From BIM to energy-use monitoring, WiFi and more, existing buildings are being redesigned and outfitted to become technological standouts.
It takes more than bricks, mortar and roofing materials to keep the heat (or cold) in and the rain out. Here's a look at what you need to know.
Power-enabled columns: at the Milan Center for Innovative Studies, Milan, Mich., power and data connections at structural columns give students a place to engage in self-directed learning.
Art can proclaim a building's identity while promoting educational goals.
Integrating the right signage into your campus can aid in building identity and marketing for use in the wider community.
Using floors as a way-finding method.
Here's how two campuses are satisfying administrators by saving money and satisfying students by increasing sustainability in their restroom and locker room renovations.
Creating a sustainable building envelope can be complicated, but worth it. Think about today and tomorrow. Educational institutions need to plan for sustainable management of their built assets both now and in the future. Building envelopes are part of that effort.
Keeping historically significant facilities weatherproof and energy-efficient while preserving architectural features takes care and planning.
Darrell Smith, executive director of the International Window Film Association, speaks with College Planning & Management concerning the uses and benefits of window film for new and existing campus facilities.
As colleges and universities focus on strategies to make their campuses more sustainable, they are increasingly turning to green flooring products such as carpet tiles. While many schools are still installing traditional broadloom carpeting, they are using carpet tiles on floors that were once covered with vinyl or other hard surfaces, such as those in classrooms.
Intelligent services combine technology, proprietary analytics and expertise in heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to continuously collect, interpret and act upon data from building systems and controls to optimize operational perfor
A Building Automation System (BAS) is what makes an intelligent building intelligent in terms of energy usage. From basic to sophisticated, there's clearly a lot that administrators can do to take advantage of building intelligence to transform their environment.
Whatever the grade level or supplier, safety for budding dancers' joints and durability is paramount. Add affordability and versatility -- that is, a system that accommodates a range of movements, routines and dance genres -- and the right floor.
Why the AV industry and not one of the other building systems trades, such as HVAC or electrical integrators? For one reason, AV professionals are widely recognized as early adopters of new technologies. In recent years, there has been a considerable emphasis on ease-of-use and ease-of-operation. In response, AV programmers, consultants, and integrators have developed unique skills for creating intuitive, user-friendly tools and control interfaces. What users and building managers often do not see is that behind the scenes, to create those seamless interfaces, AV professionals must often corral complex systems that don’t normally communicate with one another — and that’s the crux of the challenge when it comes to integrating disparate building systems.
Armstrong Atlantic State University's lab facility gets high marks for a VAV remedy, which provided much-needed quiet and significant energy savings.
Being energy efficient has a lot going for it. Students and faculty appreciate the comfortable environments. Staff members enjoy maintaining and servicing an intelligently controlled building. And everyone can feel good about contributing to a healthy, green future. But at what cost? There is plenty of whizz-bang technology that looks great… until you crunch the numbers. Is a 20-year return on investment too long to wait? Or is the alternative too expensive?
There are many options and factors to consider when selecting the right flooring for dance and performance spaces. For example, what material is best for the types of dance your program teaches, or could teach in order to grow the program in the future? Also, is your structural subfloor sealed, and above, at, or below grade? That matters because an unsealed, below-grade slab can swell or warp your dance floor by drawing up moisture from the ground.
If you're paying a premium for electricity, ask a lighting manufacturer to help you determine the initial cost and payback period for these kinds of LED retrofits. You might discover that it is worth bringing in LEDs this year.