Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. Smart Factory for Futuristic Planes JetZero, an aerospace startup developing futuristic “all-wing” commercial and military aircraft, has broken ground on a massive smart factory on more than 600 acres in North Carolina. The 8 million square-foot facility represents […]
Once students leave campus, the window opens for projects that are impossible to complete safely or efficiently during the academic year. Empty halls and classrooms create the perfect environment for overhauls and cosmetic updates. The big challenge here is often identifying which projects to prioritize. While every campus has unique needs, facilities managers should aim […]
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has joined organizations, governments, and industry partners around the globe in recognizing World Refrigeration Day (WRD 2026) on June 26. This year’s theme, “Cool Intelligence,” showcases the innovation, expertise, and advanced technologies that are transforming refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump systems to operate more efficiently, […]
That’s right, 24% of under or unoccupied office space will be blasting air conditioning for nobody this summer. At the end of each day, these same vacant, cooled spaces and unused bathrooms will be cleaned by the maintenance crew. The obvious contributing factors are summer vacations, hybrid schedules, and team outings. The less obvious and […]
As we recently closed out Building Safety Month in May, it served as a great reminder for facilities managers to evaluate their passive fire protection systems. While active systems like sprinklers and alarms often get the spotlight, passive defenses—specifically fire door assemblies—are equally important for compartmentalizing smoke and flames to save lives. Over the past […]
With so many pressing challenges facing the world today, the worsening drought crisis in the United States deserves far more attention. As of late May 2026, more than half the country was experiencing drought conditions. Data shows that roughly 51% of the United States, including Puerto Rico, and about 61% of the contiguous forty-eight states […]
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 decades, facilities management has remained relatively static: protect the building envelope, manage HVAC, and ensure critical safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, are maintained. However, the landscape is shifting. As infrastructure becomes more […]
Facilities managers know the drill. The thermostat complaint arrives before the morning coffee gets cold. Someone is always too hot, someone else is always too cold, and the ticketing system fills up with grievances about stuffy air and odd smells. It can feel like an endless, unwinnable battle. A new national survey suggests those complaints […]
Industrial facilities are vulnerable to an assortment of challenges related to storage and layout. Rather than allowing these challenges to persist, facilities can address the most critical issues through strategic design decisions that enhance safety, efficiency, and overall performance. Quick remedies are a well-planned layout, good organization, and specialized storage solutions. Optimize Warehouse Layouts Poor warehouse layout design is the cause of many problems that might […]
One might expect Michael Zechman, a veteran facilities management professional at The Hershey Co., to be wary of futuristic tech such as artificial intelligence. However, he embraces it and believes AI can play a major role in FM so long as adoption is approached “thoughtfully.” In fact, he noted, “Within my organization, we are already […]