Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/178323
Pearson International Airport. GREATER TORONTO AIRPORTS AUTHORITY Building infrastructure can accept cabling complexity, while owners who need to make different systems talk to one another may ind it dif icult to build interfaces between systems. These interfaces can be rudimentary, cumbersome and dif icult to maintain. The design of cabling in a building can be compared to that used for computers. Using only one cable connected to a wireless network can provide access to a web browser, email software, chat client and so forth. This is the thinking espoused by Mulvey & Banani International Inc. (MBII), Toronto-based engineers of electrical and electronic systems for complex buildings. "Each system remains independent," explains Bob Lymer, MBII's president, "but they share a common platform." Recent major projects to which MBII brought its systems convergence approach include two Toronto of ice towers, the RBC Centre and 18 York Street (PwC Tower). These buildings stand as showcase projects for integrated electrical and electronic systems design and sustainability. The PwC Tower was designed (with owner bcIMC) to consume up to 30 per cent less energy than the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB) standard. It uses an ef icient lighting system that relies on occupancy sensors, solar shades and dimmable lighting systems integrated into the phones (without light switches on the walls). Separate meters Mulvey & Banani International Inc. p.08-11Coverstory.indd 9 let tenants measure energy consumption. MBII can easily list the ways in which owners can enhance their projects using a single-network approach. This approach reduces the amount of cabling and network equipment required up-front, simplifying network design and cable management. It's also easier to create interfaces between systems, like the PwC Tower lighting systems, occupancy sensors and solar shades. "Systems are commonly web-based, even accessible from smartphones," Lymer says. "You don't have to go back to the of ice to monitor what's going on or to ix certain types of problems." Lymer illustrates what a converged network looks like to a typical of ice worker. "Somebody comes to work early in the morning and uses an access card to enter the building," he begins. "The access control system allows entry, then lags the elevator to open its doors. He pushes his loor button." "While he's in the elevator, the building automation system signals the air handling system to turn on and get fresh air to his space at the right temperature. A pathway of lighting comes on leading to his of ice where lights are on and fresh air is circulating." Lymer adds that building codes commonly dictate that ire systems be kept on their own ULC/CSAapproved networks, but every other electronic system can transmit and receive using one common network. Not that ire systems don't talk to other systems. "We still build ire systems with interfaces for oneway communication," Lymer explains "Fire systems report to other systems. They don't receive anything from other systems." MBII was irst introduced to the concept of convergence while working on Pearson International Airport's massive Terminal One project in 1997. "Pearson was by far the largest project for the irm," Lymer says. "and it still is. It was an incredibly complex project with so many different systems it would make your head spin. It made the rest of our projects seem easy." Pearson's internal IT groups insisted on convergence. They also gave consultants another requirement: they had to design a system in 1997 that would be suitable for use in 2004. "We had to be forwardthinking," Lymer recalls. "We had to anticipate technology. Many of the systems weren't there yet, but we anticipated they would be." He offers the surveillance system as an example. "Digital cameras for CCTV were just emerging. They were simply analog cameras with video streamers strapped to the back to convert analog signals to digital. We designed the camera infrastructure so that analog cameras could be replaced by high-resolution digital models down the road." "The Pearson airport project also happened at an AUGUST 2012 /9 7/13/12 9:52 AM