/SmartViz Achieves Double Victory at Building Innovation Awards 2026
– SmartViz secures both the Most Innovative New Product (Digital) and Best Asset Management Innovation awards.
– The platform has helped universities unlock over £19 million in savings by improving understanding of space utilization.
– SmartViz emphasizes the need for evidence-led decision-making to address underutilization in buildings.
– Dr. Shrikant Sharma, CEO, highlights the importance of asking how spaces are truly used for better operational decisions.
– The awards reflect a shift towards prioritizing people and data in the built environment.
SmartViz has distinguished itself in the construction and built environment sector by winning two prestigious awards at the Building Innovation Awards 2026: the Most Innovative New Product (Digital) and the Best Asset Management Innovation. These accolades recognize the company’s commitment to harnessing emerging technologies and digital innovations to improve how buildings are managed.
The awards underscore a fundamental belief at SmartViz: effective management, retrofitting, and design of buildings depend on a thorough understanding of how people actually use them.
Transformative Results for Leading Universities
SmartViz has already made a significant impact on the decision-making processes of some of the UK’s largest educational institutions. For instance, the University of Glasgow identified surplus space across 12 buildings and 50 teaching spaces, translating to over £14 million in potential avoided capital investment, plus annual operational savings exceeding £1 million.
In another example, Cardiff Metropolitan University avoided £5.1 million in new construction costs and recognized opportunities to cut utility consumption, leading to operational savings of more than £1.8 million. Meanwhile, Vodafone reported annual property savings of $40 million, with an additional $140 million under review across its portfolio of over 3,000 properties.
Addressing Underutilization in Buildings
Today’s buildings consume significantly more energy than necessary, not due to a lack of technology but because they are often managed based on outdated assumptions regarding occupants’ usage patterns. With the rise of hybrid working and learning, many buildings remain underutilized, perpetuating inefficiencies.
Data shows that 10-40% of university estate footprints may be underutilized, while SmartViz’s analysis reveals teaching space utilization rates around 20% during term and office space occupancy at approximately 30%—even on peak days. These statistics highlight an urgent need for better understanding and management of physical spaces.
Dr. Shrikant Sharma, Founder and CEO of SmartViz, stated, “Smart buildings have been a buzzword for a decade, and most of them are still dumb. They’re full of sensors and systems that never talk to each other, and none of them ask the only question that matters: how are people actually using this space? Every university and every business is being asked to find efficiencies. Our answer is that the money is already there, sitting in empty rooms. These awards recognize a simple idea: measure buildings by how people use them, and better decisions and big savings follow.”
Innovative Technology Behind SmartViz
SmartViz leverages an integrated approach that combines IoT sensors, building systems, room-booking data, and energy information into a dynamic 3D digital twin. This platform processes over 17 billion data points, providing estate managers and finance teams with a comprehensive understanding of real estate usage.
Instead of merely asking how much space is available, organizations can now assess how much space is genuinely needed and what type.
Client Endorsements
David Gray, Head of Estates Digital and Insight at the University of Glasgow, noted, “SmartViz has significantly enhanced our understanding of estate utilization by providing reliable, evidence-based occupancy data. This insight has given us greater confidence in both operational and strategic estate planning decisions, helping us identify opportunities to optimize space use and better align provision with demand.”
Recognition from Industry Experts
The Building Innovation Awards jury praised SmartViz for delivering “genuine lifecycle value through measurable estate optimisation, avoided capital expenditure, reduced operating costs and improved utilisation across multiple large estates.” They also highlighted the platform’s innovative, scalable design and measurable impact, indicating it is prepared for widespread industry adoption.
Dr. Sharma commented on the significance of these wins, stating, “We’re proud, and we’re grateful to the universities, NHS trusts and businesses that have trusted us to help support their decisions. But the real recognition is theirs: they had the courage to act on the evidence. Our job now is to make that the norm across the built environment, not the exception.”
Continued Commitment to Evidence-Led Solutions
SmartViz is currently utilized by over 15 UK universities, health organizations, multinational corporations, local governments, and major infrastructure entities. The company remains dedicated to helping organizations optimize their existing facilities while laying the groundwork for the future built environment—one that is smaller where possible, better where needed, and designed with the occupants in mind.
About SmartViz
SmartViz is a People-Centred Building Intelligence platform that facilitates a shift from assumption-based to evidence-based decision-making within the built environment. By continuously monitoring actual building usage, SmartViz aids organizations in optimizing current assets while providing the necessary
