Intelligent Building Workshop showcases AI and data-driven innovation

The Intelligent Building Workshop (IBW25), held in Sydney’s CBD, brought together leading experts, practitioners, and innovators to explore how AI, data governance, and advanced controls are reshaping the future of buildings.  

Here are some of the highlights from this fantastic event, which AIRAH hopes to co-host again in coming years.

Session 1: AI in buildings and data foundations

I was honoured to welcome the crowd to IBW25 alongside Dr Subbu Sethuvenkatraman, M.AIRAH, from the University of Wollongong.

The opening keynote was delivered by Dr Stephen White, L.AIRAH, from the CSIRO. Stephen spoke about data needs and governance for AI in buildings, emphasising the importance of high-quality, structured data and robust governance frameworks in unlocking the full potential of AI in the built environment. 

John McCulloch followed with a presentation on semantic model-based data management and analytics deployability, illustrating pathways for scaling data solutions across complex building portfolios. 

Next up were representatives from CIM – David Wright, Howie Mann, and David Waterworth. They delivered a presentation titled Bridging the gap: How structured data powers smarter building, offering practical insights into how structured datasets are already enhancing efficiency and decision-making in real-world applications. 

The session concluded with Chris Stamatis, M.AIRAH, from CopperTree Analytics. Chris spoke on digitising HVAC maintenance, highlighting how digital tools and predictive strategies can reduce downtime and improve operational performance, having recently co-authored an article on a similar topic for AIRAH’s Ecolibrium magazine. 

Session 2: Advanced controls in buildings 

The second session shifted the focus toward the next generation of building controls. Sam West (CSIRO) delivered a presentation titled A data-driven workflow for evaluating building controls, outlining methodologies to test, validate, and optimise automation systems. Yongqin Li then explored critical questions around transparency, trust, and accountability in AI-driven systems. 

The session’s keynote, Professor Alfonso Capozzoli from Politecnico di Torino delivered a thought-provoking address titled AI in buildings: What does the future look like? His presentation examined the transformative role AI can play in energy optimisation, occupant wellbeing, and predictive maintenance. 

Session 3: Grid-interactive and reimagined buildings 

The final session broadened the lens to consider the role of buildings within energy and urban systems. Mark Goldsworthy (CSIRO) discussed challenges and opportunities in building flexibility estimation, while Anna Davis from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) spoke about how the Green Star rating system rewards grid resilience, connecting certification frameworks to resilience outcomes. 

Bree Trevena offered a creative vision of how design and policy can enable more adaptive, resilient environments. Rounding out the session, James Elks presented on the role NABERS plays in grid flexibility, illustrating how benchmarking tools are evolving to incorporate demand response and flexibility metrics.

Capacity crowd

This was the inaugural Intelligent Building Workshop, and if the crowd response was anything to go by, there will be plenty more to come. The first-of-its-kind event was a smash hit, with the venue reaching its capacity of 150 attendees.

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