Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Empty schools can look quiet during summer break, but their roofs, plumbing, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems remain active. With fewer people present to notice a musty odor, a stained ceiling tile, or water under a mechanical unit, a small moisture problem can spread for days or weeks. The U.S. Environmental Protection […]
Renovation and expansion projects are massive undertakings that require a coordinated effort across service providers, from construction crews that build these structures from the ground up to interior designers responsible for finishing touches. While these projects are essential for keeping facilities functional and efficient, they generate large amounts of waste that can result in project […]
Every day in schools across the country, millions of children and adults are impacted by poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Though IAQ is a top environmental risk to public health, more than half of K-12 schools do not have IAQ management plans to proactively address air quality risks. To help create healthier learning environments for […]
Facilities teams are constantly balancing competing priorities. From HVAC systems and lighting upgrades to landscaping, safety inspections, and tenant satisfaction, there’s never a shortage of items requiring attention. Yet one area that often receives less consideration than it deserves is exterior glass maintenance. Many organizations invest heavily in creating clean, welcoming, and productive indoor environments, but […]
Retail facilities depend on reliable building systems to keep stores safe and efficient. Maintaining heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, refrigeration units, lighting, and other critical assets is essential for minimizing disruptions, controlling operating costs, and creating a positive customer experience. Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping facilities managers take a more proactive approach by analyzing […]
As airports, restaurants, entertainment venues, and other public facilities welcome larger summer crowds, Bradley Company’s 17th annual Healthy Handwashing Survey highlights the role that well-maintained restrooms play in protecting public health and creating a positive visitor experience. The survey comes as Americans navigate another busy summer travel season while public health officials continue monitoring foodborne […]
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the Brown University Pandemic Center, and the Air Club have jointly released a new report highlighting a rapidly expanding wave of indoor air quality (IAQ) policy innovation across the globe. Drawing lessons from nearly 160 policies spanning 40 countries, the report identifies five leading policy models that governments are […]
The global data center market is expanding as demand from artificial intelligence (AI) uses outpaces available space capacity, pushing vacancy rates toward historic lows despite a wave of new supply, according to CBRE’s Global Data Center Trends report. Global supply reached 16 gigawatts (GW) in Q1 2026 across the 16 largest data center markets, up […]
In a city like Chicago, electrification rarely happens in isolation. Large retrofit projects are almost always delivered in occupied buildings, alongside active operations, and under pressure to modernize multiple systems at once. The projects that succeed understand this from the start. Electrification works best when treated as core infrastructure—the backbone that supports building automation, electric […]
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. In facilities management, edge artificial intelligence (AI) can be transformative. Automating routine tasks and improving the accuracy of building data could streamline workflows and lower operational expenses. However, successful deployment requires management to understand what edge AI […]