Construcciones Yamaro: KONE elevates the future of urban living
In an era of rapid urbanisation, KONE is at the forefront of improving the flow of urban life from the ground up.
With cities expanding and billions flocking to urban areas, KONE’s state-of-the-art elevators and escalators are revolutionising the way people navigate the built environment. The company’s extensive portfolio, spanning residential, commercial and infrastructure sectors, is enhancing city living one project at a time.
Adam Grando, director of new building solutions for Australia and New Zealand at KONE, emphasises the company’s mission: “By 2050, more than two in every three people on the planet will live in urban areas. As leaders in the vertical transportation space, we’re deeply engaged in optimising how people move in and around buildings, ensuring seamless travel to destinations in urban environments.”
The power of early engagement
KONE’s expertise is showcased in landmark projects such as the North Tower in the Waterfront Brisbane development and Queensland’s Cross River Rail. Committed to on-time and on-budget delivery, KONE’s dedicated team collaborates closely with stakeholders to provide a seamless, end-to-end solution. National sales manager Eliot Goldstone highlights the importance of early engagement for project success.
“Early engagement helps us build strong relationships with developers, understanding their vision for the end user,” says Goldstone. “It allows us to design the people flow of the building seamlessly and integrate requirements like sustainability from the outset.”
Sustainability has also become a crucial factor in these early engagement discussions to ensure KONE can assist project teams in achieving green building ratings, such as those from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and NABERS.
KONE’s advanced tools further underscore the importance of early planning. Its Car Designer allows architects to customise elevator designs, while energy calculator tools provide energy statistics and ensure ISO accreditations and ratings.
“We conduct traffic analysis to determine wait and travel times and assess the need for destination control systems to enhance people movement within the building,” says Goldstone. “We offer a wide range of tools and are soon to launch even more to complement our existing offerings.”
From an architect’s perspective, early engagement with KONE is crucial. It ensures all developer requirements are met while providing a deep understanding of elevator operations and future technologies. This partnership allows KONE to align with the architect’s vision for the project, working together to optimise solutions for the best end user experience.
“We work extensively with architects, presenting information on sustainability, traffic analysis and other key factors,” says Goldstone. “Often, standard elevator templates don’t meet the specific needs of a building.”
Early engagement enables architects to design buildings around the elevator’s core foundation, considering height and space requirements. This collaboration also integrates sustainability practices and traffic analysis studies from the start, benefiting both builders and developers.
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- KONE’s digital elevator redefines vertical transportation at SkyPoint
- KONE transforms building environments with innovative people flow solutions
- KONE to deliver its solutions for iconic Waterfront Brisbane project
Solutions for sustainable design
KONE offers a range of digital tools to assist project teams in meeting their sustainability goals, but as Goldstone points out, the efficiency of the product itself is crucial. Receiving Green Star ratings from the GBCA begins with having ISO-certified, energy-efficient products that meet all relevant regulations. KONE provides 26 products that meet these accreditations, with all units being carbon neutral upon installation, significantly reducing the building’s carbon footprint.
KONE’s regenerative drive system, which feeds energy back into the building, further enhances energy efficiency by recapturing otherwise wasted energy. Additionally, the company’s energy calculator tool helps verify an elevator’s operational efficiency once the building is complete.
“It really starts with the product, which is key – not just for energy efficiency but also for future-proofing the building,” says Goldstone. “We then provide the data to prove successful implementation.”
“Our KONE DX smart elevators are completely future-proof, integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology to predict lift movement, further enhancing energy efficiency.
“It’s not just about meeting an energy rating; it’s about leveraging future-proof technologies like AI and our 24/7 connected services to further enhance building and operational efficiency.”
With sustainability in construction advancing rapidly, especially over the past two to three years, green products have transitioned from a luxury to standard practice. KONE has made its DX elevator one of the leading products on the market, ensuring it is carbon neutral. However, according to Goldstone, the real evolution is in the concept of circularity.
“The circularity of buildings is now absolutely crucial,” he says. “In a circular economy, we consider what happens to our products not only during the lifecycle of a building but also at its end.”
KONE focuses on recycling and repurposing materials. For instance, its elevator ropes, at the end of a building’s lifecycle, have been repurposed for zoos, fishing nets and fencing on farms. The company actively explores how its products can be reintegrated into the wider circular economy.
“It’s not just about having a green product or a green building; it’s about what happens at the end of deconstruction,” adds Goldstone. “During the modernisation of equipment, we consider how to repurpose parts and materials to benefit the wider economy beyond just the elevator space.”
“We work and try to partner with various organisations, figuring out where our parts can go. Currently, a lot gets recycled, but there’s significant potential for reuse within the Australian market.”
Productivity and innovation
Just like its products, KONE leverages digital solutions and technology to support its clients with strong data points, enabling the development of better programs.
The company also employs innovative installation methodologies, such as the JumpLift solution, which allows the elevator system to be installed while the building is still under construction.
“We can get halfway up the shaft,” says Grando. “We can hand part of that over so that they can start the fit-out, and then we can start working on another elevator in the building.”
“It’s all about staging, phasing, having good data points and using historical information to help us build an optimum program.”
KONE also utilises a platform called SiteFlow, which allows the company to monitor and analyse the movement of people and materials around a jobsite. This optimisation ensures the availability of elevators for workers, enhancing their efficiency and productivity throughout the entire construction installation process.
The future of people flow
With an impressive array of sustainable, technology-driven solutions, KONE continues to pioneer advancements that will shape the cities of tomorrow. In the next 12 months, the company is set to introduce exciting new products for the high-rise sector, along with innovative hoisting and other solutions.
“So, watch this space,” says Grando. “We’re going to be covering some really important segments in the residential and non-residential markets, catering to high-rise as well as low to medium-rise developments, which we’re very excited about.”
By continually embracing innovation, technology and sustainability, KONE delivers cost effective and efficient solutions that improve the flow of urban life, ensuring society reaps the benefits of smarter, more sustainable cities.
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