Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The world’s climate clock is ticking, and the built environment stands at a crossroads. Buildings account for nearly 30% of global energy-related carbon emissions, making them both a challenge and an opportunity in the race to stave off the irreversible effects of climate change. At the same time, a new era is dawning, one where […]
The winter season presents facilities managers with a critical decision point. While basic winterization measures should be standard practice, a more sophisticated (and effective) approach is to create seasonal shutdown protocols that save organizations money and minimize structural risks. It’s a proactive shift that reimagines how facilities can operate in the colder months and against […]
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. New York City’s Local Law 97 (LL97) is often looked at as a hurdle for facilities managers and not as a strategic opportunity to improve for the future. As buildings over 25,000 square feet […]
Hotel guest rooms are unoccupied around 60% of the time, even when rented. Heating or cooling to 100% occupancy, 100% of the time, equals approximately 40% energy waste. To lessen this waste, the hospitality industry is embracing occupancy-sensing smart thermostats, which allow the building management system to automatically adjust the temperature of unoccupied rooms. The […]
On this episode of “Joe on the Go,” editor Joe Bebon visits Hotel Marcel, the greenest hotel in America. Architect and developer Bruce Redman Becker provides a behind-the-scenes look and discusses how he turned an abandoned and historic office building into a facility of the future. Watch now to learn about project challenges, upsides, and […]
This Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to appreciate facilities managers! Here are five reasons to be grateful for the unsung heroes.
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, 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 […]
Amid rising electricity costs and a volatile macroeconomic environment, facilities managers and commercial building owners across the United States are seeking reliable, energy-efficient solutions that consistently support both employees and customers. One increasingly popular strategy is the installation of high-efficiency heat pump rooftop units (RTUs) to reduce energy consumption and improve overall building performance. Heat […]
On this latest episode of FMA Shorts, Melissa Sokolowsky, a senior project manager at the Smart Buildings Center, discusses the elements that make up a smart building. This clip was taken from a webinar titled, “From Brick to Click: The Rise of Smart Building Tech in FM.” The full session is available for FREE on-demand […]