switch, a touch panel or remote controllers, the tenants would be able to directly control the appliances in their suites – computer network, phone lines, Internet, digital television, heating, cooling and venting installations, lighting, motorized blinds, etc.

- We programmed so-called "settings" for every space. By pressing the button, the users can chose one of the settings, e.g. for watching TV, reading, sleeping, etc. We have locked the possibility of programming, but, depending on the specific requests of the clients, we may enable them to program the settings as they like –Praštalo explained.

The users of the services will be able to use IP telephony, IP television and they are not going to have a limited access to these resources and, as Praštalo said, everything is redundant.

Speaking of the privacy of people who use the services of “intelligent building”, he points out that there are no cameras in the residential areas and business premises. When it comes to physical protection, the building has two systems – one is external and it is the system for the entire building, while all other units have their own protection system that is activated from within the space.

The tenants will be served by 15 people who will be taking care of security and hygiene in the building, waste recycling, and they will also provide all services from rent-a-car to booking and buying tickets for concerts and theater.