Real-world validation is essential for smart building innovation. The CENGN Smart Building Living Labs initiative provides that opportunity by deploying private 5G infrastructure within active residential, retail, and commercial environments. As part of this initiative, Andorix was engaged to implement and manage the network infrastructure that enables participating small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to connect and validate their solutions within live building environments.
Overview of the Smart Building Living Labs
The CENGN Smart Building Living Labs provide SMEs with access to active real estate environments where private 5G technologies can be deployed and evaluated under real operating conditions. The initiative has been implemented within assets owned and managed by Morguard Corporation across three distinct property types:
- The Bay Club at 925 Bay Street in Toronto, a residential environment
- St. Laurent Shopping Centre in Ottawa, a retail environment
- Place Innovation in Technoparc Montréal, a commercial office environment
By spanning residential, retail and commercial properties, the Living Labs give participating companies an opportunity to evaluate how their technologies perform across different building systems, operating conditions and occupant environments.
The Network Infrastructure Behind the Living Labs
At each site, two complementary networks have been deployed to support both traditional building systems and next-generation wireless technologies:
A high-capacity fibre-based network designed to support systems requiring physical connectivity, including legacy infrastructure and high-bandwidth applications.
A standalone private cellular network operating on Canada’s NCLL private spectrum allocation. Unlike public carrier networks from Rogers, Bell, or Telus, this private 5G deployment is dedicated solely to small operators and businesses.
The Living Labs feature indoor standalone 5G connectivity using n77 spectrum at 3.9 GHz. This provides participating companies with a controlled wireless environment in which to connect and validate compatible smart building solutions. Together, the fibre PON and private 5G networks create a flexible foundation where both wired and wireless systems can operate seamlessly. Working from a design provided by Nokia, Andorix was responsible for implementing this infrastructure across all three properties, including:
- Managing fibre deployment and termination
- Installing GPS antennas and associated 5G components
- Racking, stacking, and commissioning network equipment
- Coordinating configuration of the private 5G systems
- Transitioning the networks into ongoing operational management
Deploying this infrastructure within active properties required coordination with property teams and careful integration into existing building systems. With the network infrastructure deployed, the Living Labs are positioned to support participating companies as they connect, test and validate their technologies.
Supporting Technology Validation in Live Environments
The deployed infrastructure is designed to support SMEs participating in the CENGN program as they integrate and test their solutions within the Living Lab properties. Depending on the requirements of each solution, technologies may connect through fibre or private 5G. During testing periods, Andorix provides network oversight and operational support to help maintain network stability and performance.
Beyond wired and wireless connectivity, the Living Labs provide access to building systems, operational spaces and data that can support meaningful real-world validation. Across the three properties, available infrastructure includes building management systems, HVAC sensors and controls, lighting control systems, video feeds and HVAC sensor feeds stored at the CENGN Data Centre. Each property also provides a different set of assets and testing conditions:
- Residential: The Bay Club includes residential units, amenity rooms, a fitness centre, lobby and hallway areas, parking, storage, parcel pickup and waste-collection spaces.
- Retail: St. Laurent Shopping Centre includes stores, offices, large common areas, a cinema, a food court, digital signage, Cineplex screens and customer-counting technology.
- Commercial: Place Innovation provides access to common and operational areas, along with IoT smart meters and sensors, air-handling units, pumps and boilers.
The availability of these assets allows companies to evaluate more than whether a device can connect to the network. They can examine how a solution integrates with building systems, responds to real operating conditions and performs within an occupied property. Potential applications include:
- Smart energy management and maintenance monitoring
- Water-risk detection and monitoring
- Security, surveillance and access-control systems
- Environmental and structural monitoring
- Smart retail and customer-experience technologies
- Building systems cybersecurity
- Robotics and autonomous delivery applications
- Building automation and systems integration
- Tenant and resident experience solutions
By providing both wired and wireless connectivity options, the Living Labs enable flexible deployment models suited to a variety of smart building technologies.
Why Private 5G Changes Smart Building Design
Most 5G networks today are deployed by mobile network operators for consumer connectivity, such as streaming or mobile data usage. Within the CENGN Smart Building Living Labs, 5G technology is applied differently: as wireless infrastructure for building systems.
Private 5G introduces several advantages for smart building applications:
Lower Latency
Real-time systems, including advanced security, robotics, and automation, require immediate data transmission. Private 5G reduces latency compared to legacy LTE networks, enabling more responsive performance.
Higher Bandwidth
High-definition video feeds, dense sensor networks, and data-intensive applications can operate reliably without congestion.
Reduced Cabling Requirements
Traditionally, each device requires dedicated copper or fibre backhaul. With private 5G, certain systems can connect wirelessly, requiring only power and antenna coverage.
This can simplify deployment and reduce material requirements, particularly as the number of connected devices within buildings continues to increase. Importantly, fibre infrastructure remains foundational. The CENGN Smart Building Living Lab model demonstrates how wired (fibre) and wireless (private 5G) can complement one another within a unified framework.
Enabling Next-Generation Building Infrastructure
The CENGN Smart Building Living Labs initiative demonstrates how purpose-built digital infrastructure can support innovation within operational real estate environments. By combining fibre-based connectivity with private 5G capabilities, the deployed framework allows:
- Reduced reliance on extensive cabling for certain applications
- Lower latency for real-time data processing
- Scalable integration of new building technologies
As smart building systems continue to evolve, foundational connectivity infrastructure plays a critical role in enabling reliable performance and interoperability. Andorix is pleased to support CENGN and participating property partners in delivering this infrastructure across the Living Lab sites.
