CHICAGO—May 21, 2019—The Elevator Consultants (TEC), a leading global elevator consulting firm, advises building owners, developers, architects, and others involved with commercial real estate to be sure to factor elevators, escalators and vertical transportation into the growth and evolution of their properties.
As human societies have developed, the way we have constructed and used buildings has evolved as well. Instead of high rises filled with formal offices and larger cubicles, many people now work in mixed use and co-work spaces. Commercial building no longer simply offer a place to work but a destination for workers with workout facilities, rooftop conference centers or lounges, and coffee shops to accommodate the tenant.
The person-to-space ratios have gotten much smaller over the last decade as larger workforces are cramming into smaller spaces getting rearranged for higher occupancy rates. Additionally, the advent of many technologies has been a driver of changing needs; digitization and automation has allowed buildings to offer new and improved services, and tech solutions are now available that help make buildings safer, more secure and more efficient.
As the needs and capacities of these buildings change, owners and managers have made changes to the buildings to suit them, but most have unfortunately overlooked their elevator and vertical transportation systems. While the rest of the building gets modified, upgraded or updated to suit the changing needs of its users, elevators are often neglected.
While no building wants to take on a costly replacement until necessary, not allowing elevators to evolve with a building has consequences. These outdated systems end up being like a two-lane highway that still serves a town that has quadrupled its population; too much traffic results in disorganization, delays, frustration and a faster breakdown of the physical components of the system.
To avoid these issues, TEC recommends that buildings adapt their elevators to the technological and service needs of its current occupants the same as they would any other element of the building. You would not try running a business on an outdated computer system, so why not take advantage of new technologies that make life easier for your building’s staff and occupants? Elevators are the arteries of a modern building and should be factored into its’ evolution to ensure seamless operation.
Find out how The Elevator Consultants can help your buildings evolve, visit www.theelevatorconsultant.com.