Smart Building Design Guides
Your buildings are smarter than you think

Your buildings are smarter than you think

Embrace technology at each renovation planning stage and unleash hidden network insights.

Get design guides

Unlock the hidden potential of your building’s network

The network—wired and wireless—is virtually everywhere, but often unseen. It’s not just for connecting computers to the internet or routing VOIP calls. Your network can gather data about everything from building resource availability and occupancy to energy use.

Put that data to use

  • What if your building’s network could automatically cut the glare on a presentation screen by lowering shades at just the right time?
  • Or know how many people are in an office and adjust ventilation, temperature, and humidity to ensure comfort?
  • What if it could handle room reservations based on real-time room occupancy data?
Put that data to use

Use the building’s network as a sensor

Your network can feed data-driven automated controls that track and respond to building resource needs, occupancy limits, and power usage, and that can help you limit costs and maximize profits—or even cut your building’s carbon emissions.

Use the building’s network as a sensor
Average energy savings
35.5% Avg. energy savings

The Cisco PENN 1 office located in New York City shows an average energy savings of 35.5% after redesigning and employing smart technologies such as lighting, window shades, security cameras, and occupancy sensors powered by Power over Ethernet (PoE). Read an analysis of our own retrofitted smart space.

Design and construct in a better way

Include technology planning as part of the programming, schematic, and design development phases. This can help make the most of the infrastructure you already have in place. We make it easy with our design guides for smart workplaces.

Smart buildings design and construct Smart buildings design and construct
Start planning your next project today
Get design guides Watch webinar on the design process
Smart building reduce cost

Reduce costs while keeping teams happy, comfortable, and safe

A little early planning can make a big impact. You’ll reduce operating expenses by using less energy with connected heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), security, and occupancy systems. And you can even cut your building’s carbon emissions by swapping in energy-efficient PoE.

Best of all, you’ll be providing safe, inviting workplaces ideal for hot-desking, collaboration, and training.

Discover our smart solutions
Smart buildings technology guidance Technology and guidance to get you started
Sensors and cameras

Consider safety and physical security best practices with a complete IT and IoT physical security platform, from cameras to sensors to computer vision analytics. Experience less complexity, fewer manual tasks, and more visibility across your workspaces.

See Meraki IoT devices
Switching, wireless, PoE

Connect and power your buildings with built-in automation, analytics, and security. Our software-enabled switching and wireless solutions can unlock the power of unification with your access network.

Browse wireless solutions
Power over Ethernet (PoE)

Optimize energy efficiency and workplace wellness using your network as the foundation for smarter, more sustainable buildings with Power over Ethernet (PoE), a technique for delivering DC power to devices over copper Ethernet cabling, eliminating the need for separate power supplies and outlets.

Learn how to use PoE
Collaboration devices

Reimagine teamwork. Connect, share, and create with your teams and go-to apps with the latest innovative devices powering hybrid work.

Hybrid work must-haves