My Building Automation System Made Me Cry!

What? Cry?! There’s no crying in baseball. But seriously, can your work bring you to tears? I certainly didn’t think so; had never happened before. Then I gave a small group of potential clients a tour of our work (previous employer) at the Roy & Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center. Before this particular tour I had a co-worker give me some advice; “Chris, you’re kinda dry. Your tour needs a little more passion. This time imagine your oldest son has cancer and you’re coming here to show the family the care he is getting.” Ok. I can do that.

The purpose of the tour was to communicate to the client the connection between patient outcomes and this high-tech building. Not only has the Center shown improved healing above and beyond what could be attributed to improvements in treatment science, but they also have seen patient, physician and staff satisfaction go through the roof. The building automation system (BAS) in this particular building connects virtually everything. I explained how the system knows when you arrive, your name, and where you are in the building. Then, how your personal preferences for lighting, sound, and electronic art throughout the facility are programmed so that these preferences are “felt” as you progress through your treatment. The phones, the audio/video equipment, the security system, all tied seamlessly together in a way that the building feels alive. Healing up, satisfaction up, waiting and treatment times (and associated costs) down.

Don’t believe me?…take the 7 minute virtual video tour for yourself (http://california.providence.org/saint-joseph/news/2012/05/the-roy-and-patricia-disney-family-cancer-center-virtual-tour/). But watch the video thinking about a loved one. I was in tears by the end of my client tour. And from that day forward my mission has been the same…the application of building technology in a way that makes a difference in the world in which I live and share with others.  Energy, carbon footprint, O&M costs… and things far more important.