From automation to agency: Prototype for self-owning intelligent buildings enabled by blockchain

Hongyang Wang; Jens J. Hunhevicz; Daniel M. Hall

doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106309

From automation to agency: Prototype for self-owning intelligent buildings enabled by blockchain

Hongyang Wang^*, Jens J. Hunhevicz, Daniel M. Hall

^*Corresponding author for this work

Design & Construction Management

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

While most research in human-building-interaction looks at the interaction between humans and building automation, few studies question the agency of the building itself. This paper explores how blockchain technology can be combined with intelligent buildings to achieve self-ownership and self-agency. Using a design science research approach, a blockchain-based smart meditation cabin, the “no1s1” prototype, is iteratively designed, tested and evaluated. no1s1 demonstrates that a building can autonomously manage access, finances, and operation with minimal human oversight. These findings suggest that blockchain can redefine technical system design by embedding ownership and agency into the building itself. The findings encourage further exploration into decentralized coordination mechanisms within intelligent environments, such as combining blockchain with artificial intelligence and advanced sensing environments, to rethink the coordination, ownership and agency of cyber–physical systems in the built environment.

Original language	English
Article number	106309
Number of pages	28
Journal	Automation in Construction
Volume	177
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106309
Publication status	Published - 2025

Bibliographical note

Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository as part of the Taverne amendment. More information about this copyright law amendment can be found at https://www.openaccess.nl. Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

Keywords

Artificial agent
Blockchain technology
Cyber-physical systems
Human-building interactions
Intelligent buildings
Self-owning buildings
Smart contracts

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10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106309

1-s2.0-S0926580525003498-mainFinal published version, 8.63 MB

Cite this

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title = "From automation to agency: Prototype for self-owning intelligent buildings enabled by blockchain",

abstract = "While most research in human-building-interaction looks at the interaction between humans and building automation, few studies question the agency of the building itself. This paper explores how blockchain technology can be combined with intelligent buildings to achieve self-ownership and self-agency. Using a design science research approach, a blockchain-based smart meditation cabin, the “no1s1” prototype, is iteratively designed, tested and evaluated. no1s1 demonstrates that a building can autonomously manage access, finances, and operation with minimal human oversight. These findings suggest that blockchain can redefine technical system design by embedding ownership and agency into the building itself. The findings encourage further exploration into decentralized coordination mechanisms within intelligent environments, such as combining blockchain with artificial intelligence and advanced sensing environments, to rethink the coordination, ownership and agency of cyber–physical systems in the built environment.",

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author = "Hongyang Wang and Hunhevicz, {Jens J.} and Hall, {Daniel M.}",

note = "Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository as part of the Taverne amendment. More information about this copyright law amendment can be found at https://www.openaccess.nl. Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106309",

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AU - Hunhevicz, Jens J.

AU - Hall, Daniel M.

N1 - Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository as part of the Taverne amendment. More information about this copyright law amendment can be found at https://www.openaccess.nl. Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - While most research in human-building-interaction looks at the interaction between humans and building automation, few studies question the agency of the building itself. This paper explores how blockchain technology can be combined with intelligent buildings to achieve self-ownership and self-agency. Using a design science research approach, a blockchain-based smart meditation cabin, the “no1s1” prototype, is iteratively designed, tested and evaluated. no1s1 demonstrates that a building can autonomously manage access, finances, and operation with minimal human oversight. These findings suggest that blockchain can redefine technical system design by embedding ownership and agency into the building itself. The findings encourage further exploration into decentralized coordination mechanisms within intelligent environments, such as combining blockchain with artificial intelligence and advanced sensing environments, to rethink the coordination, ownership and agency of cyber–physical systems in the built environment.

AB - While most research in human-building-interaction looks at the interaction between humans and building automation, few studies question the agency of the building itself. This paper explores how blockchain technology can be combined with intelligent buildings to achieve self-ownership and self-agency. Using a design science research approach, a blockchain-based smart meditation cabin, the “no1s1” prototype, is iteratively designed, tested and evaluated. no1s1 demonstrates that a building can autonomously manage access, finances, and operation with minimal human oversight. These findings suggest that blockchain can redefine technical system design by embedding ownership and agency into the building itself. The findings encourage further exploration into decentralized coordination mechanisms within intelligent environments, such as combining blockchain with artificial intelligence and advanced sensing environments, to rethink the coordination, ownership and agency of cyber–physical systems in the built environment.

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KW - Smart contracts

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From automation to agency: Prototype for self-owning intelligent buildings enabled by blockchain

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Keywords

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