CONDO ARCHIVES

Technologies to Watch – SpringFest 2022

July 2022

SpringFest 2022 has returned after its pandemic-induced two-year hiatus.

Among the hundreds of exhibitors at this year’s show, we continue to note the role technology is playing in addressing four high-rise community living and building management challenges.

Parking Management

Parking trends have changed over the past few years.  New buildings have fewer parking spaces.  Buildings with parking are being run by third-party companies offering paid parking for anyone including residents and guests.  Finally, more high-rise residents are no longer in need of parking, preferring to make greater use of public transit, on-demand vehicles, and short-distance alternative transit which includes bicycles, scooters and other electric powered options.

Technology solutions are available to high-rise communities wanting to turn underutilized parking into revenue.  Solutions are fully automated and managed online.  Building security does not need to monitor spaces and parking users are not granted building access without pre-authorization.

Cleaning Services

Cleaning services have traditionally been viewed as routine and mundane, yet essential.  Numerous individuals are necessary for keeping high-rise common areas clean.  This includes hallways, lobbies, rooms and elevators.

Cleaning services don’t provide the same level of attention to all areas of a building.  Walls, floors, doors, touch points and trash all require constant attention.  Some spaces require attention one or more times daily.  Other areas are less heavily used and require attention every few days or weekly.  Building management will trust that cleaning is being done well and may never get around to doing a comprehensive building check.

Technology is being used by some services to modernize building cleaning and maintenance operations.  Building management can better understand the level of performance by cleaning staff, and level of cleanliness, without extensive and time-consuming daily building walks which leave less time to deal with more pressing matters.  Automatic alerts are provided for urgent operational updates.  Problems are more quickly and easily identified, and addressed, before residents become aware of any degradation in cleanliness.

Air Quality

As the relationship between air quality and indoor virus transmission has become increasingly clear, new solutions are becoming available to supplement weaknesses in building HVAC systems.  The newest solutions incorporate light technology, HEPA systems and improved air filter systems in more usable products with both consumer and building-wide models at lower prices.

Ultraviolet light is recognized as an effective disinfectant for viruses, mould and bacteria.  UV Angel, in a test with the New Bedford Housing Authority, wanted to create a “safe environment for all residents while allowing for more human interaction and participation in fulfilling community-based activities.”  Their view is that the pandemic was having a significant impact on their residents and more needed to be done to alleviate the problem, without sacrificing safety.  Results identified an 88 percent reduction of airborne bacteria and 83 percent reduction of bacteria on settled surfaces when using UV Angel clean air units.  A current test of its effectiveness is currently underway in Niagara Region.

Rental and Tenant Software

For far too long, high-rise condominium communities have failed to provide a workable solution for managing tenanted properties despite 25 to 80 percent of buildings being populated with renters.  Owner-landlords left to their own devices employ systems that are less than effective leaving owner-residents unaware of who their neighbours are, and struggling to address problems ranging from inaccessible elevators to smoking, noise and lack of cleanliness.  Building management employing rental and tenant software alongside their condo management software are better able to deal with tenants on behalf of owners while charging for this value-added service.  All owners are happier when there are fewer problems that get resolved more quickly.

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