Umow Lai Joins Integral Group
Melbourne, Australia, July 2019
Leading Australian Building Services + Sustainability practice Umow Lai is poised to join Integral Group, a global Deep Green Engineering + Consulting firm.
Umow Lai was founded in 1991 in Melbourne by George Umow and Dominic Lai. Its growth has been guided by the principles of quality and innovation. Almost three decades later they are recognised in Australia as a leading multi-disciplinary building services engineering, fire engineering, ICT and sustainability (ESD) consultancy that is synonymous with design excellence, quality, ecologically sustainable development, and award-winning projects.
Becoming a member of Integral Group marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Umow Lai and its staff. Together with Integral Group’s existing presence, the combined Australian businesses will employ over 200 people operating out of the Capital Cities across the East Coast of Australia. Umow Lai’s clients will continue to receive the same high level of service to which they have grown accustomed, now with the added benefit of full access to Integral Group expertise and insight from over 600 new colleagues in Australia, Europe, and North America.
The decision to join Integral Group was guided by three key factors – mutual commitment to protecting the environment, growing client demand for deep green engineering and thought leadership, and most importantly; close alignment of values and culture.
Integral Group are leading the transition to buildings and districts that are truly regenerative, healthy and resilient, with over one hundred net zero energy projects under their belt. Hearing of Umow Lai’s track record in sustainable engineering prompted Integral Group CEO, Kevin Hydes to initiate discussions about combining forces: “There is an urgency to the work that our firms have both been leading. It was clear from our first meeting that we can go further and faster by working together.”
Andrew Oxley, Managing Director of Umow Lai is excited about the opportunities ahead. “Our people will be working alongside like-minded professionals, playing a leading role a world class practice founded and run by engineers. So, in many respects – and certainly for our clients – it’s business as usual.”
Looking to the future the combined firm is looking to increase its reach. “Umow Lai are well known for their investment in thought leadership global research, study tours, and willingness to transfer international best practices to their work”, says Andrew Mather, Integral Group’s Regional Director for Asia Pacific. “This global outlook is key to our plans to bring Deep Green Engineering and Consulting to new clients in Australia, New Zealand, and across the Asia Pacific region.”
For Dominic Lai, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Umow Lai, joining Integral Group offers a seamless continuation of the philosophy that has underpinned his firm’s success to date: “I’m delighted that we are joining a group that is motivated by the same purpose, that share our commitment to innovation, ecological design, engineering excellence, and to nurturing the next generation of professionals in our field.”
Umow Lai is a leading multi-disciplinary building services engineering, fire engineering, ICT and sustainability (ESD) consultancy that is synonymous with design excellence, quality, ecologically sustainable development and award-winning projects.
Founded in Melbourne in 1991 by George Umow and Dominic Lai, Umow Lai employs over 170 staff in its offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Umow Lai applies an integrated approach to projects, involving engineers with a variety of skills working together toward common goals, providing our clients with the best possible design solution.
Through regular overseas study tours we learn about world’s best practice and enhance our knowledge of emerging technologies and advanced design techniques, thus ensuring the most up-to-date design principles are implemented on our projects.
Integral Group was founded in 2008 by Kevin Hydes, founder and director of Canada Green Building Council, and former Chair of the United States Green Building Council and World Green Building Council.
We are an interactive global network of over 800 design professionals collaborating under a single deep green engineering umbrella. Our projects span the globe, led from our seventeen offices across the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. We provide a full range of building systems engineering, analysis and sustainability consulting services, delivered by staff widely regarded as innovative leaders in their fields.
Integral are members of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia Green Building Councils and are founding signatories of the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment. Over the past decade we have worked on over 100 Net Zero Energy projects. We count seven WELL Certified projects within our portfolio with three of our own offices Fitwel® certified.