Organizations have shifted into hyper-reactive, lesser-of-evils mode to survive using the same methods of "yesterday" in order to fulfill higher demands of today. Such is the impetus for the now familiar term: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). No b
- By Stephanie O'Brien
- 06/01/11
Ah, summer the concept is idyllic unless you're a school facilities manager, that is. In that case, you know you'll never get a summer vacation, simply because there are so many projects to be completed. What projects do facility m
Those of us in the fire and life safety field need to spend the summer preparing new fire and life safety plans for new buildings. Staff and faculty may move from one part of campus to another, but they will need to be trained on new fire and life safety
Technologies used in a K-12 school might include a card access control system, defibrillator, fire alarm and life safety systems, mass notification systems for parents and video surveillance. Lower technology items might include exterior and interior ligh
- By Michael Fickes
- 06/01/11
Digital signage can be used for distributing dynamic, attention-grabbing information in real time. Wayfinding, emergency information, even entertainment -- digital signage technology offers a simple solution to static, traditional signage. Reduced costs a
- By Danielle Przyborowski
- 06/01/11
The economic news for many public school districts has not been good lately; fewer dollars must be spread further across districts. Increasingly, support for public schools comes from outside, nonprofit education assistance organizations who provide a num
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 06/01/11
The energy cost savings and performance contracting achieved by the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences allowed the University of Rhode Island to direct funds that would be spent normally on energy bills and maintenance costs into investments withi
- By Todd C. Sloane
- 06/01/11
Because they rely so much on technology, all college and university facilities directors, fire and life-safety managers, and police and security officers have the same nightmare: something bad happens and the technology fails to perform, allowing disaster
- By Michael Fickes
- 06/01/11
People take little things for granted; a light will turn on when you hit the switch, a sink will drain after you pull the plug, and fields will be groomed and ready for action. Of course it takes a team of technicians to keep your campus up and running. T
With its many attributes, including sustainability, long-term cost savings, durability, aesthetics, design flexibility, price, and more, metal makes an obvious option for higher education new construction or retrofit projects.
While a new facility may be the most large-scale way to bring a school completely up to date, many districts simply do not have the budget. Renovations may seem overwhelming at first, but by focusing on the building envelope, districts can make simple, st
- By Rob Winstead, Rich Corona
- 06/01/11
With the influx of federal monies from the Recovery Act coming to an end, state budgets providing limited support to schools and districts still being strapped for cash, a number of new ideas to reduce costs are being considered some new, some old,
Traditionally associated with healthcare architecture, evidence-based design (EBD) is making inroads into being part of the process for designing schools, office spaces, hotels, restaurants, museums, prisons, and even residences. In short, EBD is when dec
- By David Whitemyer
- 05/01/11
There is no question that having a good education has a profound and positive impact on the individual student, the community, the labor market, the economy, and the country. Not having an adequate education increases unemployment rates and decreases earn
Many in the higher education community already have cloud computing services in their portfolios, such as Blackboard, but which they don't think of as being in the cloud. Once that realization sets in, it'll be a natural next step to begin evalu
The need to get the most for the money means that administrators are often choosing building options other than "traditional" construction, including the use of precast, modular, and insulated concrete forms for a project's structure. The g
Today's campus dining design blends individual spaces to create a contemporary and fresh experience. The back kitchen area has been integrated with the front-of-house spaces, providing a graceful, flowing environment inviting to everyone. Dining and
According to the Higher Education Employment Report for the first quarter of 2011 from HigherEdJobs, "The number of jobs in higher education grew 3.3 percent during the first quarter of 2011." This is the fastest growth in higher-ed jobs since 2
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 05/01/11
More and more school districts are overcoming their fears and turning to cloud computing's viable solutions because they are secure and cost effective and because it allows administrators to focus more on their core responsibilities and less o
When concrete is used as the primary building material for a school, the traditional method has been concrete masonry blocks of concrete stacked together with mortar, sometimes reinforced and grouted for added strength. But there are also a number
- By Thomas G. Dolan
- 05/01/11
Thanks to seamless integration, West Orange was able to reduce the burden on its IT personnel and to cut maintenance and hardware expenditures. The technology provided tremendous benefits to labor- and paper-intensive processes throughout the district. In
- By Filipe Santiago
- 05/01/11