Building automation

Food Port restaurant world was created in the middle of a commercial space

The first 11 restaurants in the new restaurant world of Helsinki’s shopping centre Redi opened in late 2023. The 500-seat restaurant complex, which is colorfully decorated and cosy, was renovated as part of the commercial premises of a functioning shopping center. The building automation contract for the renovation project was put out to tender and Cervius was selected.

The first phase of the Food Port project started in spring 2023, automation work began in summer and the whole project was completed in November. Second phase will be completed in spring 2024. Cervius has been responsible for the project management of the automation project, programming work, necessary cabling and field device installations and commissioning-related testing.

The use of the premises determines the HVAC services

Red’s original building services and the building automation that controlled them were designed with the tenants’ business and needs in mind. The new restaurant world project involved a change of use, which required the building services on the premises to be upgraded. The original equipment was dismantled and replaced with new equipment.

In the Food Port project, our project manager, who knows well the site and the systems, ensures that everything runs as it should.

Petri Rantapaju, Managing Director, Cervius

Efficient ventilation in Food Port’s restaurants and the professional kitchens they serve is a basic requirement for fire safety, the general usability of the premises and the comfort of the surrounding area. The hoods and room sensors in the restaurant kitchens are connected to an automation system. The system can monitor kitchen conditions such as humidity and temperature and ensure that the hoods are working as intended.

Cervius has installed four new control sub-centres and commissioned three new ventilation units. In total, more than 200 points were added to the automation system. In addition to the contract, the company is also involved in the maintenance of the site, carrying out fault diagnosis and repair work in accordance with the building services report, as well as minor modifications where necessary.

Throughout the project, the priority has been to carry out all phases of the work without disturbing other surrounding activities. In the case of building automation, for example, this has meant, among other things, making program changes to the operating ventilation machines outside the shopping centre’s opening hours.

Cervius MD Petri Rantapaju says that the company has invested in the customer experience and its development from the beginning.

– We have developed a model in which our Value Plus customers are always served by a dedicated foreman, i.e. a specialist who knows the whole picture, which makes the work of the staff in charge of the property easier. In the Food Port project, our project manager, who knows the site and the systems, has a similar overview, which ensures that everything runs as it should.