[1]Cisco [1] and EllisDon [2] have announced completion of PwC Tower’s technology infrastructure, based on Cisco® Smart+Connected Real Estate [3] solutions. Located at 18 York Street, in Toronto’s Southcore Financial Centre, PwC Tower is one of Canada’s most advanced commercial developments.
Developed by GWL Realty Advisors on behalf of owner British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC), the new tower comprises 650,000 square-feet on 26 floors and opened its doors on September 06, 2011. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP [4] (PwC) is the primary tenant, occupying 16 floors. Utilizing Cisco Smart+Connected Real Estate solutions, PwC Tower is one of the first commercial buildings in Canada with an end-to-end building information network. All building systems communicate over the Cisco IP network and are managed by a central management system, which acts as the central nervous system of the building, optimizing building performance, reducing building energy footprint and providing services and features that enhance the occupant experience.
Project Highlights:
- Working closely with the developer, GWL Realty Advisors, and tenant, PwC, EllisDon Information and Communication Technology Services and Cisco assembled a team of focused professionals to design a future-ready building based on Cisco Smart+Connected Real Estate solutions. The collaboration was also aimed at providing the advanced technology features and functionality to drive the asset value of PwC’s existing technology investment in Cisco Unified Communications and wired and wireless networking solutions.
- The building is connected via a single, intelligent Cisco infrastructure, providing multiple services across one IP network—delivering data, voice and video, and connecting all building systems and controls, as well as third-party applications for lighting, security, blinds and audio visual
- A central management system provides access to third-party applications for fault detection of all building systems, including heating, ventilation and cooling, performing continuous analysis, and predicting building performance. The data collected can also be used for preventive maintenance analytics.
- Utilizing a third-party application on their Cisco IP Phones, PwC employees will be able to control lighting to personalize offices, conference rooms and quiet areas. No longer just a dial tone, but a room controller, the Cisco IP Phone replaces light switches as well as offering voice, video and data over the converged network.
- By removing traditional siloed approaches to building design, data from previously disparate building systems can now be collected over one IP network, helping owners, landlords and tenants monitor and improve the performance of buildings.
- In 2009, EllisDon and Cisco began a strategic collaboration designed to accelerate the development of a next-generation, connected building strategy to bring the power of network convergence to building construction. PwC Tower represents the first completed commercial building collaboration between Cisco and EllisDon.