Newer multifamily housing shows how fire safe buildings can be: Pew report

Self-closing doors and fire-resistant materials are among the reasons multifamily buildings are safer than other property types, including single-family homes.

Healthy buildings mean strong ROI: IWBI Policy Summit

There’s an urgency to improve indoor environments, said facilities leaders, public health officials and lawmakers at the high-profile event.

Federal property crisis at inflection point. Incremental moves needed, experts say.

Market uncertainty complicates solutions as officials wrestle with what to do with millions of square feet of obsolete and underused real estate: IFMA panel.  

Facilities could be impacted as US adds tariffs on furniture, wood

An executive order from President Donald Trump installs a 25% tariff on sofa, chair and cabinet imports and a 10% duty on timber and lumber.

With deal, Budderfly looks for EaaS growth in manufacturing sector

The energy-as-a-service model can help manufacturers improve their resiliency while lowering their costs and reducing their emissions, CEO Al Subbloie says. 

Data-driven building management takes center stage at IFMA conference

Facilities managers are learning how to sort through and leverage building systems data as they lean into digitalization, conference sessions show.

Access to building codes at center of industry tussle

The International Code Council is part of a coalition that supports allowing public code access in exchange for copyright protection. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers and others call that the wrong approach.

The virtue of responsiveness in facilities management: Danny Clemens

When the buck stops with you on the condition of your organization’s buildings, you owe same-day replies to the people you serve, says a retiring school district facilities chief.

Carrier adds data filter, export tools to AI platform to help portfolio management

Enhancements to the Abound Insights app provide weather and air quality overlays and enable users to download site lists, equipment details and work order reports.

Critical infrastructure operators add more insecure industrial equipment online

The problem isn’t limited to legacy technology. New devices are exposed with critical vulnerabilities.

Owner-tenant green retrofit investment boosts value: JLL

Tenants want prime space that meets their sustainability targets. That’s driving deals that include energy-focused lease clauses, the firm says.

IT losing ability to secure networks without FMs’ help, report shows

Tech leaders know breach prevention but facilities managers know the building systems that bad actors are increasingly targeting, says a cybersecurity specialist. The two must work together.

On site: Digging into National Geographic’s museum build

HITT Contracting leaned heavily on design-assist and digital modeling to integrate systems across four historic buildings for the Museum of Exploration.

School facility governance standard aims to improve fairness, boost rental revenue

An executive with rental platform Facilitron says some larger districts forgo millions through outdated, inconsistently enforced policies.

Axiom Cloud touts integrations to boost refrigerant leak management tech

A new web portal aims to break down walls between refrigerant tracking and maintenance systems with AI to help operators streamline work order management and meet compliance.

Healthy buildings offer bottom-line benefits to building owners, report finds

Improved ventilation, lighting and thermal comfort can provide more than $50 per square foot in productivity gains and support rent premiums, the International WELL Building Institute says. 

How better workflow helped FM get ahead of maintenance

By automating routine work and giving each technician visibility into project status, the facilities chief for a 13,000-student school district has been able to keep older equipment running smoothly.

Clean energy jobs grew in 2024 but face policy threats: E2

Clean energy job growth outpaced overall employment growth and the rest of the energy sector in 2024.

Using CMMS to get ahead of Legionella risk

By tracking changes in bacteria levels before they reach critical levels, facility managers can reduce exposure, a facility software executive says.

Trane AI tools aim to address outdated systems, labor shortage

AI Control and ARIA can reduce heating and cooling energy use up to 25% and carbon emissions up to 40% while making it easier for operators to troubleshoot maintenance issues, the company says.

Facility managers on front lines amid rise in building-control cyber threats

Bad actors are targeting weak links, such as third-party vendors, to get into operational systems. Building operators can reduce vulnerability by working in concert with security teams, a tech specialist says.

Schneider co-develops 2 reference designs to optimize ‘AI factories’

The designs build on Schneider’s investments in liquid cooling infrastructure and previous work with NVIDIA on data center design and digital-twin simulations.

All-electric firehouse and net-zero police station help Charlotte, N.C., meet climate goals

The city invested $36 million to build the facilities, which align emergency response with an ambitious strategic energy initiative.

Plan for lower water temperatures when replacing traditional HVAC systems with heat pumps

Fossil fuel-based systems supply water at higher temperatures than heat pumps. Operators that want to electrify their systems must look at coil sizes, piping and other elements, specialists say.

How FMs can more accurately report ESG-friendly furniture decommissions

EPA’s waste reduction model understates emissions reductions from furniture reuse. To show a more meaningful value, facility managers should request lifecycle assessments from suppliers.