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Air Scrubber
First Commercial CO2-Reducing Air Scrubber in Canada Installed in Smith + Andersen Office

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In honour of Canada Clean Air Day, Smith + Andersen and Footprint are celebrating the installation of the first CO2-reducing air scrubber in a Canadian commercial building.

Located in the 10th floor space of the Smith + Andersen and Footprint offices at 100 Sheppard Avenue East in North York, Ontario, this air scrubber marks the first deployment of the enVerid HVAC Load Reduction® (HLR) "smart scrubber" technology in Canada - technology developed and provided by enVerid Systems in partnership with O'Dell Associates.

Smith + Andersen and Footprint began exploring the option of an air scrubber installation while planning the move of their Toronto teams in 2018. Sustainability was the primary design driver for their new office space, and the Landlord of 100 Sheppard Avenue East expressed a shared interest in the potential impact of air scrubber technology.

An air scrubber contains an absorbent material that removes particles, hazardous gasses (including CO2), and harmful chemicals (such as formaldehyde and VOCs) from the air. Through molecular cleaning, the enVerid HLR® smart scrubber can reduce the need for outside air by 60 to 80 per cent, providing a potential 20 to 30 per cent energy cost savings, reducing pollution and HVAC maintenance, and improving occupant comfort.

“Moving into a new office with a new Landlord seemed to be the right impetus for Smith + Andersen Toronto to test, first-hand, a technology we have been investigating for (and proposing to) our clients,” explains Smith + Andersen Managing Principal Kevin Farbridge. “This is an HVAC technology that has not yet been used in the Canadian market, so it faces the initial battle of “bleeding-edge” technologies. It seemed right to be testing this technology on ourselves as a proof-of-concept for our clients. We were fortunate to have a forward-thinking Landlord, who also saw the potential benefits to their existing building portfolio, and agreed to help support the initiative financially.”

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Air Scrubber
The first CO2-reducing air scrubber in a Canadian commercial building.
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This air scrubbing system is connected to the Desigo building automation system (BAS), provided by Siemens, at 100 Sheppard Avenue East. This connection enables Smith + Andersen and Footprint to monitor air quality, energy savings, HVAC load reductions, and cost savings.

Smith + Andersen and Footprint relocated their Toronto teams to 100 Sheppard Avenue East in the summer of 2019, and the enVerid HLR® smart scrubber was installed in late December 2019.