Return to the office more confidently with this award-winning smart building app

by Brianna Crandall — January 8, 2021 — Transwestern Real Estate Services (TRS), a privately held real estate firm, and Cohesion, a smart building software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, recently announced that they have launched TranswesternHub, an intelligent building software platform. TranswesternHub is powered by Cohesion’s award-winning software and is live at 77 West Wacker Drive, a Class A commercial office building in downtown Chicago’s Central Loop. The smart building app is available as an amenity across Transwestern’s managed portfolio of properties.

TranswesternHub smart building app

Benefits of the integrated TranswesternHub smart building app include touchless entry, visitor management, IAQ transparency, service requests, amenity reservations and more. Image courtesy Cohesion

Katie Sakach, managing director — Asset Services at Transwestern, remarked:

TranswesternHub uniquely positions our properties to welcome back tenants to a safer and more efficient workplace. We can now deliver the best tangible experience while adding value for building owners and helping tenants and their employees feel more confident in returning to their workplace.

Cohesion provides a connected tenant, operator, and owner platform for commercial real estate across the globe. The web- and mobile-based app has been implemented to serve as the unifying technology of Transwestern’s innovative real estate solutions by providing an integrated smart building app for occupants.

Thru Shivakumar, Cohesion CEO and co-founder, stated:

Transwestern is setting the bar for creating a connected, transparent, and IoT-enabled building. The use of integrated technologies creates a truly smart building experience that we expect more industry leaders to see as a necessary component to bringing workers back to the office.

77 West Wacker Drive is the first of Transwestern’s properties to launch the platform. TranswesternHub introduces new workflows designed to empower occupants, enhance day-to-day amenity experiences offered by the building, and share information using technology.

Myrna Coronado-Brookover, senior vice president and general manager at Transwestern, commented:

At 77 West Wacker Drive, we have created an occupant experience that is exceptionally modern in an established building. Cohesion’s platform enables us to entirely transform the occupant experience by tying together our integrated technology stack to create a safer and healthier work environment.

Tenants can expect an enhanced experience with benefits such as a touchless entry process including in-app mobile keycard and elevator controls, visitor management, indoor air quality (IAQ) transparency, and communication tools. Requests including services requests, amenity reservations, vendor approval, and certificate of insurance management are offered directly through the app.

Transwestern Real Estate Services (TRS) adds value for investors, owners and occupiers of all commercial property types through a comprehensive perspective and by providing solutions grounded in sound market intelligence. Part of the Transwestern companies, the firm applies a consultative approach to Agency Leasing, Asset Services, Tenant Advisory + Workplace Solutions, Capital Markets, and Research & Investment Analytics.

The privately held Transwestern companies have delivered personalized service and innovative real estate solutions since 1978. An integrated approach drives value for clients across commercial real estate services, development, investment management and opportunistic programs for high-net-worth investors. The firm operates through 34 US offices and global alliances with BNP Paribas Real Estate and Devencore.

Cohesion’s internet of things (IoT)-enabled platform integrates building systems, streamlines operations, and connects tenants and operators to deliver actionable insights. Cohesion allows for real estate operators to make their properties “smart” to enhance the tenant experience, while also creating cost efficiencies. Founded in August 2018 and headquartered in Chicago, Cohesion is a spin-off venture of ESD, a leading Chicago-based global engineering design firm at the forefront of next generation building design.