The First Facility Management Blog

The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Life Cycle Assessment working group has developed initial recommendations for incorporating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of building materials as part of the continuous improvement of LEED® Green Building Rating System™. The recommendations include short and long term implementation strategies as well as technical details regarding LCA methodology.

LCA is a scientific methodology that holistically evaluates the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle: from the extraction or harvesting of raw materials through processing, manufacture, installation, use, and ultimate disposal or recycling. In buildings it can be used to compare the environmental benefits or detriments of options available to the design team.

“Until now, there hasn’t been much work done incorporating LCA into U.S. building practice because of limited research,” said Tom Hicks, vice president of the USGBC. “We are venturing into new territory, but as the nation’s leading green building organization USGBC has a responsibility to ensure that LEED’s evolution addresses LCA in a meaningful and relevant manner.”

The LCA working group’s recommendation for an initial approach is to undertake LCA of the assemblies that constitute a building’s structure and envelope. The assemblies will be ranked according to their environmental impact, with LEED credits awarded accordingly. This will provide a relatively quick, yet significant, infusion of LCA within LEED. USGBC’s long-term objective is to make LCA a credible component of integrated design, thereby ensuring that the environmental performance of the whole building takes into account the complete building life cycle.

With the working group’s reports now in hand, the LEED Steering Committee will begin considering the recommendations of the LCA Working Groups with a goal of completing an LCA plan by the end of 2007. To facilitate the plan’s development and ensure technical and practical effectiveness, USGBC is contracting with internationally respected LCA expert Greg Norris, Ph.D., President of Sylvatica, Inc., as project manager.

Reports can be viewed at:

* November 06 report: https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=2240
* December 06 report: https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=2241

Any LCA-based LEED credit must meet two essential requirements:

1. Level playing field: The LCA basis of the proposed LEED credits must provide a level playing field–one that is fair and objective–based on a consistent methodology applied across all products and at all stages of their production transport use and disposal or recycling at end of life.

2. Practical use: LCA is inherently complex, and the LCA tools and methods used for LCA-based LEED credits must be very practical and intuitive for designers, specifiers, and facilities managers to use at appropriate stages in the life cycle of buildings.

The working groups are part of the “LCA into LEED” project, which was commissioned as an advisory group by the LEED Steering Committee to engage critical LCA stakeholders. Over 60 volunteers representing LCA experts, manufacturers, trade associations, academia, federal government, nonprofits, and USGBC LEED committees are involved in the project.

Can changing one or two things about the way someone does his or her job lead to savings for a company and lead to a safer place and higher morale? Thirty-two companies worldwide say yes. They are all contenders in the prestigious Ergo Cup Award competition.

Companies as diverse in operations and products as Boeing, Bridgestone, Dell, Delta Airlines, GE, Honda, J&J, Mary Kay, Harley Davidson, Toyota, Universal Orlando, and Sunrise Medical can prove that making process improvements from an ergonomic perspective, no matter how small, reaps big benefits. Using ergonomic tools to assess processes, they fix problem areas, document the results, and develop training programs to train others in operating equipment properly.

The nationally recognized Ergo Cup, presented by IIE and sponsored by The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina, provides an opportunity for companies to highlight successful ergonomic activities. This year marks the ninth competition.

Three winning companies will be selected by a panel of judges. The 2006 winning companies were Sunrise Medical in the Team-driven Workplace Solutions category, Johnson & Johnson of France in the Training and Education category, and GE France in the Engineering/Ergonomist-driven Workplace solution category.

Participating companies will be demonstrating their solutions at the Applied Ergonomics Conference, March 12-15, 2007 in Dallas, TX, which is where the three 2007 winners will be selected. For information, call (800) 494-0460.

On January 18, more than 300 guests joined Kimball Office for the grand opening of its new New York showroom at 215 Park Avenue South, in the historic Union Square neighborhood. The company worked with TVS Interiors to transform the 12,000 square foot facility into a stimulating space that draws architects and designers in and sparks fresh ideas.

“We are passionate about helping our customers realize new possibilities in workplace design,” explains Kimball Office vice president and general manager David White. “This showroom devotes particular attention to the creative needs of the A&D community. It demonstrates how our innovatively integrated systems, casegoods, and seating lines can help them create places where people want to work and gather. It also offers them quick access to product information and technical services.”

The space contains a long central corridor. Here the space’s structural columns
were expanded into rectangular piers with applied millwork panels to create gallery zones. Within, Kimball Office’s furniture lines are displayed in layouts that illustrate the privacy needs of professional organizations, and open plan configurations that support individual and team requirements.

Alongside the real-life vignettes, the showroom presents technology-capable conferencing areas and public spaces to welcome and engage visitors. A color palette of warm creams, whites, and dark chocolates keep the form and function of the furniture center stage. Additionally, the breadth and texture of Kimball Office’s broadly integrated surfaces collection are highlighted throughout the space.

The design team also wanted to give visitors a strong sense of arrival. To that end, a procession of columns with applied sycamore veneer panels visually usher guests into the reception area, where the Kimball name is dramatically showcased on a floating, ebony veneer wall.

With LEED-CI (Commercial Interiors) from the U.S. Green Building Council serving as a guideline, the design team opened up the floor plan and used glass walls and transparent tiles on the systems furniture to keep windows accessible and light flowing. In addition, the team stretched the height of the space by breaking up the ceiling plane and accentuating the column extensions and grids, creating a light open feel and maximizing outdoor views and daylight.

“Creating environmentally sustainable facilities tops our design criteria, as it does for many of our design partners and customers,” said White. “So following the LEED-CI guidelines is an obvious choice for us. By doing so, we address our environmental goals and demonstrate to our clients how we can help them achieve theirs.”

The showroom features low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy-optimizing equipment and appliances, and GREENGUARD-certified Kimball Office seating and systems furniture. Additionally, Kimball Office is committed to sharing the project as part of an educational program to give clients insight to “green building” design and environmentally friendly products.

Kimball Office is in the process of certifying the New York showroom. It will be the company’s third LEED-CI certified showroom. The company’s corporate showroom in Jasper, IN, is Gold certified, and its Chicago facility was awarded Silver certification.

(Photos: Brian Gassel, TVS)

At the College of Design at Iowa State University, the Iowa chapter of Architecture for Humanity has worked with students to create a recycling sock. The wire mesh tube, which drops five stories in the College of Design atrium, was installed to support recycling efforts in the University.

Made from chicken wire and supported by bicycle rims, the tube twists halfway through to create a ricochet effect. The sounds created by the structure serve as positive reinforcement of the message behind the project. Few passersby can walk past the structure while its in action and refrain from smiling.

The sock was part of a design competition at the University. It was installed on October 24, 2006.

See it in action here:

Nemetschek North America announced today that its parent company, The Nemetschek Group, a technology group for the design, construction, and management of buildings and real estate, and Adobe Systems Incorporated will be working together more closely to optimize document processes for architects and engineers. According to the press release, the two companies are consolidating their roles as technology leaders by leveraging and promoting PDF as the format of choice for the exchange of data in the building industry. Nemetschek North America has already begun by integrating Adobe PDF creation capabilties directly into its CAD software program VectorWorks 12.5, and Nemetschek AG has integrated the technology into Allplan.

“Interoperability, seamless file formats, and efficient processes are becoming increasingly important for architects and engineers,” explains Michael Westfahl, member of the managing board responsible for sales and marketing at Nemetschek. “The partnership with Adobe is thus a decisive step on the way to meeting these market requirements.”

A central component of the collaboration is the licensing of the Adobe® PDF Library Sotware Development Kit by Nemetschek. As a result, users can create Adobe PDF files from within VectorWorks and import PDF files into VectorWorks 12.5. These PDF files feature intelligent functions such as layers, scale information, and searchable text. Further integration of Adobe technology will follow in future software releases.

“The partnership with Adobe signals our intention to move beyond simple sharing of PDF files over e-mail and web services,” says Sean Flaherty, CEO of Nemetschek North America. “We see PDF and the integration between VectorWorks and the Acrobat product line as way to fundamentally improve the collaboration workflow with CAD and remove much of the current uncertainty when transferring documents between design partners. PDF offers a key advantage over the current translation mechanisms—absolute reliability of data.”

By significantly increasing established PDF functions in CAD systems, it will be easier for architects and engineers to exchange drawings and project documents with clients and contractors. Users can merge design drawings, project drawings, and drawings from different sources in a single PDF file, regardless of vendor-dependent interface formats. This means much more efficient workflows for both senders and recipients of documents. All parties involved can be included in the building coordination process, thus ensuring a clear record of the approval process is maintained.

“PDF files are a little revolution in action, and VectorWorks, with built-in Adobe technology, helps make it happen for us,” says Tom Greggs, principal, Greggs Building Design. “DXF and DWG-based files received from others have created frequent problems for us. Our engineers often use fonts that are not in our system, or their special nested symbols don’t scale correctly, or line weights need attention. With PDF files, none of this is an issue, and we find ourselves simply importing and placing those PDF files directly onto our VectorWorks sheets with no issues concerning translation. We now e-mail PDF documents to clients and contractors on a regular basis. This allows us to gain quick approval, despite a client being halfway across the country or a contractor needing clarification on a detail. And plan set distribution has become virtually paperless, as we give our builders and owners the option of sending PDF plan sets directly from us to their preferred printing service. We have also begun archiving plan set sheets in PDF for every project.”

The use of PDF allows for shorter planning cycles, while at the same time reducing project costs. In addition, the use of PDF virtually guarantees a reliable exchange of information in technical project teams, since drawings and models can be protected from unauthorized access and confidential data cannot be misused.

“Adobe and Nemetschek share a vision for Adobe PDF as a key component of, and unifying format for, AEC document processes,” says Tom Hale, senior vice president, Knowledge Worker Solutions Business Unit, Adobe. “By this strategic alliance, we enable our combined customers to realize even greater value from PDF in the form of more efficient communication processes.”

About Nemetschek
Nemetschek North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of European software company Nemetschek AG. A global leader in design technologies, Nemetschek N.A. has been developing CAD software for the AEC, entertainment, landscape design, and manufacturing fields since 1985. VectorWorks, its flagship product, is a cross-platform CAD application.

Not every technological advance cited by Alex Hutchinson of Popular Mechanics is related to facility management, but there are some new developments that managers need to know about.

For example, Engineered Cementitious Composites, otherwise known as bendable concrete, may be the next cutting edge advance in construction. This substance has already been used to fortify bridges, and it has allowed the coupling beams in a 41-story tower in Yokohama to flex during Japan’s frequent earthquakes.

Printed Solar Panels could also be the wave of the future. Nanosolar, a company based out of California, has created a cheaper, more efficient method of producing solar panels. This method involves the use of a special ‘ink’ to form semiconductors.

Finally, there is Plasma Arc Gasification, a process that converts garbage into useful products and services, including electricity, steam, and construction materials.
Click here to learn more.

In addition to our ever popular Friday Funny, FacilityBlog will now be presenting a hip, new feature each week. Here is our first workplace related Hipster Haiku, presented by Business Facilities Managing Editor Michelle Janowitz:

Resume pile
Sits haphazardly on bed

I was just visiting the TFM Show website and was reading about The Learning Pool, a new partnership that the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments and The TFM Show have established. This open-space classroom area of the exhibit floor will give attendees a chance to network with peers during career development and mentoring sessions, as well as seminars on sustainability.

In its portion of The Learning Pool, the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments (ASBE) will focus on helping facility managers find solutions that are economically and environmentally sustainable. To date, exhibitors demonstrating sustainable products as part of The Learning Pool include Johnson Controls, Inc., JohnsonDiversey, Inc., and Forbo Flooring.

“Partnering with TFM to deliver the Learning Pool at this year’s show is a perfect fit for the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments,” said Craig Zurawski, executive administrator for the organization. “The Alliance is dedicated to educating decision makers that the choices they make in regard to their facilities can be both economically and environmentally sustainable. Through the short programs and peer-to-peer networking that will be offered, significant information will be shared.”

Mentoring sessions in The Learning Pool will be informal, peer-to-peer discussions that will provide attendees with the opportunity to interact, troubleshoot, and share challenges. Each mentoring session will be led by a qualified facility professional or expert from the education, property management, health care, government, manufacturing, and ergonomics industries.

In career development sessions, attendees will discover the various professional development programs available in the field of Facilities Management. They will learn how to create—and pursue—their own professional development plans, explore alternatives on how to fund professional development courses, and utilize simple tools to tie learning outcomes to their day-to-day job. Attendees will also be able to pursue academic degree information and earn CEU credits from AIA, IFMA, IIDA, CEFPI and BOMI.

You can register to attend The TFM Show at no cost at:
www.TFMShow.com

I had a chance to look at the facility management professionals from the last two days who have registered for the TFM Show and remain amazed at the global reach of this event. As you know The TFM Show has a global reach with a North American trade show strategy. What this means is that we believe in having a large North American based event and inviting the most important facility management professionals from around the world to come join us.

The strategy has been extremely successful and it turns out the international market likes the fact that were located at the Navy Pier in downtown Chicago on April 17-19, 2007.
You can register for your free pass today at: www.TFMShow.com

Below are some of the countries represented in the registration database from the last two days: - Canada
- Colombia
- India
- Nigeria
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Ukraine
- Venezuela

Here are some of the titles that will be in attendance:
- Facilities & Assets Director
- Manager, Corporate Building Services
- Manager of Facilities- Facilities and Maintenance Mgr
- Supervisor
- Building Services
- Director of Facilities
- Maintenance Supervisor
- Manager Operations

Yesterday (January 24), President George W. Bush released an Executive Order strengthening the Federal government’s environmental and energy strategies. The Executive Orders calls for the head of each Federal agency to reduce “energy intensity” (energy consumption per square foot of building space) by 3% annually through the end of fiscal year 2015, or 30% by the end of fiscal year 2015.

The Executive Order establishes goals for all new construction and major renovations of agency buildings in accordance with green building strategies such as resource conservation; use of recycled materials; building site selection; and indoor environmental quality. The strategies comply with the Guiding Principles set forth in the 2006 Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding, signed by 16 agencies in January of 2006.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System has been adopted by 11 Federal government agencies, dozens of state and local governments, and private developers all over the U.S. LEED has been endorsed by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

In addition to establishing goals for building performance, the Executive Order sets environmental targets in the areas of purchasing and acquisition, renewable energy, toxics reductions, recycling, renewable energy, electronics equipment, fleets, and water conservation.