How Digital Industrialisation is Transforming Construction and Building Services’ at HVAC26 Conference

March 4, 2026

A.G. Coombs will contribute to AIRAH’s HVAC26 Conference in Sydney this March, with John VanCuylenberg and Nicholas Walsh presenting ‘How digital industrialisation is transforming construction and building services’.

Their session features in the HVAC26 ‘Future of HVAC’ conference stream, which explores how the HVAC&R industry is evolving to meet the urgent goal of net zero emissions through innovation, policy development and smarter engineered systems.

Leading the Conversation on Digital Transformation

As one of the stream’s key presenters, John VanCuylenberg brings extensive experience as A.G. Coombs’ National Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Leader. His work focuses on technology-driven workflows that connect design and manufacture to lift quality, reduce project risk and improve lifecycle performance. His leadership in digital engineering positions A.G. Coombs at the forefront of industry transformation.

Alongside him, Nicholas Walsh, A.G. Coombs’ Integrated Prefabrication Modelling Coordinator, will share how model-based design and data-driven processes are helping advance the next generation of prefabrication capability. His work strengthens the connection between design intent and production-ready digital outputs, supporting accuracy and efficiency across assemblies and integrated modules.

Together, John and Nicholas will discuss the expanding opportunities created by digital industrialisation and the practical steps the sector can take to improve design-to-fabrication alignment, reduce rework and support safer, more sustainable project delivery. (See presentation abstract at bottom.)

About the HVAC26 Conference

Hosted by AIRAH, Australia’s peak body representing HVAC&R and building services professionals, HVAC26 will take place in Sydney on 16–17 March 2026. The conference brings together practitioners, engineers and industry leaders across the Future of HVAC, Building Physics and Big Data & Analytics streams. It offers two days of technical presentations, case studies and insights exploring sustainable design, smarter buildings and the technologies shaping the built environment.

The Future of HVAC stream is one of three specialist programs featured at HVAC26. It examines how electrification, renewable energy integration and low‑GWP refrigerants, along with innovative system design and controls, are shaping the next era of high‑performing, efficient buildings. The stream also highlights strategies for retrofitting existing assets to help Australia move towards net zero.

Events like HVAC26 support AIRAH’s long-standing mission to build a highly skilled, safe, sustainable and environmentally effective HVAC&R industry.

HVAC26 Conference Details

Stream: Future of HVAC
Presentation: How digital industrialisation is transforming construction and building services
Presenters: John VanCuylenberg and Nicholas Walsh, A.G. Coombs
Venue: Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park
Dates: 16–17 Mar 2026

Presentation Abstract – How Digital Industrialisation is Transforming Construction and Building Services

The building services industry is at a tipping point. Rising project complexity, demands for sustainability, and the need to deliver more with less are pushing our sector to rethink traditional approaches. Prefabrication and DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) have already transformed A.G. Coombs’ delivery model – reducing risk, improving safety, and accelerating installation. But the next frontier is here: Informed Design.

This presentation will share A.G. Coombs’ journey in adopting a prefabrication-first approach, supported by digital coordination and off-site manufacturing. And how we are now extending that legacy through Informed Design, embedding manufacturing intelligence directly into design, reducing delivery cycles, improving quality, and unlocking greater repeatability – all while strengthening collaboration across the supply chain.

Attendees will learn:

How prefabrication and DfMA have changed A.G. Coombs’ approach to building services.
The transition from modularisation to standardised solutions, and now toward parametric, data-driven design.
The role of Informed Design in connecting design and manufacture for greater certainty.
Case studies, including high-complexity projects such as data centres, where prefabrication now achieves up to 95% off-site delivery.
How lifecycle thinking and digital workflows are setting the stage for circular economy principles like reuse and reconfiguration.

By reframing construction as manufacturing, and design as the entry point to industrialised workflows, A.G. Coombs is demonstrating how the HVAC industry can build smarter, safer, and more sustainable systems.

This is more than a story of technology adoption – it’s about cultural change, collaboration, and a shift in mindset from outputs to outcomes.

Attendees will walk away with a practical understanding of how industrialised construction is already being applied in complex building services environments, and a vision of where our industry is heading next – toward a future where buildings are designed once, manufactured with certainty, and operated for long-term value.

For more information about how digital industrialisation is transforming construction and building services, contact John VAcnCuylenberg and Nicholas Walsh via the A.G. Coombs Contact Us page.

To register to attend and learn more about the Future of HVAC at HVAC26 Conference, visit https://hvacinnovation.airah.org.au/hvac26/stream-fohvac/