The First Facility Management Blog

The Horizon Awards Voting Academy released the final nominees vying for top honors at the 2005 Horizon Awards for Sports Business, the nation’s only national recognition forum celebrating excellence in sports business.

“This was another very strong year for submissions,” says Dave St. Peter, president of the Minnesota Twins and Voting Academy member. “I don’t envy our position. Selecting overall winners will be very difficult. There’s a lot of cutting-edge work being done, and I think this nominee list is a great example.”

Best New Sports Facility Nominees
The best sports-use facility that showcased significant progress in design, development, construction and use of technology.
* Vaughn Towers at NC State University
* Wells Fargo Arena - Iowa
* Pizza Hut Park - Frisco, Texas

Final nominees were chosen by the Voting Academy from hundreds of entrees and will now be voted on to see who will establish themselves as a leader in their field at the Horizon Awards Nov. 2 in Atlanta.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) officially introduced the Architecture Billings Index (ABI), based on the results of a monthly “Work-on-the-Boards” survey of U.S. architecture firms. Accounting for 8% of Gross Domestic Product, construction activity typically follows billings for architectural services by approximately six months.

Billings at architecture firms in September made their largest monthly gain since 1998, generating a score of 60.5 on the ABI (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings at architecture firms), following a score of 55.9 in August. Recent increases in design activity expect to translate into similar increases in construction activity in early 2006. Inquiries for new design projects scored 62.5, indicating more expected future growth in design activity, however the pace for project inquires in September slowed somewhat compared to July and August levels.

Highlights from the September ABI:
*Architecture firms in all regions reported improvement in business conditions, with firms in the South reporting the strongest improvement;
* Increases in selected construction commodities and problems with availability of building materials has caused inflation to become a key concern; and
* Construction outlook for 2006 positive based on favorable economic conditions (low interest rates, moderate overall inflation).

“The findings in the Architecture Billings Index should be encouraging for the nonresidential construction industry and those business sectors affected by it,” says AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “The positive outlook should be tempered, however, because of the effect that rising energy prices, increased costs for building materials, and the possibility of rising interest rates will have on the overall economy in the months to come.”

The Architecture Billings Index is produced by the AIA Economics & Market Research Group. The findings amount to a leading economic indicator that provides an approximately six month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction activity. The indexes contained in the full report are derived from a monthly survey sent to a panel of AIA member-owned firms. Participants are asked whether their billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended. According to the proportion of respondents choosing each option, a score is generated, which represents an index value for each month.

The U.S Green Building Council (USGBC), together with the Enterprise Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, the Trust for Public Land and others have announced initiatives and ideas designed to assist in the rebuilding efforts of the Gulf Coast communities ravaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The immediate opportunity that presents itself is during the Council’s annual 2005 Greenbuild Conference & Expo, which will be held in Atlanta on November 9-11, 2005.

Greenbuild attendees, many of whom represent chapters and other USGBC organization members, have expressed an interest in helping with rebuilding in the aftermath of the hurricane. Charrettes with Gulf Coast experts and government leaders and mini-charrettes on specific topics with regional experts have been organized. “Scholarships” have been arranged for 30 Gulf Coast community leaders to come and be a part of the proceedings.

The Greenbuild panel sessions will focus on embedding sustainable strategies in the rebuilding effort and will culminate in a documentation work session on Friday, November 11, 2005 that will compile all the ideas generated in order to produce a workable document to guide the reconstruction efforts quickly.

The series of design workshops related to the hurricane reconstruction efforts will include:
* Work with the Enterprise Foundation to customize their Green Communities program to better fit the needs of the Gulf Coast. This will be done in partnership with Community Development Corporation representatives from the region, and will help guide the placement of Enterprise Foundation funds;
* A partnership with the Trust for Public Land to continue their efforts on master planning of a mile long park on largely industrial land in New Orleans. This ‘Greenprint” process includes local citizen groups, the city, the Army Corps of Engineers, and others. This effort will involve the design of parks, infrastructure, ecological restoration areas, affordable housing and civic buildings;
* Work with the Congress for New Urbanism to incorporate green building and infrastructure measures into the documents that will come out of the charrettes that they are currently holding in Mississippi;
* Work with a school district on the redesign of a destroyed K-12 school, to apply green building strategies that create a healthier learning environment.

Next week, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) will convene its annual conference at the Northwest Georgia Trade Convention Center. The conference will begin at 2 p.m. on November 2, and will feature Simon van de Vrande, president of the European Carpet Rug Association as the keynote speaker.

This year’s conference will also be highlighted by the presence of former NASA astronaut Robert Springer, who flew missions aboard both the space shuttles Discovery and Atlantis prior to his retirement. Springer’s participation is part of the on going relationship CRI and NASA have cultivated following the transfer of space technology into the highly successful Seal of Approval X-ray fluorescence (XRF) Testing Program that was launched last month at John F. Kennedy Space Center.

“Obviously, we are pleased to have Colonel Springer join us to celebrate our partnership with NASA. His vast experience as an astronaut should add an interesting slant on our meeting, and his perspective on how the same space technology used to ensure successful space missions is now being used to ensure cleaner carpets should be enlightening,” says CRI President Werner Braun.

“Our annual meeting offers us a way to provide our members with a knowledgeable perspective into some of the key issues facing the industry today. We are especially excited to have Simon van de Vrande here to give us his insights in the industry from a European perspective, and our discussion panel to close the meeting should only add to his remarks,” says Braun.

The conference is free and open to the public.

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) is joining with rescue personnel in asking people to program on their cell phones’ address book ‘In Case of Emergency’ (ICE) contacts as a way to easily reach a family member or emergency contact should an illness or accident render one unconscious. In conjunction with this announcement, ASSE will be distributing to thousands of its members ICE information including a power point presentation describing how and why this can be done.

“With over 190 million people in the U.S. with cell phones and even more worldwide, ICE can help emergency personnel in quickly identifying an injured individual and his or her next of kin in minutes instead of hours,” ASSE member John P. Spath, CSP, of New York, explains. “This helps emergency workers provide the best care possible.”

Making ICE a common practice for cell phone users will help make it a routine measure for police, fire, and other emergency personnel to check cell phones when necessary, Spath adds. ICE is free and only requires a cell phone to use it. Even when carrying personal identification (ID), such as a driver’s license, it is still recommended to use ICE, because an ID does not contain the names and phone numbers of next of kin, medical history or any other information that emergency personnel may need in assisting a patient.

Individuals can program a new contact in their cell phone address book with the letter’s ICE followed by the name and phone numbers of their emergency contacts. If adding more than one ICE contact, mark the primary contact as ICE1, such as ICE1-John Doe, ICE2-Jane Doe, and so on. These individuals should agree to be the ICE contact, and they should be supplied with the individual’s family contacts, primary physician, work contact and also medical history, which should list allergies, current medication, and previous medical procedures. Individuals under the age of 18 should list their guardian, mother, or father as their ICE contact.

ASSE members will have available information on ICE, including a power point presentation on how to use the ‘In Case of Emergency’ cell phone system, available for downloading for free.

This classic joke hits especially close to home for any facility manager who relates to the shepherd…

A shepherd was tending his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a dust cloud approached at high speed, out of which emerged a shiny silver BMW. The driver, a young man in an Armani suit, Ferragamo shoes, the latest Polarized sunglasses and a tightly knotted power tie, poked his head out the window and asked the shepherd, “Hey! If I can tell you how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?”

The shepherd looked at the man, then glanced at his peacefully grazing flock and answered, “Sure.”

The driver parked his car, plugged his microscopic cell phone into a laptop and briskly surfed to a GPS satellite navigation system on the Internet and initiated a remote body-heat scan of the area. While the computer was occupied, he sent some e-mail via his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, nodded solemnly at the responses. Finally, he printed a 150 page report on the little laser printer in his glove compartment, turned to the shepherd, waving the sheaves of paper, and pronounced “You have exactly 1,586 sheep.”

“Impressive. One of my sheep is yours,” said the shepherd.

He watched the young man select an animal and bundle it into his car. Then the shepherd said, “If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my sheep?”

Pleased to meet a fellow sportsman, the young man replied “You’re on.”

“You are a consultant,” said the shepherd without hesitation.

“That’s correct,” said the young man, impressed. “How ever did you guess?”

“It wasn’t a guess,” replied the shepherd. “You drive into my field uninvited. You ask me to pay you for information I already know, answer questions I haven’t asked, and you know nothing about my business. Now give me back my dog.”

This NYTimes article has the full story. (Registration required for NYTimes access.)

FM Solutions has announced that its WorkOasis™ facility management technology platform is fully compliant with the new commercial building regulations for Patriot Act certification. The WorkOasis national network of certified suppliers which covers approximately 1,100 cities in North America is a Web-based contractor management service that provides fully electronic work order management. Each service supplier within the WorkOasis national network represents and warrants that it is not in violation of Executive Order No. 13244 or the Patriot Act.

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States has served as a catalyst of change for this Nation and demonstrates that the freedoms and strengths we enjoy as an open society also make us vulnerable. In response to this attack, the United States government passed the Patriot Act and the President signed Executive Order 13244. This Act and Executive Order provides Federal and Local governmental agencies with the tools necessary to respond proactively to potential future terrorist activities and attacks.

Bob Dickhaus, president and CEO of FM Solutions says, “The professional certification of contractors is becoming more important to corporate real estate organizations to manage the risks associated with maintaining commercial buildings.”

For more information, contact Bob Dickhaus at (770) 618-0860.

In this month’s issue of Today’s Facility Manager, New Products Editor Brian Kraemer introduces readers to alternative sustainable design initiatives for those facility managers reluctant to embrace the USGBC’s LEED program. His article, “Green Wants You,” introduces readers to the GreenGlobes™ program, and describes it as…

another independent certification system. Billing itself as something other than an assessment tool, Green Globes provides users the equivalent of a design consultant available through the Web, 24/7. Through this service, users can consult the Web site any time and perform a self evaluation.

In yesterday’s issue of Grist, Auden Schendler and Randy Udall analyze the popular rating program, warts and all. Supporting material can also be found here. Grist is an online magazine featuring environmental news and commentary.

With Greenbuild only two weeks away, is it possible for USGBC supporters to ignore this issue?

Gas prices have motivated some workers and their employers to consider commuting alternatives. Check out this report from NPR’s Morning Edition to find out about the employers selected by the EPA’s for their environmentally friendly carpooling incentives.

(Real Audio required for Morning Edition feature)