Category: Design and Construction

4 Ways to Transform Facilities into Pet-Friendly Workplaces

Facilities professionals whose human resources (HR) departments have pet-friendly policies should retrofit their buildings to make them more accommodating for felines, canines, and their owners. Owners Miss Their Pets The trend toward more pet-friendly workplaces comes after more than 23 million American households acquired a cat or dog between March 2020 and May 2021, during […]

Green Building Groups Launch Global Alliance on Sustainable Finance

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), and U.K.-based Building Research Establishment (BRE) announced an alliance to help unlock the sustainable finance needed for the built environment to play its role in meeting global climate goals. According to the green building certification groups, the international alliance will work to ensure investors, property owners, […]

DOE Offers $90 Million to Boost Adoption of Building Energy Codes

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $90 million in funding to support building energy code adoption, training, and technical assistance at the state and local level. The DOE estimates that, from 2010 through 2040, energy codes will have saved homes and businesses $182 billion on utility bills and prevented as much carbon dioxide from reaching […]

EPA Announces $3 Billion to Help U.S. Ports Cut Emissions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched the $3 billion Clean Ports Program to fund zero-emission equipment, infrastructure, and climate planning at U.S. ports. According to the EPA, the program is designed to help ports across the country transition to fully zero-emissions operations—serving as a catalyst for transformational change across the freight sector. The funding opportunities were […]

Burgeoning Data Center Market Seeks More Power and Land

Society is rapidly accelerating the volume of data we create, which is foundationally important to the way we work, live, and play. If data centers are the bricks holding modern society together, then the power that operates them is the mortar. According to JLL’s new H2 2023 North American Data Center Report, data center demand remained […]

3 Office Space Trends to Watch this Year

Whether we’re thrilled or dragging our feet about returning to the office, there’s a question that lingers: What does our workspace look like now? Post-pandemic, offices have undergone major changes as the real estate industry adapts to hybrid ways of working. Here are three office space trends to watch this year: 1. Offices Are Getting […]

Choosing the Right Paint for Your Facility

Facilities professionals should choose the right type of paint for their commercial, industrial, educational, and governmental buildings, taking into consideration its appearance and durability. No matter what option you choose, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends reading all instructions, selecting products that don’t emit harmful vapors, and providing adequate ventilation through open windows and […]

Americans Want Public Restrooms to Be More Private

While a public restroom is by definition “public,” a majority of U.S. adults want more privacy when they’re using the toilet. According to the Healthy Handwashing Survey conducted by Bradley Co., 70% of Americans feel public restroom stalls lack sufficient “coverage.” Specifically, 58% would like the gaps around stall doors and walls eliminated. In fact, […]

Back to Basics: Using Bollards for Security and Safety

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Bollards are short, mounted vertical posts that create a barrier to prevent vehicles from entering facilities, utilities, pedestrian areas, and sensitive components inside facilities. Facilities professionals should install bollards on their properties for asset protection and […]

National Stats Show State of Public School Facilities

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 […]