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It’s official: passive house design standards are coming to Massachusetts. The lessons learned in the Northeast can help design energy-efficient, multifamily buildings elsewhere too. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts rolled out ambitious updates to its Building Energy Code in 2023. The new Specialized Opt-In will require passive house certification for all multifamily buildings larger than 12,000…

In 2018, the United States generated 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW), which is the trash created by homes, businesses, and institutions. While 32% was recycled or composted, Americans still have a long way to go in improving waste reduction and reducing our impact on the environment. As a facilities manager, you have…

Many maintenance and engineering tasks in institutional and commercial facilities are risky, as the annual list of top violations of OSHA standards demonstrates. Unfortunately in some cases, those risks become fatal. A subcontractor working on maintenance at an AT&T facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was recently pronounced dead at the hospital after being electrocuted on the…

Managers of office buildings and other commercial facilities have a lot on their plates these days. Workplaces closed during the pandemic have slowly reopened, but utilization of these spaces has changed for good in many instances, presenting building managers with new challenges. Meanwhile, the effects of global warming are more obvious than ever, bringing into…

Capital repair planning in the condominium market is a crucial aspect of maintaining and improving aging buildings. However, it is essential to recognize that decisions made in this process can have unintended consequences. Although our buildings are aging, the condominium market in Ontario is still young. We are learning valuable lessons together as the oldest…

As the world grapples with the threats of climate change, inclusively designed spaces and places are a key strategy in providing resilience—the ability to recover quickly from shocks and stresses—within the built environment. Climate change creates both shocks and stresses to individuals, businesses, communities, countries, and the entire planet. Inclusive design—design for all people that incorporates…