We don’t cover retail facilities in Building Operating Management often, but they make up a market segment that has very specific challenges. With the economic downturn only starting to show signs of letting up, many retailers have been hit hard...

Did anyone else watch the All-Star game last night? Besides cheering for my hometown slugger (and homerun derby champ!), it got me thinking about sustainable stadiums. Are there any LEED certified sports venues? Is green building gaining momentum in sports...

Yesterday's Women in Facilities Management panel session at NFMT in Baltimore was in huge success in that it served as an open, non-biased platform for women - in a male dominated field - to discuss issues surrounding the "gender gap." The...

On a recent vacation, I had the misfortune of flying through one of my least favorite airports. I won’t name names, but it’s a major U.S. international airport. Of the many times I’ve been there, it’s been constantly crowded, dark...

Earlier this week at the AHR show in Chicago, I witnessed an interesting conversation after a press conference. The discussion of the few stragglers left turned towards USGBC’s LEED green building rating system. A couple of people were particularly...

The problem with data is that it has to be shared and disseminated through human channels, often being shifted toward a bias that may or may not be apparent. The problem with the Environmental Protection Agency’s data is that the bias is leaning...

Renewable resources continue their slow creep into the energy market. There’s been some recent reports and advancements that have illustrated just how far — or not very far at all — renewables have seeped into the market. As we reported...

I have the worst luck with fluorescent lighting. I’ve been electrocuted while changing a T12 (don’t laugh!), had lamps fall and break in stores right before I’ve walked in and now this weekend an old magnetic ballast in my mother’s...

A few weeks ago, a second report analyzing the tragedy at Virginia Tech was released. This time, it was an external group of reviewers, as outlined in this FacilitiesNet news article . Much of the controversy around the incident deals with the notification...

In my article on LEED-CI in our August issue of BOM, I touched on the fact that the largest trend experts are seeing in regards to LEED-CI is the increasing number of retailers applying for certification and even mandating LEED-CI for their retail branches...

On May 9, not even a month after the tragedy at Virginia Tech, the school’s president Charles Steger requested that three internal reviews take place to analyze the event but more importantly, to analyze the school’s actions and responses...

A section of the East River in New York City holds what may be the world’s cleanest power generation method, according to some. A few months ago, six turbines were lowered into the river and installed on the riverbed, not far from shore. Think wind...

Institutes of higher education have historically been on the forefront of many social issues. Sustainability and environmental stewardship are no exception, even when it comes to architecture, interior design and facilities management. Besides the standard...

In an ever-increasingly technology dependent world, data centers are big business. Companies and organizations around the world — and not just Internet-based companies — count on reliable data centers to keep business operations up and running...

Developers take note: parking spots may be the next big craze in real estate. So maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit. Parking spaces for condo owners have always been sold at premium in areas like Manhattan, Chicago and Los Angeles, but recently...

Based on data from ground motion detectors during major earthquakes around the world, currently strict building codes for the Western U.S. may relax in years to come, according to this report . Scientists have been studying ground motion data from deadly...

If you’ve ever played the game where you burn an ant with a magnifying glass or have ever reflected sunlight from your watch face into someone’s eye, then you’re already familiar with the concept of heliostats. Even though both those...

As new development real estate space becomes more and more difficult to find, an option owners and facility executives might want to explore is redeveloping brownfields. Brownfields certainly won’t be at the top of most development site lists. The...

Earlier this week, mayors and governors of cities from around the world convened in New York for the second C40 Climate Summit . The event was started in 2005 in London with the goal to create long term international collaborations among large cities...

Today I learned of a new children’s hospital being constructed in Pittsburgh. According to the facility’s Web site, the hospital is being designed as a sustainable campus, with two of the buildings aiming for LEED Certification. Sustainable...

No one can deny that emissions from automobiles are bad for the environment. The surge in the hybrid passenger vehicle market — both by manufacturers and consumers — can attest to the concern over relying on fossil fuels and the damage they...

Employee productivity is a big — and hotly contested — issue. We’ve covered it more than a few times in Building Operating Management and in a blog . The general consensus is that creating a comfortable workspace for employees will usually...

A fellow editor here and I have started a makeshift contest. Whoever finds the most outrageous “first” in green building wins. It all started when she asked me the other morning over the cubicle wall, “Hey, do you remember which city...

The surge of green building keeps growing, but when a facility executive simply specifies green products and building materials, is that really a clear indication of what an environmentally friendly product is? Green can mean different things to different...

Growing up in Wisconsin, I am acutely aware of the smell of cow. Specifically, of course, cow manure. I even pride myself on being able to smell the difference between cow, horse and pig as I’m driving through rural Wisconsin. That’s a rare...