Category: Design and Construction

A Metric that Matters: Modern Building Standards Start with Airtightness

A building can feature every visible marker of sustainability—efficient HVAC, LED lighting, smart appliances and controls, even solar panels—and still fall short. How is this possible? The answer is often hidden just out of sight: Lurking in cracks and gaps throughout a building’s envelope and HVAC system, uncontrolled air leakage is silently undermining nearly every […]

Toronto Child Care Facility Becomes City’s First Net-Zero Building

Toronto, Canada, is one facility closer to meeting its ambitious sustainability goals. Officials have celebrated the launch of Toronto’s largest city-run child care center and first net-zero building. At 19,000 square feet, the Mount Dennis Early Learning and Child Care Center provides space for 98 children, including two infant rooms, three toddler rooms, and three […]

Global Report Warns of ‘Concerning’ Green Building Slowdown

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, revealing a slowdown in global demand growth for sustainable buildings and a “concerning” lack of progress in carbon measurement across construction projects. The report, based on insight from more than 3,500 real estate and construction professionals across 36 countries, warns that momentum […]

The Green Building Paradox: Are Energy-Efficient Buildings Hurting Indoor Connectivity?

Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. For facilities managers, sustainability is no longer optional. Modern buildings are engineered to meet stringent energy-efficiency standards, using advanced materials and construction techniques to minimize heat loss and reduce carbon emissions. From low-emissivity (low-E) […]

How to Tell When It’s Time to Renovate a Golf Course

Golf courses only really tend to be spotlit during the warmer months, and with good reason, as they’re far less popular at this time of year. For facilities managers overseeing the maintenance and upkeep of their courses, recognizing when they need to be given some serious improvements can prevent them from deteriorating into complete obsolescence. […]

Designing Inclusive Restrooms: Strategies for Accessibility and Equity

Public restrooms are more than functional spaces; they are touchpoints that shape perceptions of inclusivity, accessibility, and overall user experience for occupants and visitors. Facilities managers and designers increasingly recognize that restroom design can either remove or reinforce barriers for people of diverse ages, abilities, and backgrounds. From layout considerations to product selection, inclusive strategies […]

USGBC Opens LEED v5 Project Certification, Releases New Tools

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), global developer of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, has officially opened certification to its new LEED v5 rating system and announced additional tools and resources for program users. “Since releasing the rating system and launching LEED v5 registration earlier this year, we have seen interest in using […]

Under Construction: Top Facility Projects of October 2025

Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. “The Shining” Hotel October represents spooky season with Halloween, so it’s only fitting that a scary destination tops the month’s list. The Stanley Hotel, a landmark in Colorado that famously inspired Stephen King’s best-selling novel “The Shining,” is […]

Global Coalition Launches to Standardize Green Building Materials

Some of the world’s leading green building organizations have joined forces to harmonize how sustainable building products and materials are assessed. The Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), mindful MATERIALS, Living Future, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced a new international partnership to create […]

Is Overlooking ‘Seismic Red Flags’ Putting Billions in Property Value at Risk?

The statistics are undeniable: FEMA and the U.S. Geological Survey estimate an annual toll of over 6,000 injuries and 360 fatalities from earthquakes across the United States. California bears the brunt of this impact, shouldering over 60% of the nation’s earthquake-related injuries and fatalities. In addition, the state experiences $9.6 billion in economic losses every […]