The First Facility Management Blog

Last week (June 20), games publisher MumboJumbo announced a new relationship with the Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group to create a mass market game based on the Emmy Award-winning television series “The Office.” The game will be available for online download and across multiple game platforms, including PC, PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable), and Nintendo DS(TM), starting this fall.

“In the game, players must finish odd jobs around the office as well as join in office pranks. The game will also feature audio and video clips from the show,” according to a report in Variety.

Personally, I think most facility managers think their own offices are annoying enough already–but perhaps with the infusion of “virtual” hijinks, “The Office” as video game will lighten things up. For more random opinions on this matter, or to share your own, check out this link.

Hotels, healthcare facilities, and schools to see the most growth

Despite the continued sagging housing industry, the nonresidential construction market has shown solid gains this year and spending is expected to increase by 7.2% in 2007 in inflation adjusted terms, following the growth of near six percent in 2006. Led by heavy demand for institutional projects, the growth in 2008 is expected to be at a slower pace, closer to a three percent gain in total activity. These are highlights from The American Institute of Architects (AIA) semi-annual Consensus Construction Forecast, a survey of the nation’s leading construction forecasters.

“Construction activity in the nonresidential market has been robust this year so far, even exceeding the optimistic projections at the beginning of the year,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “This pattern should continue for the rest of the year, with more tempered growth moving into 2008.”

Market Segment Consensus Growth Forecasts:

Commercial / industrial 2007 2008

Hotels 26.4% 1.3%
Office buildings 11.2% 3.5%
Industrial facilities 6.5% 5.2%
Retail 3.7% -0.9%

Institutional

Health care facilities 8.5% 5.0%
Public safety 8.6% 3.3%
Education 5.9% 4.1%
Amusement / recreation 4.2% 2.7%
Religious 1.3% 4.3%

Baker added, “As activity in the commercial market abates, the institutional sector is projected to see stable growth. The good financial position of state and local governments should support continued growth in the construction of schools, and health care facility construction has become the fastest growing institutional category based on several state mandates for universal or near-universal coverage.”

About the AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel

The AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel is conducted twice a year with the leading nonresidential construction forecasters in the United States including, McGraw Hill Construction, Global Insight, Moody’s economy.com, Reed Business Information, FMI, and the Portland Cement Association. The purpose of the Consensus Construction Forecast Panel is to project business condition in the construction industry over the coming 12 to 18 months. The Consensus Construction Forecast Panel has been conducted for almost 10 years.

About The American Institute of Architects

For 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes.

One long time TFM reader whose property has been plagued by “winged rodents” (aka Canadian Geese) is experimenting with a new (but harmless) scare tactic. After running a couple of light gauge wires along the edge of the pond, the reader came to the conclusion “that helped, but not completely.”

Pushed to institute more drastic measures, this facility manager introduced his flying friends to “Elvis” (pictured above). The fake croc has been working like a charm, keeping the geese at bay for now. No crocs, geese, or rodents were harmed in this experiment.