Smart building automation as the backbone of performance: The Wings case study 

• Project: The Wings 

• Building: Mixed-use campus (offices, hospitality, leisure, coworking), 50,000 m² 

• Country: Belgium 

• Technology: Unified building automation system 

• Automation level: EN ISO 52120 Class A 

• Results: 30% energy reduction enabled, multiple sustainability certifications 

Ensuring that new buildings deliver high performance in practice, not just by design, is a central challenge for an ambitious and successful EPBD implementation. In mixed-use buildings, this entails continuous coordination between different systems to ensure comfort, wellbeing and energy efficiency across a wide range of uses and occupancy patterns.  

This case study looks at The Wings project, a mixed-use complex combining a hotel, gym, offices, restaurants, and coworking spaces, with a unified building automation platform implemented by Johnson Controls as the digital backbone coordinating multiple systems and supporting efficient, data-driven building operation. 

The challenge: Complex buildings, high expectations for performance 

The Wings is a flagship mixed-use development by Ghelamco, designed to bring together offices, hospitality, fitness and leisure functions in a single integrated campus near Brussels. From the outset, the ambition was to go beyond conventional energy performance and create a digitally enabled building with carbon-neutral operations, capable of balancing comfort, wellbeing and operational efficiency across very different types of spaces. 

The diversity of uses — from hotel rooms and offices to restaurants and gyms — created a high level of operational complexity. Different occupancy patterns, comfort needs and ventilation requirements had to be managed dynamically, while maintaining a consistent sustainability strategy and ensuring long‑term performance. 

The response: integrated building automation as the backbone 

To meet these requirements, The Wings was equipped with an integrated Building Automation and Control System based on the Metasys platform. The system provides a single digital interface across multiple technical domains, including HVAC, lighting, energy use and indoor environmental quality. 

By unifying data from different systems and suppliers, the platform gives facility teams continuous visibility over building operation and energy performance. This maintains comfort and air quality requirements while optimising energy use in real time, adapting system behaviour to actual occupancy and demand. 

The use of standardised protocols and a centralised management layer provides a future‑proof digital foundation, supporting long‑term optimisation and integration with evolving regulatory and sustainability requirements. 

Finally, the project paid special attention to indoor environmental quality (IEQ), reflecting the building’s goal of creating a healthy and attractive environment for tenants, guests and visitors. For this purpose, sensors were installed in 250 rooms and common areas, monitoring CO₂, temperature and relative humidity, and allowing for demand-controlled ventilation.  

Why this matters for the EPBD 

The Wings project illustrates several core BACS functions that are aligned with the requirements of the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive for non‑residential buildings: 

• continuous monitoring and analysis of energy use across technical systems; 

• benchmarking and detection of inefficient system operation; 

• interoperability between different building systems and suppliers; 

• continuous monitoring of IEQ. 

Rather than treating automation as an add‑on, the project shows how BACS can act as the digital backbone of building performance, supporting both regulatory readiness and long‑term operational value. 

Reported impact 

The project reported strong performance results since The Wings opened in 2024. In particular, the building automation system has enabled: 

• up to 30% energy reduction; 

• streamlined daily operation through a single digital management interface; 

• improved visibility and control for facility teams; 

• triple sustainability certification — BREEAM Excellent, WELL Gold and DGNB Gold. 

Beyond energy performance, the project demonstrates how advanced BACS can help manage complexity in large non‑residential buildings, balancing comfort, wellbeing and sustainability in line with the direction set by the EPBD. 

Find out more 

Watch eu.bac’s webinar recording for a complete overview of this project.  

Reach out to Yehia Kamel (Global Product Manager at Johnson Controls) for more information.   

Read more about the project here.