Engineering design and construction management methods have to be customized to meet a company's present day requirements. This means building for flexibility to expand the building systems to meet future growth and to incorporate new technologies as the user's needs change over time. Designs based upon industry standards maximize the integration of building systems. The normal interface for integration of HVAC control, fire alarm, information technology, security, multimedia and lighting control systems has been the RS232 protocol. Compatibility of future systems with today's designs is the biggest challenge facing engineers in designing smart buildings.
Future flexibility relies very heavily on designs that focus on compliance with industry standards.
However, as standards are refined and improved upon, backward compatibility cannot be completely abandoned. Optimal design fully implements existing investments, maximizes the performance of new systems and allows for future growth without significant technical sacrifice. The need for future flexibility becomes very apparent when an existing building is renovated. Designers wrestle with how to fit new technologies and systems into the existing building infrastructure. This problem is especially difficult in historic renovations where preserving the feel of the building is very important.