Tag: HH Angus

Genevieve Rochette
 

Nous sommes ravis d’annoncer que Geneviève Rochette s’est jointe à HH Angus en tant que Directrice régionale pour notre bureau de Montréal.

L’arrivée de Geneviève au sein de notre équipe de direction nationale renforce encore davantage notre gestion opérationnelle, ainsi que notre engagement à poursuivre notre croissance au Québec.

« Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir Geneviève au sein de HH Angus. Ses compétences en leadership, sa grande expérience en ingénierie et ses relations de longue date dans le secteur seront déterminantes pour étendre notre présence au Québec. Son expertise spécialisée dans l’environnement bâti sera très utile à nos clients pour atteindre leurs objectifs. »
                                                                                                                Paul Keenan, Président

Dans ce nouveau rôle, Geneviève s’appuiera sur 25 ans d’expérience dans l’industrie du génie-conseil dans divers secteurs. Avant de rejoindre notre équipe, elle a fait toute sa carrière chez Stantec, où elle a débuté comme étudiante stagiaire avant de gravir progressivement les échelons pour occuper son dernier poste de directrice – Bâtiments.

Le portefeuille de Geneviève comprend des immeubles commerciaux, des institutions financières, des grands magasins de détail, des usines pharmaceutiques, des entrepôts automatisés et des installations industrielles légères, ainsi que de nombreux projets dans le domaine des soins de longue durée (SLD) et d’hébergement pour personnes âgées, un secteur en pleine expansion à l’échelle du pays.

En tant que Directrice régionale, Geneviève supervise une équipe de 25 professionnels au bureau de Montréal qui desservent plusieurs secteurs d’activité au Québec et dans tout le pays, notamment les soins de santé, l’aménagement de bureaux commerciaux et de locaux locatifs, les installations essentielles, l’aviation, l’éducation, entre autres. Le bureau de HH Angus à Montréal a été officiellement établi en 2011 avec le Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) comme projet principal pour lequel nous avons reçu le prix Schreyer, le plus grand prix d’ingénierie au Canada, pour nos solutions d’ingénierie novatrices. Parmi les projets actuels et récents, citons le nouveau terminal de l’aéroport de Montréal Saint-Hubert, l’aménagement du siège social de Novartis Canada, un centre de données ultramoderne pour un client confidentiel et les travaux de modernisation en cours au Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM).

Félicitations, Geneviève, et bienvenue dans notre équipe!

Pour rejoindre Geneviève afin de discuter de votre prochain projet :
genevieve.rochette@hhangus.com
Tél. : 514.600.1360 | 877.549.7521 (numéro sais frais)

 
AI
 

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. 

 

 
AGO

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, and we congratulate the AGO on this important milestone.


Today, the AGO is considered one of the largest art museums in North America with a collection of over 120,000 works of art. Currently 583,000 ft2 and growing, the gallery ranks among Ontario’s premier cultural attractions, drawing over one million visitors annually. But like most well-established cultural icons, its origins were far more modest.

The Art Museum of Toronto began life on July 4, 1900, at 165 King Street West. A few years later, it relocated to ‘The Grange’, a large home bequeathed to the Museum and still part of the AGO today. In 1919, the name was changed to the Art Gallery of Toronto. Admission to its three galleries was 25 cents. In 1920, the Gallery hosted the first exhibition by the newly formed Group of Seven. In 1966, the name was changed again, to the Art Gallery of Ontario, underscoring the growing importance of the gallery.

HH Angus began providing consulting services to the AGO in 1925, creating design and engineering drawings for its first HVAC system and we subsequently worked on numerous projects for the gallery. For its comprehensive 2008 ‘Transformation AGO’ project, we acted as the mechanical engineering and vertical transportation consultants.

The Transformation project was designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry and included 97,000+ ft2 of new space to increase viewing areas by 47%, plus 187,000 ft2 of renovations to the existing space. Innovative design considerations were implemented for phased construction, installation and commissioning, and in the integration of the new and existing spaces.

‘Transformation AGO’ Project - Engineering approaches to protecting and preserving works of art

To achieve the desired functionality and aesthetics of the project, the client and architectural team proposed three main challenges:

  • Phased construction to allow continued regular service to galleries
  • Sophisticated mechanical systems to meet the specific needs of each gallery to be physically remote from the galleries for aesthetic reasons
  • Integration of new systems with existing base systems.

The building was divided into 70 zones, with each gallery space fitted with dedicated sensors controlling the individual equipment in remote rooms.

Frank Gehry’s design aesthetic provided some interesting challenges for the engineering design. Adrienne Cressman, HH Angus’ Lead Mechanical Engineer for the Transformation project and currently Director of our Project Management Office, recalled that “the attention to detail on the part of the Gehry team was unparalleled. No direction was passed on to the design team until it had been modelled in physical 3D by the architectural team. There was also a heightened level of coordination with curators at the Gallery for our scopes of service, regarding the specific requirements of individual exhibit areas.”

Among the requirements, the mechanical systems had to be virtually invisible, so that normal HVAC connections were not seen by visitors to the galleries. Executing this design feature was complicated by the fact that, to avoid the risk of water leakage, which would be a serious issue for the collection, all mechanical rooms were situated in no-impact locations well away from gallery spaces. For the same reason, no equipment was housed above ceilings in the galleries. According to Tom Halpenny, HH Angus’ Principal-in-Charge of the Transformation project and current Executive Vice President, the architectural vision for the project dictated a custom approach not only to our system designs but also for equipment specifications: “We made a number of changes to our specs in order to meet Frank Gehry’s design vision; for example, for the HVAC system, we replaced standard air supply and return vents with air slots that appear as a line at the top and bottom of the gallery walls, as these were considered to be a more aesthetic alternative. Even sections of the fire sprinkler system, wherever these could be seen by visitors, were fitted with stainless steel piping rather than the normal standard steel piping.”

A reduction in fresh air intake during off-peak visitor hours simplified the HVAC system control by reducing the influence of changes in outside air temperature and humidity. This approach helped considerably in providing more stable environmental conditions for the artworks. Tom Halpenny noted that, “the success of HH Angus’ design had two important results for the AGO: first, being able to guarantee the stability of the HVAC system allowed the gallery to attract touring exhibits of rare and fragile artwork and artifacts that have very specific and stable environmental conditions; second, the reliability of the HVAC system was recognized by the AGO’s insurance provider such that the gallery was able to secure better terms.”

HVAC systems were designed to be separate from gallery spaces and hidden from visitor view

Integrating the new mechanical systems with the existing building systems made an already complicated assignment even more complex technically. The form and arrangement of the new and renovated spaces resulted in an irregularly connected multi-level project. Interconnected atrium spaces required careful attention to detail to ensure that mechanical services were concealed and that service access routes were maintained. The prediction of temperature- and pressure-induced airflow patterns and the arrangements to segregate returns for balancing of the return air to the individual air handling units all required complex analysis.

The vertical transportation system included three passenger elevators, one high-capacity freight elevator, two material lifts, and two platform lifts to accommodate persons with physical disabilities. All elevators are of the “traction” type, with special design features to accommodate large groups and the travel distances required.

Separation of Cooling Towers and Sky Lights

We’re very proud of our association with the Art Gallery of Ontario and wish them many years of continued success!

For more information about the AGO’s 125th anniversary events, click below for their website: AGO125.

Cowichan

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

Best Managed Header

We are honoured that
HH Angus and Associates is again included among Canada's Best Managed Companies. 

A Gold Level member, this is our seventh consecutive year of being recognized among Canada’s Best for our consistent performance and long-term vision.

Canada’s Best Managed Companies is one of the country’s leading business awards programs recognizing innovative and world‑class businesses. Celebrating over 30 years, the CBMC program awards excellence in overall business performance and growth of best in-class, Canadian-owned companies with revenues of $50 million or more.

“The 2025 Best Managed winners exemplify the highest Canadian business standards of innovation, adaptability, and bold leadership,” said Derrick Dempster, Partner, Deloitte Private and Co-Leader, Canada’s Best Managed Companies program. “Their relentless ambition, determined focus, and strategic agility have led them to remain competitive on the world stage, creating sustainable economic growth in an evolving global market.”

To attain the designation, companies are evaluated on their leadership in strategy, culture and commitment, capabilities and innovation, governance and financial performance. Paul Keenan, President of HH Angus, commented on today’s award: “Being named a Best Managed company acknowledges the value of our careful management of our day-to-day operations, our thorough planning for both the short and long-term future of the firm, and our success in identifying growth opportunities, whether those are in sectors, services or geography. We’re very honoured and excited to once again be recognized by the Best Managed program.”

HH Angus also enjoys a strong company culture that values and celebrates innovation, technical excellence, and dedication to client service. Our staff of approximately 450 professionals, across offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, is laser-focused on delivering a broad range of successful projects in Canada and internationally to help our clients realize their goals. They share the firm’s expanding focus on decarbonizing the built environment to benefit the environment and provide a wide range of services to support the development of smart and sustainable cities. Earning the Best Managed Companies Award year after year is a reflection of their commitment and loyalty, and the vital role they play in HH Angus’ success. 

We also recognize that the Best Managed honour would not be possible without the trust and loyalty of our valued clients – we appreciate the important role they play in HH Angus’ success.

2025 marks HH Angus’ 106th year in business. For the firm to be thriving and deserving of this award after more than a century in business speaks to a tradition of resourceful, resilient and innovative leadership. Building on more than a century of success, we continue to strengthen the firm to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.