The Glumac HQ

Another successful historic retrofit using smart technology is the Glumac Headquarters in Shanghai, China. The major smart feature in this instance is an advanced air purification and monitoring system. Air pollution has long been a problem in China's major cities, which is why engineering company Glumac prioritized indoor air purity during a recent retrofit of its Shanghai office space on the third level of the 100-year-old Rockefeller Mansion. With a platinum LEED certification and full-petal Living Building Certification, Glumac's Shanghai headquarters is Asia's first net-zero energy, water, and carbon project.

On the waterfront, low-flow fixtures have resulted in a 63% reduction in water use, while water and recycling systems have produced nearly three times the amount that people consume. Solar power provides all of the energy, and much of the area is interwoven with biophilic design: a method of increasing a building's health and livability by providing residents with more opportunities to directly experience nature. The space's living green wall, with its air-purifying plant life, is an excellent example of this in action. The building's sophisticated air filtering system is the most appealing. Using a smartphone app called RESET, building occupants may receive real-time information regarding interior air quality, as well as information about the air-filtering properties of the office's plant life.

Location: Shanghai, China