Facilities Management articles for the week of 8/6/2023 - 8/12/2023

A Hybrid Workplace Worth Coming To

ith hybrid workspaces being the norm, how do facilities get employees excited to return to the office, even part time? By giving them a space worth coming to.

Read This » An Architect’s Journey to Facilities Management

ike many maintenance and engineering directors, James Storfer Jr.

Read This » Cost-Friendly, Touch-Free Restroom Solutions for Businesses

hen a business or public entity wants to retrofit its restrooms with new technology, one of the questions, of course, is cost.  “Touch-free restroom options are becoming more widely available and can fit within most budgets,” Oltmanns says.  Options abound, as large facilities such as sports stadiums can go with faucets that can be engraved with team logos, while smaller entities might choose simpler faucet designs that offer touch-free handwashing.

Read This » Transforming Denver Public Schools: A Path to Carbon Neutrality by 2050

he DPS climate plan focuses on three primary areas, or North Star Goals, which are:  Environmental protection – Reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90 percent by 2050.  Economic prosperity – Reduce natural resources consumption and waste year-over-year.  Social development – All students and staff are engaged in sustainability by 2050.  Inside those primary goals are six areas the district is focusing on: transportation, the built environment, resource management, wellness, engagement and environmental justice, and careers and curriculum.  Those long-term ambitions include benchmarks along the way.

Read This » How the University of Chicago Streamlined its Security Upgrade

n addition to enhancing the security of the facility, the access control system upgrade created an opportunity to streamline and standardize system operation, maintenance and vendor management, as well as the need to support multiple applications.  "The project's primary goal was migrating the legacy technology components to a contemporary and centrally managed system that would consolidate the electronic access control, cameras, and alarms inside a unified security platform, significantly improving the overall security posture of the facility,” Kwiatkowski says.

Read This » The Rise of Metal Roofs: What You Need to Know

he evidence is convincing that the golden age of metal construction is upon us.

Read This » What's the Buzz on Drones for Facility Management?

nce a novelty, uncrewed aerial systems (UASs) have become a valuable commercial tool for delivery of goods, aerial mapping, photography, and large-event oversight.  In the past decade, UASs—or, more colloquially, drones—find themselves to be a promising tool in facilities management.  The drone market is expected to increase logarithmically.

Read This » Climate Change Demands Healthier Buildings

critical yet often overlooked imperative is emerging — the need for buildings that are fortified for health.  As global real estate works overtime to do its part to support rapid decarbonization, such as ramping up energy efficiency solutions and other carbon-reduction strategies, another major crisis is looming.

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