BentallGreenOak and RWDI announce debut of world's first data-driven proptech platform, ParticleOne, for predictive COVID-risk mitigation in commercial real estate
Toronto (March 23, 2022) — BentallGreenOak (BGO) announced plans to debut a new data-driven, science-based technology platform developed by RWDI to be deployed across BGO’s Canadian real estate portfolio in 2022. The technology, called ParticleOne, draws on critical data sets at the property level, combined with external data from local and regional health care authorities to inform building owners, managers and occupants of heightened risk levels for the transmission of COVID. ParticleOne employs proprietary algorithms to assess risk levels, providing predictive insights that serve as one of the first early warning systems in the world designed and developed for commercial real estate application.
Both firms launched a seven-building pilot phase in 2021 in Canadian office, residential and industrial settings, backed by resources from an innovation lab established by BGO to invest in ESG initiatives and property technology demonstration projects. Following the successful trial of the pilot projects, BGO and RWDI are eyeing an aggressive expansion of the technology’s application across BGO’s Canadian portfolio with the potential to scale to the rest of BGO’s global footprint.
“Our strategy to bring RWDI’s new data-enabled, viral mitigation technology to our properties is the culmination of years of firm-level investment in data science and enablement, and an intentional culture shift across the firm to embrace the value of data to make BGO ready for the future today,” said Christina Iacoucci, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer, BentallGreenOak. “We are committed to empowering our properties with RWDI’s ParticleOne technology platform to make better-informed and refined operational decisions in a world where COVID and the potential for other infectious disease events are now embedded elements in the ongoing management of our assets.”
“Virus-risk management is the new expectation for buildings and indoor spaces,” said Michael J. Soligo, CEO of both RWDI and ParticleOne. “Always an early adopter of new technology and innovative solutions, BGO was a natural partner to first pilot ParticleOne during its beta development and now apply its accurate forecasting to restore and maintain occupancy and operations across its diverse portfolio of properties. Leaders, like BGO, who apply science-based solutions are well-positioned to respond and stay ahead of new and emerging viral threats.”
With an agreement reached to scale ParticleOne’s solutions exclusively within the commercial real estate sector over the next 12 months, RWDI and BGO will explore further enhancements to the platform, including evaluation of a direct-to-tenant engagement interface, continued refinements of the system’s algorithms, and the testing of new environmental sensors.
About BentallGreenOak
BentallGreenOak is a leading, global real estate investment management advisor and a globally-recognized provider of real estate services. BentallGreenOak serves the interests of more than 750 institutional clients with approximately $74 billion USD of assets under management (as of December 31, 2021) and expertise in the asset management of office, industrial, multi-residential, retail and hospitality property across the globe. BentallGreenOak has offices in 28 cities across thirteen countries with deep, local knowledge, experience, and extensive networks in the regions where we invest in and manage real estate assets on behalf of our clients in primary, secondary and co-investment markets. BentallGreenOak is a part of SLC Management, which is the alternatives asset management business of Sun Life.
The assets under management shown above includes real estate equity and mortgage investments managed by the BentallGreenOak group of companies and their affiliates, and as of 1Q21, includes certain uncalled capital commitments for discretionary capital until they are legally expired and excludes certain uncalled capital commitments where the investor has complete discretion over investment.
For more information, please visit www.bentallgreenoak.com
About RWDI
RWDI is a globally renowned environmental engineering firm tackling complex challenges in the built environment. Over the past five decades, the firm has evolved from a respected Canadian company with deep technical expertise in wind engineering to a global firm known for solving some of the world’s most demanding building performance, climate engineering, and environmental challenges.
For more information, please visit www.RWDI.com
About ParticleOne
ParticleOne is a cloud-based software platform, built and supported by world-class building-performance engineers and scientists at RWDI. Informed by the latest infectious disease data, ParticleOne measures and monitors the risk of an outbreak inside a building, running thousands of simulations to develop customized mitigation strategies to match the specific profile of a space, including its use and location. Now deployed across hundreds of buildings in both the private and public sectors, including commercial real estate, industry, and community spaces, ParticleOne provides impactful guidance to building owners and operators to keep them ahead of emerging threats.
For more information, please visit www.ParticleOne.com
Media Contacts
Rahim Ladha
BentallGreenOak
media@bentallgreenoak.com
Adrienne Guthrie
ParticleOne
media@particleone.com
