Award magazine, August 2016, by Robin Brunet.
Chris Himsl, engineering manager for Williams Engineering Canada, explains, “Building owners and institutions such as schools are taking the opportunity to improve their infrastructure.” Williams Engineering Canada has no end of high-profile projects in its portfolio, a recent notable being a broadcasting centre for the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation in Iqaluit, Nunavut. It also has its fair share of “firsts,” including the first CO2 ice plant to be installed in Alberta for the Strathcona Olympiette Centre. While the school board work by contrast may be bread and butter, it is nonetheless fulfilling to Himsl and colleagues. “We’re replacing 50-year-old boilers and pumps, and what’s satisfying about this type of work is that it’s easy to improve energy efficiency for clients,” he says.
The overall goal to maximize energy efficiency is compelling Williams Engineering Canada to develop in-house expertise focused exclusively on energy efficiency modelling. “This is partly a result of the new National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings imposing stricter standards on developers,” says Himsl. “If certain requirements are not met – let’s say an architect wants floor-to-ceiling glazing and this comes at the expense of insulation – then modelling is needed to determine what components of the blueprint can be adjusted to meet the Code. It’s a substantial business opportunity.”
