Are they really the smartest office buildings in the world?

Few would dispute the claim after observing how nearly every occupant routinely adjusts their personal lighting and temperature preferences by smartphone app.

Welcome to Amsterdam and Toronto, the homes of the 15-story, 430,000 square foot The Edge (pictured) and 30-story, 930,000 square foot Waterpark Place III, both widely considered as the most user-friendly office towers on the planet.

Each building includes a converged PoE (Power over Ethernet) low-voltage Ethernet network that not only powers the IT system, but also the lights. This groundbreaking connected lighting system is built with Philips hardware and Philips Envision software.

Unexpected Surprise

LED lighting is no surprise in a sustainable office environment. What’s wholly unexpected in both buildings is the breakthrough personal comfort and convenience that the Philips connected lighting system offers. Thousands of sensor-enabled Philips luminaires empower each building occupant with on-demand control of their personal lighting and temperature preferences. The effect? Transformative. “Employees tell me they don’t want to go back to the old way,” admits Frouwynke Dijkgraaf, Deloitte Property Management Consultant. Deloitte is The Edge’s lead tenant.

Hiring Advantage

The word from Toronto is just as promising. “Tenant experience is huge,” reports William MacGowan, Director of Cisco’s Smart Building Digitization. “A pleasing workspace with personal lighting control means we can attract and retain the area’s best talent. It’s a big competitive edge.” The headquarters of Cisco Canada occupy four floors of Waterpark Place III.

Energy Savings

A quick walk-through of each building reveals the depth of personal engagement that employees enjoy. As inspiring as that may be to corporate leaders, it’s the “macro side” of the connected lighting story that merits special attention:

The Edge

  • Expected annual energy savings -- $100,000 US
  • Expected annual space utilization savings -- $1.6 million US
  • Third-party rating -- 98.36%, the highest award ever by BREEAM

Waterpark Place III

  • Expected annual energy savings over fluorescent lighting with connected LED luminaires – Up to 80% (Cisco Canada headquarter floors only)
  • Third-party rating – certified LEED CI Gold

“The possibilities of this connected lighting system are endless,” notes Richard Lees, senior project manager at CBRE Limited, a service firm representing Waterpark Place III. “There are so many capabilities of this system that we haven’t explored yet.” Toronto facility managers now track building analytics in real-time for occupancy patterns, temperature changes, light levels, and much more.

Proven Performance

The buildings’ new Internet of things capability can be likened to the early days of the smartphone. “When it first came out the smartphone was nowhere near as useful as it is today,” observes Ujjaini Dasgupta, director of marketing for office, industry, and healthcare for Philips Lighting. “Today it’s indispensable for many. Connected lighting is on the same path.”

Dasgupta says that The Edge and Waterpark Place III vividly demonstrate why connected lighting is the way forward. “Connected lighting is here to stay. Philips offers specifiers and corporate leaders the capability and global strength to confidently achieve their vision,” she explains.

Could your new or planned building rival The Edge or Waterpark Place III for staff affection and operational performance? To learn more, contact [email protected].