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NSCAD Designer Assists Ventilation Company

In August 2013, Nu-Air Ventilation Inc. and Gord Morrison obtained funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). Nu-Air Ventilation needed industrial design advice to improve the look and usability of the control modules for residential ventilation systems. The company approached NSCAD’s Industry Liaison Office (ILO), which setup a meeting between Brian Gibbon of Nu-Air Ventilation and Gord Morrison of NSCAD’s Design group.

In just two months, Morrison was able to analyze Nu-Air’s existing control modules, research the competitive environment, and provide concept renderings for three potential directions for next generation controls—showing different aesthetic and technological directions. Brian Gibbon, VP Engineering at Nu-Air Ventilation Inc. says, “Our eyes have been opened to the impact a good industrial design can have and the unused potential that exists with our current approach. The NRC-IRAP allowed us to explore opportunities with an expert in the field with minimal risk.”

Now Gibbon and Morrison are considering how Nu-Air could proceed with rapid prototyping and also bring “design thinking” into the product development process. Morrison looks forward to future opportunities to work with companies through the NRC-IRAP funding. “It is great to be a part of the local design and manufacturing economy, which is not quite as visible or recognized as it should be. Also, I see tremendous value in the connection between NSCAD and industry.”Nu-Air Ventilation is a family-owned and operated company, based in Windsor, NS, founded in 1992. Nu-Air’s growth has been accelerating as a result of the introduction of its innovative Advanced Integrated Mechanical Systems (AIMS), which are key in designing environmentally-friendly buildings.