WiredScore, the company behind the international standard for rating Internet connectivity in commercial buildings, has released its Wired Certification Guidelines for Commercial Developments and Redevelopments.
The comprehensive set of guidelines for designing buildings to meet the best-in-class standards for connectivity and telecommunications infrastructure is the first and only manual of its kind. The 42-page document is designed to be used by architects, engineers, and developers during the design and construction phases of any commercial development or redevelopment.
The guidelines outline the Wired Certification criteria and best practices that should be incorporated into building design to meet the technology needs and expectations of future tenants. WiredScore developed the criteria based on evaluation of over 900 commercial office buildings across the United States and United Kingdom, while also referencing best practices developed by industry experts.
For building professionals in the planning phases of a development, the guidelines will simplify and bring technology to the forefront of the design process by providing invaluable insights into how to optimally design for mobile capacity planning, conduit points of entry, electrical resiliency, and flexibility to adopt new building technologies.
“Working day in and day out with development professionals to optimize their buildings’ technological infrastructure, we quickly recognized that no technical standards existed that truly addressed the needs of commercial real estate tenants,” said Arie Barendrecht, founder and CEO of WiredScore. “These standards can significantly simplify this design process, while potentially eliminating the need to retrofit buildings down the road to meet new technological demands such as smart building technology.”
The Wired Certification standard is trusted by tenants internationally to verify that buildings have been independently evaluated and certified to provide the internet infrastructure businesses require to thrive. Wired Certification signifies ownership has invested in technology and differentiates the property being tech forward. The guidelines align with the criteria to achieve Wired Certification in the United States.
“Top-notch connectivity has become a prominent factor in tenant location decisions, and developers would be remiss not to aggressively pursue this infrastructure during the design process,” said Barendrecht. “These guidelines provide a clear roadmap to do just that.”
The guidelines are made up of six sections that provide Wired Certification criteria and their importance to the connectivity of the building. The guideline sections include outside plant and point of entry planning, telecommunications room planning and design, riser planning, electrical resiliency, mobile planning, and readiness and access. WiredScore also provides additional information about specific aspects of a building’s telecom infrastructure and other best practices not related to the certification criteria.
“WiredScore has enabled developers and landlords to easily and effectively articulate their properties’ information technology readiness to potential tenants who are tech savvy,” said Greg Roberts, PIC of AKF’s IT/AV/Security Group. “At AKF, we are experienced designers and engineers of sophisticated building information technology infrastructure and we often speak a language which confuses people. WiredScore has developed an industry accepted metric which safeguards a prospective tenant’s investment in their future. We welcome WireScore’s perspective on delivering value to our industry.”
In addition to providing this free set of standards for developing with connectivity in mind, WiredScore also offers individual assessments and Wired Certification for developments and redevelopments. To date, the company has issued 59 Wired Certifications for developments and redevelopments across the U.S.
“Cosentini works at the cutting edge of technology to provide our clients with state-of-the-art infrastructure, systems, and user experiences,” said Onorius Vaidean, director of Cosentini Information Technologies. “The Wired Certification Guidelines allow us to support our designs with solid guidelines and requirements that ensure all IT, AV, and security systems are resilient and reliable from Day One.”
The Wired Certified Guidelines for Commercial Developments and Redevelopments were developed with input from the WiredScore Connectivity Advisory Committee, a diverse group of thought leaders in CRE, technology, and telecommunications industries. The WiredScore Advisory Committee, an advisory body to WiredScore that provides ongoing expertise, also contributed to the development of the Wired Certification Guidelines for Developments and Redevelopments. Thought partners that contributed to the Wired Certification Guidelines for Developments and Redevelopments include AKF Group, Charter Communications, The Clarient Group, Cosentini Associates, ExteNet Systems, Google Fiber, HPH Partners, MGE Engineering, Rudin Management, WSP/ Parsons Brickerhoff, and Zayo Group. The WiredScore Advisory Committee, an advisory body to WiredScore that provides ongoing expertise also contributed.
