The UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences Centre Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) System has been awarded the BC Chapter Technology Award in the Educational Facilities Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx) category by the ASHRAE BC Chapter.
The project showcases UBC Facilities’ commitment to innovation, sustainability, and life-cycle thinking in campus infrastructure. The new system gives occupants and managers real-time information on air quality performance in sensitive animal care areas, and provides more airflow when contaminants are detected and lowers airflow when it’s not needed, increasing air quality monitoring while reducing energy consumption in the building.
This award celebrates the outstanding work done by Julie Pett, Senior Energy Conservation Manager, Scott Yonkman, BMS Technical Specialist, and Jaelim Jeon, BMS Technical Specialist, in UBC Facilities. The project wouldn’t have been possible without strong support from Facilities Manager, Jeff Smith and Senior Operations Manager, Diana Carlsen, who supported the new system for its ability to streamline compliance with the new Canadian Council on Animal Care standard, which requires manual readings of air quality for compliance.
“As a team, we benchmark our work against ASHRAE standards and regularly draw inspiration from the journal’s leading research. Being recognized by our local chapter is meaningful and motivating,” Jaelim Jeon shared.
Though a clerical error prevented the project from advancing to ASHRAE Region XI this year, the submission will still be eligible for review at the 2026 Regional Meeting—so the journey isn’t over yet.
This achievement reflects the collective efforts of our multidisciplinary teams and serves as a reminder of the value of collaboration across the entire building lifecycle.
A big shout out and congratulations to everyone involved!