Magazine

When facility managers and building owners think of fire department access, they typically think about keeping a fire lane clear, so the responding fire department has a place to set up their equipment in case of an emergency. While this is critical to an effective response, there are many other aspects of a building that…

With the holiday season upon us and we near the end of the year, I can’t help but think about the tragedies that ushered us into 2022. The tragic fires in Philadelphia and the Bronx in early January, coupled with the barrage of wildfires, made national headlines. Throughout the year, there were many other incidents…

I work at a small college as their first-ever Director of Campus Safety and Security. Prior to my arrival, the college employed security for eight hours an evening, and the security supervisor was also the dorm supervisor/men’s soccer coach. When I came on board, I felt our new department should have a mission statement, because…

Looking for “free” money? Here are four ways to improve a building’s energy efficiency and lower an organization’s greenhouse gas emissions for low or no out-of-pocket cost. As budgets crunch, facility managers are constantly on the lookout for strategies that can help ease the pain. Especially for those with stringent energy efficiency targets, but stringy…

From a lingering pandemic and economic turmoil to supply chain issues and political unrest, the past few years have seen an influx of challenges that affect how buyers of AEC services spend their money. For AEC firms to thrive in this transformed marketplace, they need to understand these changes in buyer behavior. What are their…

The concept of the smart building can still seem out of reach for many FMs. Contemplating this ‘bleeding edge’ terminology for the ageing buildings across most estates, and it appears both expensive and complex. We need to reset our view. A building is smart providing it contains appropriate levels of monitoring, control, and visibility of…