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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
The world of lighting control has entered a new era, blending the strengths of wired and wireless technologies into hybrid solutions. This approach delivers flexibility, energy efficiency, scalability, and ease of maintenance—meeting the diverse needs of modern buildings and their occupants. But what exactly is hybrid lighting control, and why is it gaining traction in […]
School custodians play a vital role in creating a successful learning environment—inside and outside the classroom. However, their extensive schedules and strenuous duties often go unnoticed. To honor exceptional school custodians, Cintas Corp. has launched its 12th annual Custodian of the Year contest and is seeking nominations from the public through Feb. 7. “Beyond cleaning and maintenance, […]
Schools throughout the U.S. are rapidly switching to solar power to meet their energy needs while gaining significant cost-savings, boosting climate resilience, and supporting workforce development, according to a new report from clean energy nonprofit Generation180. Over the past decade, the amount of solar capacity installed at K-12 schools has more than quadrupled nationwide. According to “Brighter […]
Humidity poses significant challenges to communities situated along coastal regions where the influence of moisture-laden air from lakes and oceans is pronounced. Humidity levels are exacerbated in those regions once the warmer temperatures arrive in late spring and summer. For schools, these high humidity levels can pose significant challenges. The School of Public Health at […]
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. A Greener JFK Airport In light of Earth Month, April had a bunch of clean energy project announcements. John F. Kennedy International Airport—which topped our inaugural installment of this series with a multibillion-dollar facelift in 2022—takes the […]
Nearly one-third of public schools (31%) have one or more non-permanent (portable) buildings in use on campus, according to new data released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical center within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Additionally, major repair, renovation, or modernization work was being performed in […]
School custodians play a vital role in creating a successful learning environment—inside and outside the classroom. However, their extensive schedules and strenuous duties often go unnoticed. To honor exceptional school custodians, Cintas Corp. has launched its 11th annual Custodian of the Year contest and is seeking nominations through Feb. 9. “Custodians are the force behind a […]