The original call
Original year: 2017
2026 assessment
Scorecard verdict: Hit
Hit. In 2026, “smart building” is a category, not a nvelty. Connected HVAC, IoT energy management, predictive maintenance and building-health sensors are standard in new commercial construction, and the conversation has moved exactly where I said it would — from gadgets to whole-building intelligence and energy. I called the gap between the gadget and the ecosystem, and the ecosystem won.