Our new address is:
H.H. Angus and Associates Limited
1176 Eglinton Avenue East
Suite 800
Toronto, ON M3C 0S1
All other contact information remains the same.
We invite all of our clients to drop by for visit anytime you are in the neighbourhood.
HH Angus Digital Services is pleased to announce our graduation with the AWS Partner Acceleration Team. Over the past several months, we worked with AWS Partner Management resources to achieve Select Tier Status, joined the AWS Public Sector Program, and achieve technical differentiation through a Foundational Technical Review of both our ARMS Platform and our AWS Cloud Consulting service offering. Working with this team helped us to accelerate our AWS journey and continue to build out our AWS cloud practice to deliver our ARMS platform. ARMS is focused on asset management and our Cloud Consulting service offering is focused on IoT and Smart Buildings Implementation for public and private sector customers.
To learn more about our ARMS platform, click here:
Angus Remote Management Systems (ARMS) – H.H. Angus and Associates Ltd. (hhangus.com)
In recent years, we’ve seen growing interest from clients in pushing their buildings forward from being “digitally-enabled” to “smart.” Smart buildings promise a host of benefits, such as better user experiences, enhanced operational efficiency, and improved security and safety. And while there have been many advances in technology systems to simplify this transition, the most effective path to a smart building is through integration.
Integration refers to the seamless connectivity and interoperation of various technology systems within a building. It can produce a wide variety of results, whether it’s opening a door, displaying information on a dashboard, or sending a notification to the correct person that a visitor has arrived for a meeting. The challenge for facility owners and operators lies in identifying which integrations will deliver the most substantial impact and what functionality will users truly value. Integrating systems comes at a cost – these may include physical connections, additional licencing fees, or even new staff. How can you know which integrations will have the greatest return on investment (ROI)? What process would building occupants like to see simplified? To navigate these complexities, an integration consultant can help companies develop a comprehensive strategy.
An integration strategy establishes clear objectives that align with the organization’s overall vision, goals, and design assumptions. At the outset, it is crucial to determine the organization’s most important objective; for example, is it security, efficiency, or user experience. A company that prioritizes security will focus on integrating systems that enhance building safety and protect data integrity. On the other hand, an organization emphasizing user experience will seek integrations that streamline operations and improve comfort for building occupants.
It's also important to understand an organization’s constraints. Integration systems can significantly change an existing workflow - making IT support, change management and operational readiness important considerations to ensure a successful shift towards a smart building environment.
A well-crafted integration strategy ensures consistency and standardization for system integration requirements, both now and in future. By looking at integration holistically, organizations can minimize costs and maximize ROI. Standardization helps in maintaining compatibility across different systems, which in turn reduces the risk of integration failures and ensures smooth operation. This approach also helps future-proof the building, making it easier to incorporate new technologies.
An integration strategy provides an actionable implementation plan. This plan guides organizations and vendors through the complexities of implementation projects, helping to manage unforeseen challenges and mitigate risks. An effective strategy identifies coordination issues, planning gaps, and requirements for commissioning, training, and support early on. This proactive approach ensures that all stakeholders are aligned and prepared to handle challenges that may arise during the implementation phase.
Integration consultants play a crucial role in this process. We bring a wealth of expertise in identifying the most impactful integrations and understanding what end-users value most. Our experiences and insights help us craft strategies that not only align with your organizational goals but also address the practical realities of implementing system integrations in buildings.
As buildings become increasingly complex, integration represents the next step in their evolution from digital to smart. By establishing clear objectives, ensuring consistency and standardization, and providing actionable implementation plans, organizations can unlock the full potential of their technology investments. This holistic approach to integration is not just about adding new systems; it's about creating a seamless, efficient, and future-ready environment that meets the needs of all stakeholders.
For find out how an integration strategy can help your building’s technology transition, contact us at connectconsulting@hhangus.com.
Several of HH Angus’ senior healthcare experts will be presenting at this year’s Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society’s national conference. The conference starts on September 8 at the Halifax Conference Centre, and our staff will be speaking on Tuesday September 10 at the following sessions:
Julie Lawson and Preethi Sethi take attendees through a ‘day-in-the-life’ inpatient journey characterized by a prolonged medical stay, and highlight challenges and opportunities for improvements with the application of technology systems and management of the environment. Their topics include:
Julie Lawson, P.Eng., LEED AP
Manager, Senior Mechanical Engineer
Associate | Health Division
Preethi Sethi, MSc. eHealth, DMS, CRGS ICAT Consultant, Angus Connect Division
The Canadian Standards Association’s new edition of CSA Z317.2 Special Requirements for HVAC Systems in Health Care Facilities was published in June 2024. Nick Stark identifies some of the considerable number of new and revised clauses impacting requirements for design, construction and operation of healthcare facilities across Canada. Nick will identify potential impacts of the changes and the different approaches to HVAC that will be required in future.
Nick Stark, P.Eng, CED, LEED®
AP, ICD.D,
Principal, Executive Vice President
Meagan Webb and Ryan Kennedy, together with Kyle Basilius of Parkin Architects and Calvin Winquist from Island Health are presenting the plenary session – a spotlight on the Cowichan District Hospital project in Duncan BC, which is being delivered through the Alliance Procurement Model. The presentation will focus on the project goals of relationship building, net-zero carbon future, and healing environment, and how these are being delivered with the hopes of giving back to the people and lands the project will serve, as well as how the Alliance Procurement Model has been leveraged to achieve these objectives.
Meagan Webb, P.Eng
Regional Leader, Principal
HH Angus and Associates
Ryan Kennedy, P.Eng., LEED AP BD+C
Technical Leader, Principal
HH Angus and Associates
Kyle Basilius, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, NCARB Principal,
Parkin Architects
Calvin Winquist
Director Design and Construction
Island Health
All images courtesy of the World Health Organization/World Food Programme
With one of the largest healthcare engineering teams in the country, working with the International Federation of Healthcare Engineers (IFHE) to volunteer engineering and design services to the World Health Organization (WHO) is a natural fit for HH Angus. We first answered IFHE’s call for volunteers in 2020 during the early days of the COVID pandemic, and our involvement has grown from there. The Infectious Disease Treatment Module (IDTM) project is our fifth under the auspices of the IFHE. Supporting the vital work of the WHO by donating time and resources for healthcare facilities in low-resource countries fits well with both our commitment to give back to the global community and the desire of HH Angus employees to contribute to these worthwhile initiatives. We also have deep experience in implementing systems design to support infection and control procedures in healthcare settings, so our most recent involvement was well suited to our strengths.
The World Food Programme (WFP) INITIATE2 IDTM is the first project in a five-year initiative to develop innovative and standardized solutions to support readiness and response capabilities for health emergencies worldwide.
The focus of the IDTM is to allow stakeholders to rapidly deploy and operate treatment modules in emergency situations to treat the first patients with infectious diseases and to protect the healthcare workers who are treating them. As part of the design team, HH Angus employees volunteered their expertise and time over the course of 12 months to design, tender and prototype an IDTM, which was delivered and tested in Brindisi, Italy. The design team is subsequently supporting refinement of the design by addressing opportunities for improvement that were identified during medical and technical testing.
The inflatable IDTM structure was compartmentalized to separate staff and patient areas while maintaining necessary sightlines and quick response to patients through a transparent screen without staff needing to don full personal protective equipment. In addition to the physical barrier, the separation is also supported by directional airflow. The structure of each module and inserts allow for flexibility and the ability to accommodate more patients if needed.
Developing a treatment module that is rapidly deployable with no specialized tools, is easily transportable, adaptable to different climates, accepted by the local community, safe for staff, and suitable to respond to an unknown infectious disease outbreak is an extraordinary challenge.
The testing stage of the IDTM was a unique aspect of this project, and it provided the design team with the opportunity to meet and work alongside emergency response team members who would be using this product in the field. Their feedback during medical and technical testing was critical to fully evaluating the performance of the prototype during a series of logistical and medical drills.
As the needs and anticipated use of the IDTM vary by partner organization, designing a flexible and adaptable solution was an important element of the criteria. The intent of the IDTM is that it is re-deployable to other communities and emergencies which will reduce its overall environmental impact.
We are always grateful for the opportunity to be able to contribute to the important work of the IFHE, WHO and WFP, building on previous design support for projects in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mozambique, and Ukraine.
To view a video about the IDTM from the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot, click on the link below:
Want to learn more about this initiative? Contact Meagan Webb who was the HH Angus lead for the project.