Welcome to HH Angus @BUILDEX
Who We Are
HH Angus is an employee-owned, independent consulting firm of engineers, technical specialists and project managers. Together, we create innovative solutions for our clients’ most complex challenges to expand what is possible for a better future.
As the design and construction industry continues to evolve, HH Angus is leading the push for innovative solutions alongside our clients. Sustainability has always been at the centre of our work, and we are able to draw from our extensive experience on LEED®, WELL, Living Building Challenge, Net Zero and energy efficient projects.
We are highly proficient in the use of BIM software, which enables us to use BIM in innovative ways to meet client needs at every phase of a project’s life cycle – from design to construction to post-occupancy and facilities management. We use 3D image scanning and cloud computing to streamline MEP coordination in the BIM process. We are also employing parametric energy modeling to facilitate efficient exploration of the impact of design choices on building systems.
The rise of the Internet of Things and the explosion of Big Data has propelled our team to develop solutions that employ smart building technologies. We are also exploring how machine learning and artificial intelligence can improve the way we work and deliver value to clients.
Through a century of engineering innovation, HH Angus has been part of significant changes in both engineering and in the built environment. Today, we continue to explore new opportunities and new technologies to deliver the best possible value to our clients and to constantly expand what is possible.
Smart Buildings | Connecting spaces
The goal of a Smart Building should be to connect building systems and operations in ways that minimize operating costs and improve the building’s ability to conserve energy and water, while enhancing the employee experience and effective use of space. We work with building owners, developers, architects and engineers to understand the business goals for a smart building or space, employing a consulting framework to define requirements in order to design modern and intelligent building technology solutions.
A responsive and optimized integrated environment draws from data-rich, connected systems to provide actionable insights that enhance the human experience and support the efficient operation of your facility. A Smart Building will leverage the Internet of Things to connect building automation systems, capture data on occupant behavior, and interpret this data to identify and surface trends.
NAIT – Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
To support efficient and effective operations and prepare for strategic investments in infrastructure, NAIT engaged Angus Connect as a multi-disciplinary consulting firm to work with key stakeholders to develop plans and technical requirements for a “Smart Campus”.
Key Features
- Smart Campus desktop study to identify best practices and lessons learned for Canadian, North American and International case studies
- Desktop Study, Feasibility Study, and Planning Requirements for integrated “Command Centre” to intelligently support of the smart campus operations
- Planning for Centralized Data and Innovation Hub to promote learning, research and industry partnerships
- Strategy for Information Technology Services & Integration for Smart Campus technology solutions
- Creation of BIM and Energy Modeling Standards, IoT Security Standard Operating Procedures
- Spectrum management plan for Wi-Fi and cellular with a focus on 5G-enabled devices and inbuilding augmented carrier signal
This is a greenfield community hospital which is part of a new integrated healthcare campus in Southwest Edmonton. The role of our AngusConnect team was to assist in the planning and development of project documentation for state-of-the-art, integrated Healthcare Technology Systems solutions and their application to the Project. AngusConnect was also responsible for assessing the current state of healthcare technologies, educating various stakeholder groups on emerging technologies that will impact care delivery and which are good value for inclusion in the Capital project.
AngusConnect performed jurisdictional scans and created business cases for the adoption of new technologies for the Alberta province. We are also creating the health technology specifications for a project that is to be delivered in 2030. Our advisory role is to find the balance between flexibility to allow for technology changes, firmness to prevent re-interpretation of intent, and clarity on risk transfer. The overall facility is 1,000,000 ft2.
We regularly assist clients across a range of industries with virtualizing physical assets and construction summary videos. The utility of 3D scans for building owners, facility managers and consultants, both during and after construction, cannot be overstated, as it allows for highly accurate virtualization of physical spaces to improve and facilitate collaboration and problem solving. Key benefits are the ability to share construction progress with stakeholders, documentation of as-built conditions, and ease of accessibility - Matterport scans and site progress scans are all accessible with a web link and internet connection. This functionality was invaluable during the pandemic.
To see the scans in action, click on the link below. These videos were created for the University Health Network in Toronto to demonstrate to internal stakeholders the value of the Matterport platform and the capabilities of the technology - the Matterport scanner (used to document project milestones), and the Theta V 360 camera (used to capture site progress). These videos summarized site progress by collecting visual data during almost two years of construction.
HH Angus is part of the design team under the EllisDon Healthcare Infrastructure consortium, and is providing mechanical and electrical consulting engineering to the 607,000+ ft2 project. The new facility will have 204 private or semi-private beds to support best practices for infection prevention and control, with the capacity for increased beds as population growth warrants. The emergency department will be three times the size of the current ER and is expected to accommodate 42,000 visits by 2035.
Given the nature of the complex and extensive underground pathways, the buildings were facing challenges with "stack effect" as a result of air pressure changes in the risers. This project presented an excellent opportunity for Angus Connect to leverage IoT sensors, digital twin and data analytics paired with deep engineering expertise to solve this problem.
One of the towers is served by a complex ventilation system consisting of numerous air handling units - supply, return, and pressurization fans; inter-building connections; and external doors on different facades. The potential airflow paths are extremely complex and difficult to model analytically. Further, there is significant complexity in the potential integration of the multiple mechanical systems, and this complexity increases given the various constraints (building schedules, minimum pressure and fresh air provisions, building demand, weather).
Our team developed a sophisticated set of machine learning models in a digital twin to capture and classify the behavior to provide analytics in optimizing the environment for performance.
- Prime mechanical engineering
- Digital consulting
- IoT data collection
- Cloud development
- Data analytics
- Engineering recommendations
The intent was to demonstrate the value of a purpose-built platform using cloud-based technology to provide an easily scalable product that was outcome driven. By monitoring fresh air and air change rates, the overarching goal was to support a safe return-to-office strategy. Temperature and VAV air flow data, as well as the volume of the 3D physical space, were extracted and visualized in a room-by-room rendering, allowing management to determine whether the ventilation systems were performing as expected.
There were three main components to the project:
- Data extraction of BAS data from the internal building network to a cloud data landing zone on AWS.
- The storage and categorization of the data in a data lake on AWS.
- Visualization of the relevant data in a dashboard and 3D model environment through Autodesk Forge.
Our team created a live 3D visualization for the ground floor of the building to provide a real-time interface for employees. A historical 2D dashboard that provides business and operational intelligence / analytics data to the Manulife operations team was also included in the final product. We are currently in discussions with Manulife about the next steps in completing the rest of the building and expanding the project to other commercial sites.
