Anthony Ho has been chosen by Canadian Consulting Engineer as one of 2025’s ‘Top 10 Under 40’, as CCE celebrates Canada’s next generation of consulting engineering leaders!

As an Associate Director, Principal and Mechanical Engineer, Anthony has long been recognized at HH Angus for his engineering skill, leadership, commitment to mentoring, and dedication to growing our commissioning team and scope of work. We are delighted that he is now being honoured in the industry as well.

Laying the groundwork

Anthony and his family came to Canada from Hong Kong in 1994. He learned the value of hard work from his parents; it was their example that led Anthony to pursue engineering and shaped his worldview that opportunity is a privilege not available to all, no matter how deserving.

Those lessons remain top of mind as Anthony takes on the opportunities ahead, sharing strategies for growth with those around him and coaching them to succeed. This approach is part of what makes Anthony an effective team leader - not only is he a technical expert in his field, but his management and support in the growth of an entire team of junior engineers has been exceptional.

Anthony joined HH Angus after graduating with Honours at the top of his class in mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo, and has impressed at every stage of his career.

Commissioning specialization

Early in his career development, Anthony expressed an interest in learning how to commission buildings - a complicated, multi-step process of detailed inspection that ensures all building systems and equipment are functioning properly before the final handover of a facility to its occupants. Commissioning is a unique specialty service that requires both deep technical knowledge and a nuanced approach. Not only does it involve the development of highly sophisticated test scripts, but also managing the sometimes challenging relationships between stakeholders, including owners, contractors and consultants.

Anthony embraced the opportunity to master the new specialization and eventually became a Certified Commissioning Professional (CPP). He worked closely with his manager to grow our commissioning services by expanding the functionality of in-house tools and consistently bringing in projects under budget while maintaining a high quality of work. These successful results were recognized by a growing roster of repeat clients, and helped the division to build the business case for increased hiring to support the pursuit of larger and more complex commissioning projects. Anthony is now responsible for the firm’s Commissioning business development, training and leadership

The importance of mentorship

Over the course of his 13+ years at HH Angus, Anthony has seen his focus on solving engineering problems expand to include mentoring staff and taking an active role in their career planning.

He transitioned seamlessly into the role of Manager, heading a team with multiple mechanical engineering leads, mentoring junior/intermediate employees, directing engineering design and commissioning assignments for key mission critical clients, managing employee performance, and maintaining excellent client relationships. Anthony currently oversees a large team in alignment with his transition into the Associate Director role. His instinct to lift up those around him has contributed to the career growth of many young engineers at the firm

Some of Anthony’s significant contributions at HH Angus include:

Solving engineering challenges on greenfield and retrofit projects for high resiliency data centres
Development of process flows for inhouse BIM design
Design for high containment labs (CL3) and vivarium
Management of staff across Canada to deliver projects internationally.

Recently, Anthony served as the discipline lead for an important project representing over one million square feet of greenfield data centres in Canada. He is working with an international team of consultants and client stakeholders at the ground level to deliver this complex project where he is responsible for multiple scopes of work. Anthony’s colleagues know him to be extremely hard-working, approachable, and a leader with exceptional technical knowledge that he generously shares.

Congratulations, Anthony – you are a very deserving recipient of CCE’s ‘Top 10 Under 40’ honour!

Click here for CCE Magazine article - see Page 9

Each year, HH Angus staff teams flex their creativity and ingenuity in our Innovation Hub Challenge - devising creative solutions for engineering-related questions or issues.

Our most recent challenge focused on how to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to improve specific internal workflows. 

Each team was assigned a unique process that could potentially be improved through the use of AI and were tasked with creating an AI prototype to address their challenge. Their submissions also required a business case addressing real-world considerations such as cost, privacy and implementation strategies.

The ‘AutoMates’ team took top prize. Team members Laura Farid, Max Mizrahi, Nigel Harvey, Shaun Lee, and Shawn Shi took on the challenge of automating the capture of meeting minutes and formatting them into HH Angus’ standardized template. Meeting minutes are a critical but time-consuming aspect of project management for consulting engineers, and the multi-disciplinary team impressed the judging panel with a smart and scalable AI solution that not only produced meeting minutes, but also included attendee lists, content summaries, and other key information.

The AI model addressed a tangible need and demonstrated the strength of cross-functional collaboration and the power of applied technology. Ultimately, the AutoMates’ work and that of the other teams showcased the company’s commitment to innovation in professional services.

Identifying the Issue

The initial spark for the project came from a scenario familiar to engineers and designers. How to ensure during meetings, especially those involving multiple stakeholders, that all valuable ideas and action items are documented, while discussion moves rapidly in new directions and input comes thick and fast. Assigning a team member to take minutes presents its own problems: it disrupts that person’s ability to participate fully in the discussion and introduces the risk of bias or omission. Even when recordings are made, manually reviewing them to extract notes is time-consuming and inefficient.

Recognizing this is recurring issue across not just the firm but the industry at large, the AutoMates team set out to answer a deceptively simple question: What if there was a way to capture everything from a meeting—discussion points, action items, next steps—automatically and accurately?

Ensuring a 360⁰ Perspective

What made the AutoMates team uniquely positioned to solve this challenge was its composition. Members came from different corners of HH Angus, bringing fresh insights and a range of expertise. The group included professionals from the Science & Technology, Energy Infrastructure and Health divisions in our Vancouver and Toronto offices and included both electrical and mechanical designers as well as new grads. The multidisciplinary mix ensured the solution would be technically robust while remaining grounded in real-world workflow needs.

This diversity fueled their brainstorming process. Because team members represented both the users and the builders of the tool, they were able to identify pain points with clarity and propose features with practical value.

Exploring the Solution Space

From the outset, the team knew that AI had potential to ease the burden of minute-taking. But they didn’t want a tool that merely transcribed conversations. They envisioned something smarter—an AI that could listen, interpret, and summarize; that could identify who said what and flag key takeaways and next steps. In short, they wanted to automate the way great minutes are written.

They began by investigating existing AI models capable of transcribing and analyzing speech. While early outputs showed promise, the team quickly realized that model tuning would be necessary to meet their standard of accuracy and relevance.

Another challenge was formatting. Meeting minutes are not just a record—they are a tool for alignment. They must be clear, well-structured, and easy to navigate. The AutoMates built in logic to ensure the tool output clean, professional summaries, automatically categorizing content by speaker, topic, and outcome.

Designing for Real-World Use

The team was mindful that the solution needed to be easy to deploy and user-friendly. They designed the tool so it could be used in a variety of meeting formats—virtual, in-person, or hybrid. Uploading a recording or transcript should be straightforward, with minimal manual steps. Once uploaded, the AI would process the input and deliver a formatted summary with participants, discussion points, action items, and a timestamped transcript.

To test the tool, the team used real internal meetings on non-confidential topics to gauge how well the summaries matched what actually happened. They refined parameters, adjusted formatting, and iterated based on feedback from colleagues.

Winning the Innovation Challenge

The HH Angus Innovation Challenge rewards forward-thinking ideas that improve processes, reduce waste, or enhance client outcomes. The AutoMates met all these criteria with their AI tool’s broad applicability across project teams, internal meetings, and client-facing discussions.

The judges were impressed by the combination of technical sophistication and everyday usefulness. By using off-the-shelf AI models in a smart and tailored way, the AutoMates team solved a problem most consulting engineering professionals encounter regularly.

Their solution also aligned with broader strategic goals: digital transformation, operational efficiency, and knowledge management. It showed how emerging technologies can be applied to elevate the quality of work without disrupting workflows.

Looking Ahead

During the Innovation Challenge, the AutoMates team provided detailed steps on how to refine the tool, exploring ways to integrate it with other HH Angus platforms. Perhaps most importantly, the project has sparked further conversations about how AI can support—not replace—human contributions in professional services. By offloading routine tasks like minute-taking, engineers and designers are free to focus on what they do best: thinking critically, solving problems, and collaborating with others.

Conclusion

The AutoMates' AI meeting minutes tool is more than a clever hack—it's a practical example of how thoughtful innovation can improve everyday work. It reflects HH Angus’ culture of cross-functional collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement. Innovation isn’t just about ideas—it’s about identifying needs, testing solutions, and delivering something meaningful. And with this project, the AutoMates have proven that even something as routine as meeting minutes can become an opportunity for transformation. Congratulations to the winning team and to all the Innovation Challenge participants. People will always be at the heart of what we do, and it is encouraging to witness bright and talented minds come together and make cool things!

Expanding the Possible. Together. For a Better Tomorrow.

HH Angus is pleased to announce the appointment of several new Principals and Associates to the firm’s leadership, and to recognize their contributions to our growth and business practices. Their demonstrated excellence in client service, continuous professional development, and mentorship of their team members strongly support our values and goals.

“The appointment of these deserving individuals reflects their commitment to advancing our technical expertise, innovation, outstanding project delivery, development of strong client and industry relationships, and motivating their colleagues to excel”, comments Paul Keenan, President, HH Angus.

We congratulate all our new Principals, Senior Associates and Associates for achieving these exceptional career milestones, and for their contributions to the growth of the firm’s leadership, as well as to the ongoing expansion of our services and portfolio across Canada and internationally.

OUR NEW PRINCIPALS

Andy Crosson, Associate Director – Angus Connect

Andy quickly assumed a leadership role when he joined HH Angus and currently carries dual responsibilities for market development and management of major pursuits and projects throughout Western Canada and across the country. With 25+ years of industry experience, he has acquired an excellent grasp of both the opportunities digital technologies offer to building owners, and the practical implications of implementing these in design and construction – from new construction to renovations/retrofits of existing buildings. From projects in North America, the UK and the Middle East, Andy brings deep knowledge of and expertise in design, project management and delivery of major complex projects, specializing in telecommunications, audio visual, smart buildings and network design. Some of Andy’s notable projects include New Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre, Burnaby Hospital Phase 2, operational readiness consulting for Dawson Creek and District Hospital Replacement, UHN’s Toronto Western Hospital New Surgical and Patient Tower, and Burrard Exchange in Vancouver for Hudson Pacific Properties.

Andy:
“I am excited and grateful to join the ownership group at HH Angus and am looking forward to continue working with our growing team in BC to deliver high quality, meaningful and impactful projects with our clients and partners.”

Chris Piché, Vice President – Commercial Division

Chris brings over 24 years of leadership in high-performance design and the delivery of energy-efficient, low-carbon solutions. A former member of the Board of Directors for the Canada Green Building Council, Chris is deeply committed to environmentally responsible design that evolves with advancing technology and aligns with client goals and project objectives. Recognized for strength in stakeholder engagement, Chris excels at building strong relationships and ensuring alignment between project goals, client expectations, and regulatory requirements—while balancing technical, financial, and sustainability priorities. He leads HH Angus’ growing Commercial Division, which delivers a wide range of services including base building engineering, tenant improvements, vertical transportation, lighting design, ICAT/IMIT, sustainability consulting, energy modeling, commissioning, fire protection, smart buildings, and more—across sectors from office towers and post-secondary campuses to airport terminals and sports venues.

Chris:
“I'm grateful for the opportunity to step into this role and for the trust and support that made it possible. HH Angus is the ideal place to continue championing people and community-focused design—creating spaces that serve, inspire, and drive lasting, meaningful impact through innovation, sustainability, and a shared commitment to positive change.”

Kelly Henderson, Associate Director – Angus Connect

A key member of the Angus Connect leadership team, Kelly’s experience ranges from large-scale redevelopments to strategic planning, resulting in a proven capability to skillfully balance a diverse set of stakeholders from end users to C-suite, consultants and contractors. Kelly brings to her work a deep experience in facilities and technology planning, project management, government capital planning processes, and systems integration. She has been instrumental in expanding the Angus Connect practice into systems integration consulting, smart campus planning, and operational readiness. Kelly’s recent and current notable projects include Lakeridge Bowmanville Redevelopment ICAT Advisory, Toronto Western Hospital Surgical Tower, Smart Campus Planning for Saskatchewan Polytechnic and operational readiness consulting for the Dawson Creek & District Hospital Replacement Project.

Kelly:
“Having been a client, vendor, and now a leader at HH Angus, I’ve long respected the firm’s integrity, insight and commitment. I’m honoured to join such talented colleagues as we grow our business and deliver meaningful, lasting impact to the communities we serve.”

Nader Moslemian, Senior Manager | Senior Associate – Technology Division

Nader’s leadership in delivering mission critical facilities is founded on thirty-plus years of experience in the design, construction, commissioning, start-up, validation and qualification of mechanical systems. Deep engineering and technical knowledge, complemented by outstanding project management skills support Nader’s successful execution of projects. As a Senior Manager, he oversees a team responsible for the design of mechanical systems for critical spaces, including data centres, pharmaceutical, biotech, and laboratory buildings. Nader has also been instrumental in business development and the execution of laboratory projects; for example, a 20,000 ft2 Biosafety Level 2 wet laboratory fitout for Spec Lab. He is actively involved in mentoring junior members of his team and supporting their career development. A few of Nader’s recent and ongoing projects span a range of highly confidential facilities, such as a 4MW data centre in Alberta, a 27MW greenfield data centre in Ontario, and a 10MW data centre and a 140MW greenfield hyperscale data centre – both in Quebec.

Nader:
“Working at HH Angus during past decade, where I could contribute to the growth and development of the company’s mission critical facilities business, while helping young talents to blossom and gain huge experience in such a fast-paced industry, has been my real pleasure and provided me with a great satisfaction. I am grateful for this opportunity!”

Laura Sisson, Senior Manager | Associate – Health Division

Laura has consistently demonstrated strong leadership skills and a comprehensive understanding of design for healthcare spaces. Her deep knowledge of clinical requirements and hospital-specific codes supports a focus on effective design coordination and client satisfaction. As a Senior Manager, Laura oversees healthcare projects across the country and manages a team delivering multidisciplinary mechanical design from report/feasibility stage to the development of contract documents all the way through to contract administration. Her experience includes new builds, renovations and numerous P3 projects, in both pursuit and execution stages. Some of Laura’s notable projects include Royal Inland Hospital, Penticton Regional Hospital, Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital, Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre, and Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM).

Laura:
“Since my first day at HH Angus, I have been honoured to work on interesting and important projects with an amazing group of colleagues who foster a knowledgeable and collaborative work environment. I’m excited to move on to this next phase of leadership at the firm and continue to contribute to the success and positive future here at HH Angus.”

OUR NEW SENIOR ASSOCIATE

Will Evans, Senior Engineer – Health Division

Will’s leadership abilities have been amply demonstrated throughout the construction process, from conceptual design through to contract administration and project completion; for example, he provided on-site construction supervision as HH Angus' representative for Fort St. John’s greenfield hospital in northern British Columbia. Will’s high-level responsibilities include design and coordination of power, lighting and communications systems. He came to HH Angus with experience in commercial tenant projects, municipal infrastructure and controls automation, all of which served to broaden his skills and sector knowledge. Will’s notable projects include UHN’s Toronto Western Hospital New Surgical and Patient Tower, UHN’s Toronto General Hospital Rapid Assessment Centre, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Fort St. John Hospital and Peace Villa, and General Electric’s ‘Brilliant Factory’.

Will:
“I would like to thank HH Angus for the opportunity to work on such exciting projects and with such good people. I look forward to continuing my journey here.”

OUR NEW ASSOCIATES

Adrian Rybak, Senior Manager – Montreal/Ottawa Region

Adrian has been active in expanding HH Angus’ presence in Quebec while playing an important role in training and mentoring his team of engineers, designers, and project managers in HH Angus’ Montreal and Ottawa offices. His strong belief in the transformative power of digital technologies in the design and construction industry drives the widespread adoption of BIM across the firm, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and improving project efficiency. Adrian challenges the Montreal/Ottawa team to use data, tools, and analysis before the design phase of a project to inform better decision-making, enabling clients and design teams to understand the project's context, goals, and constraints early on. Adrian’s notable projects include the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Integrated Treatment Centre, the Whitby Health Centre, various recreational and cultural facilities in Ontario, multiple Design/Build pursuits and, recently, supporting the new Smart Centers Head Office tower.

Adrian:
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest — and at HH Angus, we're fortunate to have a strong culture of mentorship and knowledge sharing. I'm truly excited to be a part of it.”

Behnam Jowkar, Senior Manager – Health Division

Behnam has assumed increasingly senior leadership roles in HH Angus’ Health Division. His deep experience in HVAC, hydronic heating and cooling systems, fire protection, and control systems for healthcare facilities has made him a valuable member of multi-disciplinary project design teams. Behnam manages a team responsible for code-compliant engineering calculations, developing fire protection, heating and ventilation REVIT and AutoCAD drawings, and engineering reports. He brings to each project specialized experience in the design of HVAC systems, mechanical design analysis of mechanical/architectural design and shop drawings for LEED compliance, as well as ventilation and heat loss calculations under CSA and ASHRAE requirements. Key projects in Behnam’s portfolio include UHN’s Toronto Western Hospital New Surgical and Patient Tower, Trillium Health Partners’ New Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital, and Kingston General Hospital Mechanical Infrastructure Upgrades.

Behnam:
“I want to thank HH Angus for this great opportunity. I am looking forward to being able to contribute more to the success and growth of HH Angus. I have found my calling here and I’m extremely excited to experience the future of our industry with HH Angus.”

Greg Snow, Generation & BESS Lead – Energy Division

Greg leads electrical design teams and provides technical leadership on projects in the energy sector, specializing in power systems, electrical infrastructure, and energy storage systems. With a passion for sustainable energy solutions and a strong background in electrical engineering design, he has contributed to numerous BESS and decarbonization projects, resulting in deep technical knowledge. Greg is skilled in navigating the complexities of project delivery, stakeholder engagement and regulatory compliance. His leadership approach emphasizes collaboration, mentorship, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, enabling teams to achieve both technical and operational excellence. Some of Greg’s notable projects include the TD Centre’s Long Term Energy Plan, Creative Energy’s Beatty Street District Energy and Low Carbon Steam Plant, Cadillac Fairview’s East Harbour Utility Infrastructure Planning, and GM’s Kapuskasing Cold Weather Testing Facility Power Upgrade.

Greg:
"After nearly 15 years with the firm, I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to learn, grow, and lead at HH Angus. It’s been a rewarding journey, especially working alongside such exceptional colleagues. I'm excited for what lies ahead."

Ted Benstead, Manager – Health Division

Ted’s technical background and detailed knowledge of BIM incorporation and execution in construction projects deliver considerable benefits to our clients’ projects. Through extensive experience with Revit, Ted provides clients with precise design data and well-supported solutions. His experience in all facets of project design and delivery, including Prime Consulting, P3 and Alliance projects has contributed to developing a breadth of team leadership and technical skills. Ted manages a team of skilled professional designers and engineers, whose work includes conceptual design, preparation of specifications, electrical design and coordination, report writing, project coordination, design implementation and contract administration. Some of Ted’s notable projects include Burnaby Hospital Phase 2 and BC Cancer Centre, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Cardiovascular Surgery Expansion, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre, and Michael Garron Hospital Patient Care Centre PDC.

Ted:
“It is incredibly fulfilling to watch HH Angus grow and know that it is made possible by the drive and expertise of everyone who contributes to our work across the country. The future is bright for HH Angus, and I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in exciting new projects, to mentor staff, and help expand our business.”

Vishal Bhana, Senior Manager – Angus Connect

With 15 years of experience, Vishal has taken on a lead role for major projects, developing market sectors and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives across the firm. As a senior manager in our Connect Division, Vishal is focused on technology design in the healthcare, mission critical, and commercial sectors. His strong client management skills and ability to mentor employees have been instrumental in fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment. Through his leadership, Vishal has driven the development of market sectors and contributed significantly to the firm's capabilities, delivering innovative solutions to complex challenges. Notable projects for Vishal include the Dawson Creek and District Hospital Project, the New Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre, and the BC Mental Health and Substance Use Red Fish Healing Centre Expansion Business Plan.

Vishal:
“It’s incredibly fulfilling to collaborate with team members and clients on projects that serve our community and leave a legacy for many decades. I am honoured to be part of one of the leading consulting firms in the industry and am excited about our continued growth in British Columbia, as well as the opportunity to keep serving our clients with dedication and excellence.”

British Columbia's first fully electric healthcare facility has achieved Zero Carbon Building - Design Standard™ certification from the Canada Green Building Council. This is the first hospital in Canada to achieve this certification. The Standard guides the design of new buildings and major renovations of existing ones so they can achieve zero carbon operations. Environmentally sustainable hospital design delivers benefits for healthcare operators, patients and healthcare staff, and the communities they serve.

The Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) - Design Standard™ defines low-carbon design and operational performance for buildings. According to CaGBC’s website, “The Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard™ guides the design of new buildings and major renovations of existing ones so they can achieve zero carbon operations. The Standard is comprehensive and evaluates the anticipated carbon emissions from building operations like heating and cooling. Project teams must carefully consider the embodied carbon of construction materials, refrigerants used in HVAC equipment, and building airtightness. Project teams must also evaluate strategies to minimize electrical grid impacts."

The Project

HH Angus is providing mechanical and electrical consulting engineering to the Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project (CDHRP) on Vancouver Island, as part of the design team under the Nuts'a'maat Alliance (Island Health, EllisDon Corporation, Parkin Architects, BC Infrastructure Benefits and Infrastructure BC). The project is being developed for Island Health to replace the existing facility in North Cowichan, BC. When it opens in 2027, the new hospital will be three times larger than the existing facility at 57,448 m2 (607,601 ft2), and will increase capacity from 148 beds to 204 beds. The hospital will expand capacity for inpatient and ambulatory care, with seven operating rooms, additional procedure rooms, an expanded birthing unit, pediatric spaces, outpatient clinic services, expanded diagnostic imaging, an expanded emergency department, and a rooftop helipad. Mental health services will be updated with a 20-bed inpatient psychiatry unit and a four-bed psychiatric intensive care unit.

Sustainability Features

Sustainability has been at the core of the decision-making process for this project, with a focus on carbon reduction. Its ZCB – Design™ certification reflects achieving a 38% embodied carbon reduction from baseline and, as the first all-electric healthcare facility in British Columbia, the CDHRP’s design has an operational energy performance that significantly surpasses its target.

The design strategies focused on reducing the project's embodied carbon emissions, maximizing energy efficiency, electrifying the mechanical systems, using new-generation low GWP refrigerants, and designing an optimized PV array.

In its press release announcing the ZCB – Design™ certification, Island Health provided the following highlights of the hospital features supporting patient and staff wellbeing and environmental benefits:

Fully electric operation: The first all-electric hospital in B.C., it eliminates reliance on fossil fuels.
Highly energy efficient design: A high-performance building envelope minimizes heat loss, reducing overall energy demand by 30% compared to the current hospital.
Better air quality: Advanced ventilation and filtration systems support cleaner air, benefiting people with respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD and providing greater operational resilience during wildfire smoke events.
On-site renewable energy generation: Rooftop solar panels will generate 2.5 percent of the hospital’s annual energy needs, reducing operating costs and reliance on external energy sources.
Water conservation strategies: 60% more water-efficient than the current hospital
Sustainable materials: Use of low-carbon concrete, mass timber, rebar and insulation to minimize embodied carbon in construction.
LED lighting which uses 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs; and
Low global warming potential refrigerants to minimize carbon emissions in mechanical equipment.

The EllisDon and Parkin-led (ED+P) design team, in association with HH Angus, ZGF Architects, Bush Bohlman and Partners, and RDH, understood the significance of the project goals and the importance of targeting the Zero Carbon Building – Design™ certification. Their leadership, efforts and collaboration allowed the team to meet and exceed the project requirements, together with the leadership of Island Health. The project team members have been consistently committed to following through on the design approach and to finding all opportunities to improve.

To view a short video about the project’s construction progress, click here.
To read more about our work on the Cowichan District Hospital Replacement project, click here.

Image/s courtesy of EllisDon Construction & Parkin Architects

Investing in IoT sensor networks for workplaces involves high upfront and ongoing costs, prompting many organizations to begin with pilot projects before scaling up.

At a recent event hosted by Nexus Labs, Paul Vandenberk of HH Angus’ Digital Services team presented a case study on our pilot occupancy sensor project with Manulife, a large financial services company. Paul shared how the successful project provided both valuable metrics and real-world savings. His presentation also highlighted the importance of including in ROI analyses the many qualitative benefits that are often missed in these assessments.

Manulife tested IoT sensors in two office buildings, leading to significant insights. The key takeaways from the pilot program included identifying underused floors, which allowed them to re-allocate space to reflect actual occupancy and freed up a significant area that was released for subletting – an effective savings of ~$3 million annually.

The occupancy data also helped Manulife make a decision on whether to expand the service hours of its staff cafeteria. The real-time data clearly indicated that the proposed expansion of services would not be cost-effective based on how many employees were actually on site for the proposed added hours, saving Manulife significant operational and supply costs had they gone ahead without the data. Additional benefits included the ability to measure the effectiveness of the firm’s return-to-office policies with precise data, and using sensor data for safety (e.g., confirming full evacuation during a fire drill). The success of the pilot has led to broader deployment.

The Nexus Labs event also examined Kilroy Realty, a large Real Estate Investment Trust, that has fully integrated IoT sensors across a 17 million ft2 portfolio, mining sensor data for energy compliance, security, cleaning, leasing, and more. Kilroy invested in robust network infrastructure to support long-term scalability and reliability, and uses a cross-departmental approach to maximize ROI and shared utility from each sensor.

Both companies show that the biggest returns come from treating IoT as core infrastructure and leveraging it across multiple teams and use cases. To read the full Nexus Labs article, click on the link below:
ROI of IoT: The Best Returns Come from Diving In, Not Dipping Your Toe in the Water | Nexus Labs

HH Angus’ Digital Services team leverages data and software to help our clients solve challenges relating to the design, construction, operation and occupancy of their building assets in a vendor-agnostic approach. The team is comprised of mechanical and electrical engineers, software developers, data scientists, Amazon Web Services (AWS) certified specialists, BIM technologists, and project and product managers who specialize in a range of technology for the built environment. Our specialists work with clients’ existing and new technology, providing solutions that encompass smart buildings technologies to support digital twins, machine learning, 3D reality capture/augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR), cloud-based dashboards/visualizations, and more.

The Digital Services team recently launched Angus Remote Management System (ARMS) – a customizable digital platform that gathers data from existing building systems or smart buildings technologies IoT sensors, delivering real-time insights and analytics flexible. Our software visualizes the data through a cloud-based dashboard allowing the client to have a complete picture of their space(s) and building(s) and the key decision points they need to focus on. ARMS, at its core, is flexible software that gathers data from sensor-rich environments. It provides a single-pane-of-glass access to data sets such as room occupancy, space utilization, building automation system (BAS) data, security, occupant comfort factors (temperature, humidity, indoor air quality, etc.), and more.

If you’d like to find out how IoT sensors and other smart building technologies can help optimize your building assets, contact:

Akira Jones
Director, Digital Services

akira.jones@hhangus.com

Paul Vandenberk
Senior Project Manager, Digital Services

paul.vandenberk@hhangus.com