WELCOME BACK TO BUILD SMARTER WEEKLY, A SPECIAL EDITION SERIES FROM THE BUILDING TOMORROW NEWSLETTER.
In this series, we tackle the common mistakes, missed opportunities, and mindset shifts that make the difference between tech-filled buildings and truly future-ready environments. Whether you’re a developer, architect, GC, or building operator, these insights are designed to help you lead smarter, more aligned, and more impactful projects from day one.
Introduction: Where Good Intentions Fall Apart
Smart buildings are supposed to make life easier: more efficient operations, enhanced tenant experiences, reduced energy consumption, and smoother building management. But too often, the reality falls short.
Why? Because “smart” isn’t just about adding technology—it’s about integrating it well.
At Layer 10, we’ve seen time and again how even the best-intentioned projects can miss the mark when the fundamentals of smart implementation aren’t in place. This article outlines the most common pitfalls we see in smart building projects—and more importantly, what to do about them.
Mistake #1: Treating Technology Like an Add-On
Tech should never be something you slap on at the end of a project. Yet this happens all the time: a building is nearly complete before anyone seriously considers the technology strategy. By that point, infrastructure is locked in, budgets are strained, and compromises abound.
What to Do Instead:
Bring technology to the table from the start. A design-first, human-centric approach ensures that tech is embedded into the DNA of the project—not tacked on as an afterthought.
Mistake #2: Overengineering the Experience
Too much tech can be just as bad as too little. When buildings are filled with overly complex systems that require constant maintenance or confuse end users, adoption plummets and frustration soars.
What to Do Instead:
Simplicity wins. Focus on intuitive systems that align with user needs and expectations. Prioritize experience over feature sets. If the average person can’t figure out how to use your space without a training manual, you’ve overcomplicated it.
Mistake #3: One-Size-Fits-All Solutions
A system that works well in one building might be a disaster in another. Too often, teams default to familiar vendors or packaged solutions without considering the unique demands of the space or its users.
What to Do Instead:
Adopt a product-agnostic mindset. Your technology strategy should be tailored to the environment, not dictated by a product catalog.
Mistake #4: Misalignment Between Stakeholders
When owners, architects, general contractors, and IT vendors are not on the same page, things go sideways quickly. We often hear, “I thought they were handling that,” or worse, “We didn’t think IT was critical at this stage.”
What to Do Instead: Prioritize stakeholder alignment early and often. Establish a shared technology vision and ensure clear accountability from day one.
Mistake #5: Focusing on the Gear, Not the Goal
Too many projects define success by what gets installed, rather than what gets accomplished. Hardware is only valuable when it helps the building achieve a broader goal—better tenant retention, smoother operations, or lower energy use.
What to Do Instead: Start with the outcomes. Build backwards from the experience you want to deliver, and choose tools that support that vision.
What Smart Implementation Looks Like
At Layer 10, our smart building projects are guided by three simple principles:
- Design First: We bring technology into the process at the same time as layout, finishes, and flow.
- Human-Centric Thinking: We focus on the experience of occupants, operators, and visitors.
- Product-Agnostic Strategy: We recommend the right tools for the job, not the most familiar or the most hyped.
This isn’t just better for the building—it’s better for your business.
Let’s Build Smarter
If you’re planning a new project or struggling with a smart building that doesn’t feel so smart, it might be time for a fresh approach.
Explore how Layer 10 can help you align stakeholders, define outcomes, and deliver smart building systems that actually work.
👉 Learn more about our process at www.layer10.com
👉 Ready to dig deeper? Join our Build Smarter Challenge to transform how you lead technology strategy. https://www.layer10.com/build-smarter-challenge-sp.
Let’s build smarter—and build tomorrow, today.