Category: Design and Construction

Webinar Watch: FM NOW Sessions on Smart Buildings

What are smart buildings and how are they a part of facilities management? They incorporate cutting-edge technologies that can reshape the way we interact with and optimize our spaces. On Nov. 1, Facilities Management Advisor’s FM Now: Smart Buildings virtual summit will offer FREE educational sessions to help you identify ways to embrace the future […]

Climate Pledge Arena Achieves Zero Carbon Certification

Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, has become the first arena in the world to achieve the International Living Future Institute’s (ILFI) Zero Carbon Certification. “Our Zero Carbon Certification recognizes highly energy-efficient buildings that are designed and operated to fully account for their carbon emissions impacts,” explained ILFI CEO […]

FEMA Offering Nearly $2 Billion for Climate Resilience Projects

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced it is making $1.8 billion available for two grant programs designed to help communities increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change, including increasingly frequent and extreme weather events. Notably, the International Code Council (ICC) has praised FEMA for including a “historic investment in resilient building codes” as […]

5 Ways to Adapt Facilities Management to Climate Change

Climate change is reshaping our world significantly, impacting various sectors, including facilities management. With more frequent extreme weather events and stricter environmental regulations, facilities managers must adapt. Here are five ways to help adapt facilities management to climate change and achieve success: 1. Embrace Energy Efficiency Energy efficiency is no longer a choice but a […]

Study: Transition to Net-Zero Buildings Could Be a Major Job Creator

More than 2 million new jobs and up to 141 million additional job years can be created in Europe and the United States by adopting clean energy technologies in new and retrofitted buildings, according to a joint study from Schneider Electric and Boston University. The open-access paper, “Building a Green Future: Examining the Job Creation Potential of Electricity, Heating, […]

‘Explosive Growth’ for Streamlined LEED + WELL Building Certification Process

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) announced “explosive growth and demand” for their streamlined pathway to dual LEED and WELL certification. Since the groups launched the process in April, 335 projects in 38 countries, accounting for 82 million square feet, have opted in. […]

Decarbonizing Buildings: The Big Rethink

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. Buildings represent more than 40% of U.S. carbon emissions, and natural-gas-fired HVAC, water heating, cooking, and other systems represent the largest fraction. With a growing profile of electric products entering the market, […]

Which U.S. Cities Are Leading the Uptick in Office Conversions?

Office conversions in the U.S. are on pace to more than double their recent annual average this year, with momentum picking up due to increased incentives and other support from state and local governments, according to new insight from CBRE. CBRE analyzed the number of office conversions in major U.S. cities since 2016 and found nearly 100 projects […]

Incorporating a Biophilic Design into Your Facilities

As more employees return to the office in a hybrid or fully in-office setting, it’s important for facilities professionals to work with building management on de-stressing the workplace by implementing biophilic design principles, which involves the use of nature in facility designs. During Facilities Management Advisor’s Healthy Buildings Week 2023, guest speaker Kelly Walowski, global […]

Former Surgeons General, Execs Issue Policy Prescription for Healthy Buildings

Organized by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a group of renowned public health leaders issued an open letter to the nation’s policymakers titled “Buildings as a Prescription for Health.” The letter, signed by six former Surgeons General and six executives from top public health organizations, urges members of Congress, mayors, governors, and school superintendents to […]