As part of the Hong Kong advanced digital engineering team, I lead on digital tool development and projects. I am also responsible for building the skills of our digital team across East Asia.

My focus is on the data-driven, machine learning tools that are transforming our built environment. The defining opportunity digital technologies give us at Arup is the ability to make our client’s buildings, infrastructure and cities ‘smart’ – improving the way they perform and the experience they offer. Currently, our most complete expression of this is Neuron, a ‘digital brain’ for smart buildings. I head up the development this cloud-based centralised building management system.

Building automation and energy management systems historically relied on operators to respond to real-time alerts. Neuron automatically performs the tasks that create a more energy efficient environment focused on the health and well-being of its occupants. It combines 5G, big data, the internet of things and artificial intelligence to identify trends, forecast energy use, optimise building systems, detect faults and schedule predictive maintenance.

We recently implemented the Neuron platform for One Taikoo Place in Hong Kong, making this 48-storey office tower the first AI and data-driven smart building in the city. Neuron is also in use at Beijing’s Water Cube where it has delivered a 25% saving in energy.