Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The U.S. office vacancy rate reached another all-time high in the second quarter of 2025 at 20.7%, as Moody’s recently reported. That’s the highest vacancy rate in three decades, ABC News reported, with more than 900 million square feet of empty office space—enough to fill New York City’s One World Trade Center 300 times. U.S. […]
It is the responsibility of manufacturing leadership to refine processes, make them leaner, and lower their facility’s carbon footprint—and to do that, they’ll need the help of facilities managers. Many conventional practices have become so embedded in the sector that their wastefulness is overlooked. It is time to think critically about how these procedures impact […]
As buildings seal up for colder months and occupants spend more time indoors, indoor air quality (IAQ) is becoming harder to ignore. What was once treated as a background mechanical function is now shaping comfort, complaints, and confidence in shared spaces. For facilities managers, this shift presents a growing challenge. People are making decisions about […]
Electric vehicles (EVs) could account for 55% of new light-duty vehicle sales globally by 2035, per research from the International Energy Agency (IEA). This steep adoption curve is expected to extend beyond consumer car buying and into the commercial sector—large corporations and federal entities are exploring EVs as they grow their light-duty and larger fleets. […]
Data centers support every digital interaction around the world. The hardware in these buildings must run continuously, stay cool under immense load, and remain secure around the clock. As demand accelerates, so does the complexity of the data centers that enable it. This places new pressure on the facilities management teams and other stakeholders responsible […]
Indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools is a critical but unevenly addressed public health issue. Poor IAQ negatively impacts asthma, absenteeism, and learning outcomes. However, state laws addressing school IAQ vary widely. To help move states toward comprehensive protections, the American Lung Association has released a new report, “A Win-Win for Lung Health: How Policies […]
On this latest episode of FMA Shorts, Gary Williams, senior director of sustainability and energy solutions at ESFM, discusses the first steps toward making facilities green. This clip was taken from a webinar titled, “How Going Green Saves Green for Facilities.” The full session is available for FREE on-demand here.
When you think of a building, you probably think of a lifeless, static structure. And while that’s technically true, modern-day technology is transforming buildings into something more “alive.” Backed by Internet of Things (IoT), automation, and data integration, buildings are becoming increasingly interconnected, creating intelligent ecosystems where every system—down to the HVAC, security, and lighting—is […]
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Have you ever walked into a building and felt immediately safe and organized? From clean hallways to working elevators, much of that confidence comes from compliance frameworks quietly working behind the scenes. A fire alarm that sounds […]
2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for facilities managers as building performance standards (BPS) advance across key jurisdictions, specifically in the states of Colorado, Maryland, and Washington. These leaders play a vital role in shaping compliance strategies and driving long-term carbon and energy performance, transforming regulatory requirements into strategic investments that enhance […]