Project Background
The client, a renowned utilities company in Hong Kong, was preparing to move into its new headquarters in Kowloon, Hong Kong — a modern, 11-story building spanning approximately 100,000 square meters. Before finalizing the digital building strategy for the new HQ, the company engaged Neuron to pilot various key smart building technologies through a two-phase approach with the goal of validating the feasibility and effectiveness of digital solutions before full-scale deployment.
Project Overview
The project focused on enhancing workplace performance through three core smart building applications: real-time comfort tracking (monitoring temperature and air quality), AHU optimization (improving HVAC efficiency), and integrated ESG management (automating sustainability reporting). This phased approach allowed the client to test technologies in a controlled environment before deploying them in the new HQ.
Scope of Service
Phase 1: Pre-Deployment Testing
The initial phase evaluated three key technologies: a high-resolution digital twin, occupancy tracking systems, and AHU optimization tools. These tests provided critical insights that shaped the final digital strategy, avoiding costly missteps in the Headquarters’ design.
Phase 2: Full Implementation
In the new headquarters, Neuron deployed a suite of integrated solutions:
- Air Quality & Wayfinding: IoT sensors were installed to monitor air quality in real time, while smart wayfinding systems improved navigation.
- BMS & IoT Data Optimization: Wireless vibration sensors detected equipment anomalies, and an AI-driven Task & Work Order Management System streamlined maintenance. Frontline staff received automated assignments via a mobile app, documented progress, and generated reports without manual input.
- Corporate ESG Tracking: A central sustainability dashboard tracked carbon footprint, GHG emissions, and energy use, while automated reporting tools generated weekly, monthly, and yearly ESG performance data.
Outcomes & Key Learnings
The initial testing phase yielded several critical insights that guided final implementation, revealing that post-COVID occupancy rates remain volatile, highlighting opportunities for AHU optimization. The client also found the digital twin’s ultra-high resolution–such as customising the furniture detailing–excessive, leading to a strategic shift toward prioritizing critical zones with wayfinding functionality over full floor-by-floor replication in the new HQ. Additionally, the pilot proved the centralized waste management system’s effectiveness in boosting recycling efficiency.
During the new HQ’s operational phase, these data-driven adjustments yielded measurable benefits in three key areas: (1) enhanced employee experience, enabled by intelligent temperature and air quality monitoring; (2) improved operational efficiency, achieved through automated facility managment systems that replaced manual processes, accelerating maintenance response and providing actionable equipment insights via customizable dashboards; and (3)elevated ESG leadership, powered by real-time carbon tracking that advanced sustainability goals while strengthening stakeholder trust through transparent reporting.
