355 Alhambra: Siemens System Rescue

Project Overview

The owner of 355 Alhambra Circle was facing a costly, full-system upgrade from their existing Siemens Insight system to Desigo, under the impression that it was their only option. Mechanical Air Concepts presented an alternative solution that focused on preserving their current investment while delivering the modern features they needed.

The Challenge: A Forced Upgrade

The primary challenge was the client's belief that they were trapped in a proprietary ecosystem, requiring them to discard perfectly functional hardware. They needed a path to modernize their building automation system without a massive capital outlay and to free themselves from vendor lock-in for future service and expansions.

The Solution: Phased Integration

Instead of a "rip and replace" approach, MAC engineered a phased transition. We integrated the existing Siemens field controllers with a new Automated Logic WebCTRL front-end. This strategy immediately provided a rich, consistent graphical user interface and powerful web-based tools while preserving 95% of the owner's original hardware investment. This change unlocked the owner from a proprietary system, empowering them to seek competitive value and hold MAC accountable for delivering results.

Conclusion

This project demonstrates our core philosophy of untrapping the owner. By prioritizing integration over replacement, the client avoided a significant, unnecessary expense and gained a more powerful, flexible, and future-proof building automation system. They are no longer tied to a single vendor and can make smarter, incremental upgrades as their budget allows.