MOBuS
MOBuS is a multidisciplinary academic, industry, and government consortium focused on advancing smart, low carbon buildings across Ontario. The project is developing a clear pathway for Ontario to become a global leader in smart building technologies and their implementation over a five year period from 2024 to 2029.
MOBuS focuses on commercial, institutional, and multi-unit residential buildings. It brings together partners across sectors to develop, test, and scale solutions that improve building performance, reduce emissions, and support system integration.
MOBuS is designed to support:
- Industry partners, including building owners, solution providers, utilities, and technology developers seeking to validate and scale smart building solutions
- Policy-makers and public sector leaders looking for evidence to inform standards, investment decisions, and market transformation strategies
- Researchers and students interested in advancing applied research in smart building systems
MOBuS research is broken into four themes that define what researchers are developing across the project. Each theme contributes to the broader goal of enabling smart building adoption at scale.
Integrating Smart Buildings
This theme focuses on enabling the integration and analysis of data generated by building systems. It supports the development of data streaming solutions, integration architecture, and cybersecurity models that allow buildings to connect with each other and with broader systems such as smart energy grids. It also includes the development of cognitive digital twins and the testing of solutions in full-scale field studies.
Better Buildings for the Planet
This stage focuses on improving building energy efficiency and reducing emissions. It develops methods to predict and optimize energy use, detect and diagnose system faults, and implement smart and ongoing commissioning approaches. It also supports the integration of renewable energy systems and advanced control strategies to improve overall performance.
Better Buildings for Occupants
Research in this area focuses on understanding and improving the relationship between occupants and building systems. It develops methods to collect and analyze occupant feedback, models occupant behavior, and designs tools and interfaces that support more sustainable and comfortable building environments.
Market Transformation and Adoption Pathways
This theme focuses on enabling the adoption of smart building technologies across the market. It includes market research to understand barriers and opportunities, the development of data privacy best practices, and the creation of a pathway to guide building owners and stakeholders in adopting smart building solutions.
MOBuS brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers from leading institutions across Ontario.
Dr. Jenn McArthur
Principal Investigator
Professor, Architectural Science, Toronto Metropolitan University
Contact: jennifer.mcarthur@torontomu.ca
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Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University
Research focus: Leads better buildings for the planet theme
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Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University
Research focus: Leads better buildings for occupants theme
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Carleton University
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York University
Research focus: Leads integrating smart buildings theme
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York University
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University of Toronto
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University of Toronto
MOBuS is supported by a broad network of industry, institutional, and government partners who contribute to research, validation, and implementation.
Fuse Forward
(external link) HH Angus and Associates
(external link) IBM (external link)
Intelligent Buildings
(external link) JLL (external link)
Natural Research Council Canada (external link)
Natural Resources Canada (external link)
Ontario Home Builders’ Association (external link)
Paul Frith Consulting (external link)
Get Involved
Explore opportunities to collaborate with the research team.