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A new framework from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is set to improve building use, supporting more flexible work and putting people at the center of decisions. RICS is a global professional body for qualifications and standards in land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.
RICS will provide organizations an interactive easy-to-use framework, supported by an assessment tool, to measure and benchmark building performance by collecting consistent data to satisfy the latest needs of occupiers, investors, advisors and end users, particularly as workers return to the office.
As Covid-19 turned how we interact with commercial property on its head, and people look to return to work, the International Building Operation Standard (IBOS) is set to support organizations in attracting people back to the workplace, by delivering confidence for end users that the building they’re in is supporting their wellness, and benchmarking success against driving down the commercial sector’s carbon footprint.
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A sharp increase in construction of life sciences labs in the U.S. has included big gains in a premium category: conversions of office buildings to labs.
According to a report from CBRE, office-to-lab conversions in progress in the 12 largest U.S. life sciences markets at the end of 2021 amounted to 9.9 million sq. ft., up 49 percent from the beginning of the year. In comparison, ground-up lab construction increased 42 percent to nearly 18.8 million sq. ft. by the end of 2021.
To be sure, both measures increased greatly. But the jump in conversions underscores the challenges in building enough lab space to meet demand in recent years. Lab vacancy in many top markets sits at 4 percent or less.
The cost to fit out lab space with necessary plumbing, ventilation, clean rooms and other specialized considerations can be double to triple that of fitting out standard office space. Even so, the increase in conversion activity last year indicates developers and investors are willing to cover those costs to capture the potential rent growth of lab space in comparison to office.
Specifically, lab lease rates increased by an average of 11 percent last year in the 12 largest life sciences hubs. Meanwhile, office lease rates in those markets increased by 2 percent.
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Penn State New Kensington’s Digital Foundry at New Kensington has been named one of four new Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centers (SMICs) by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in partnership with the CESMII — The Smart Manufacturing Institute. The additions bring the number of SMICs to seven, including the Feyen Zylstra (FZ) SMIC announced in February. SMICs are standalone, innovative, value-driven centers that further CESMII’s mission in a hands-on and learning-centric way.
Kelly Speakes-Backman, assistant secretary for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), said in the August 2021 announcement, "Smart manufacturing makes the American manufacturing sector more productive, energy efficient and competitive on a global scale. DOE’s investments in smart manufacturing will accelerate the adoption of these technologies and processes, while developing a highly skilled manufacturing workforce for the future."
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Uptime Institute, a global digital infrastructure authority, recently announced a new Executive Advisory report series titled Digital Infrastructure Sustainability — A Manager’s Guide, and released the first installment: Creating a Sustainability Strategy. The new advisory series is a strategic and practical resource that owners and operators can use to establish and implement an effective sustainability strategy.
The launch of this comprehensive executive advisory series is the latest step in Uptime’s longstanding and expanding program to inform, guide and support sustainability efforts within the sector — and it comes at a critical time for digital infrastructure operators, says the group. Governments worldwide are beginning to establish new regulations and promulgate new policies to discourage unsustainable data center growth, drive procurement of low-carbon data center services, and move toward net-zero carbon emissions goals.
However, research by Uptime clearly shows that most organizations have not put in place many of the strategies, processes and controls they will need to meet all stakeholder expectations and legislator demands. According to Uptime’s 2021 Global Data Center Survey, most organizations tend to only compile and report on power-related sustainability metrics, while far too few are tracking other key elements such as water use (just 51%), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (just 33%), and IT efficiency (just 25%).
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Like so many clinics and medical office buildings, we share your patient-first mindset. That’s why our skilled, caring facility service professionals are trained for the unique challenges and responsibilities of healthcare facility maintenance. It’s also why we impact budgets—and so much more as well.
ABM delivers above-and-beyond facility solutions that live up to the care that your teams provide for your patients every day. We achieve this by providing a critical 1:1 partnership to understand your priorities—and then provide the right services, flexibility and support for your medical facility needs.
Learn how our Complete Building Care helps the heart of your healthcare organization.
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The editors of The McMorrow Reports and FMLink are always reading about emerging trends in workplace planning and built environments that enable work to flow in a purpose-built space or in the cloud where many teams meet. We are following workplace experts’ wisdom on return to the office, hybrid working, facilities management expectations, work culture, and practices in terms of real estate and space usage, planning, corporate culture and engagement.
Here are links to several articles and reports we think are worthy as workplace professionals respond to the expectations of leadership, collaborators, and fellow workers in built environments:
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Carrier has added new TruVu zone HVAC controllers to the i-Vu building automation system. Designed for pressure independent variable air volume (VAV) and pressure dependent variable volume and temperature (VVT) applications, these controllers feature built-in control programs that are engineered for efficiency, energy savings and optimum equipment performance. They also feature dual IP ports for high-speed BACnet/IP communication. Founded by the inventor of modern air conditioning, Carrier is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions.
Available in three versions, VAV Zone, VVT Zone and VVT Bypass, the new TruVu controllers provide zone-level temperature, humidity and air quality control. They include an integrated actuator and can be field mounted on Carrier VAV and VVT air terminals. They are preprogrammed with equipment graphics, trends and alarms for the i-Vu building automation system, simplifying system setup and providing building operators with tools that help them reduce energy consumption, improve operational efficiencies and maximize occupant comfort.
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With a limited talent pool and a competitive hiring landscape, a key challenge for employers is finding enough talent to effectively manage their facilities and enable their organizations to meet their strategic goals. Instead of relying on external recruitment, more employers are using internal training funds to help FM staff with high potential build the right skills while increasing confidence and credibility. For built environment professionals, 2022 is proving to be a year of rebuilding and growth worldwide.
Since 2019, the Professional Facility Management Institute (ProFMI) and Building Operating Management (BOM) magazine have been conducting the Facility Management (FM) Training Outlook Survey to determine the need for facility management training and credentials from both the management and staff points of view. The latest survey was conducted in February and March of 2022 to identify FM workforce trends, determine the current need for FM training and credentials, and gauge how sentiments may have shifted over time.
This study answered several key questions in four categories: Building and retaining the FM workforce; the value of FM training; addressing the FM skills gap; and the important of FM credentials and qualifications.
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If you are looking for a credentialed engineer or facilities professional for an opening at your company or organization, be sure to click on the new AFE Credential Holder Directory. The listings offer professionals holding the Boiler Level 2, CPE, CPMM, CPS, and those who have earned the AFE Fellow designation.
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Visit the AFE Career Center to post or find a facilities engineering-related position. Companies, organizations and government agencies posting jobs in recent weeks include R-Zero; Acorn Product Development; Corval Group; Preferred Propagation Research Associates; Texas Instruments; Race Engineering; The Classic Center; Boise State University; Earthjustice; FDA - Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH); The H&S Family of Bakeries; Virginia Tech; JLL and many more.
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Certifications from AFE include: Certified Plant Engineer (CPE), Certified Professional Maintenance Manager (CPMM) and Certified Professional Supervisor (CPS). Click the image below to learn more about core topics, courses to prepare for the exams, and eligibility.
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