Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, in partnership with DLR Group, has achieved one of highest honors in sustainable building design, becoming the first museum in the United States to earn LEED v4 BD+C NC Platinum certification. A prestigious status designated by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED, or Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design, is […]
Alternative fuel vehicles are designed with larger quantities of combustible materials (e.g., fuels, plastics, synthetic materials, etc.) that present new and unique hazards, particularly in parking garages and vehicle carriers. To help provide informed guidance for the fire safety design of parking garages or other facilities where a large number of vehicles are densely placed, […]
Demand for commercial building electrification has been growing over the past decade as organizations aim to reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient. By electrifying systems such as HVAC, water heating, and cooking, building owners and organizations have been able to achieve benefits such as increased energy efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and safer […]
As wildfires and prescribed burns increasingly impact communities worldwide, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has published a new resource aimed at safeguarding indoor air quality (IAQ) during these events. ASHRAE Guideline 44-2024, Protecting Building Occupants From Smoke During Wildfire and Prescribed Burn Events, outlines best practices for building design, operation, and […]
Facilities managers have faced various challenges throughout 2024, including sustainability, labor shortages, and innovations in technology, all while ensuring building compliance standards. As sustainability efforts and technology innovations grew this year and labor shortages continued, facilities managers needed to ensure that they had the right tools to monitor and optimize their resources and chart the […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that 70 applicants across 27 states, three Tribal Nations, and one territory have been tentatively selected to receive over $735 million to assist in the purchase of over 2,400 zero-emission vehicles through its first-ever Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program. The majority of the funding will go toward adopting […]
L’Oréal USA, the U.S. subsidiary of global beauty and cosmetics giant L’Oréal Groupe, announced its corporate office in El Segundo, Calif., has been awarded two LEED Platinum certifications and a WELL Platinum certification. This achievement marks the first time a L’Oréal building has received three platinum certifications (the highest level available) in sustainability and occupant […]
Planning a major facility renovation or new build in 2025? The state of the construction industry could have an impact on your project. JLL’s new 2025 U.S. Construction Outlook details the opportunities, challenges, and key focus areas for the U.S. construction industry in the coming year, accounting for a rapidly shifting political and economic landscape in […]
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees federal facilities and represents one of the largest landlords in the country, is accelerating its efforts to “right-size and modernize” its federal real estate portfolio. After revealing plans to offload 23 properties in 2023 and three more earlier this year, the agency has now started the disposition […]
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced it installed a suite of energy efficiency upgrades at Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH), an academic medical center on Long Island, N.Y. Totaling nearly $20 million, the projects directly support BuildSmart 2025, a statewide energy efficiency program administered by NYPA aimed at reducing energy usage in state facilities […]