Shohreh Bagherzadeh Kasiri - Department of Architecture, Osku Branch, Islamic Azad University, Osku, Iran

Intelligent Building technologies have a potential significant impact on sustainabilityissues (energy efficiency, due diligence, health and safety and indoor environment).It is widely recognized that intelligent building can improve the environmental andeconomic performance of buildings.‘Are intelligent buildings a pragmatic approach towards achieving a sustainable builtenvironment ’ is the research question that this review article aims to answer. It has beenargued that there is a serious need for intelligent buildings to be evaluated against theparameters of total sustainability (environmental, economic and social) so as to help theagenda of living in a technologically advanced, healthy and comfortable world. Thispaper reviews existing theoretical concepts of intelligence and sustainability in the builtenvironment, through an exploration of various scientific literature and U.S GreenBuilding Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) databases.A systematic qualitative review approach has been employed to select an appropriatedefinition of sustainable development and use it as a theoretical framework to assess thetechnological impact of intelligent buildings on the environmental, economic and socialfront. Subsequently five case study buildings from around the world, which exemplify theuse of intelligent technologies to achieve sustainable gains were chosen and analyzed tofurther validate the literature findings. Outputs from the study highlight the variousbenefits of intelligent buildings, which include decrease in energy and waterconsumption, operational costs, as well as increase in productivity and investments.Additionally the analysis of the case studies revealed that the use of intelligent buildingtechnologies has contributed significantly towards a higher sustainability rating on theLEED rating scale. Moreover, the comparison of the attributes of intelligent buildings andsustainable practices in buildings, illustrates the fact that there is a considerable overlapbetween the two and intelligence can aid sustainability in the built environment. Thus theresearch suggests that green.

Building, Intelligent buildings, Sustainability, Architecture, Environment