The First Facility Management Blog

The recently launched EMerge Alliance™ aims to lead the creation and deployment of a new power, control, and device-level technology standard for commercial interiors. This standard is being developed around the use of safe, low-voltage direct-current (DC) power. As the Alliance describes it, today’s workplaces are populated by fixed overhead lighting and a wide variety of electrical devices that are typically wired for a building’s lifetime rather than occupants’ changing needs. Building designers and owners increasingly have been seeking systems to make buildings more adaptable and integration of infrastructure, equipment, and furnishings that can improve energy efficiency.

Addressing these widespread needs for greater flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability is the focus of the EMerge Alliance, according to Alliance Chairman Brian Patterson of Armstrong World Industries. “While the ways in which we use electricity have changed dramatically, the manner in which electricity is distributed for interior devices and control purposes remains largely unchanged since the beginning of the 20th century,” says Patterson. “The EMerge Alliance is drawing from a broad and deep pool of leaders involved in the design, construction, and management of commercial buildings to create an enabling infrastructure that future proofs the workplace through the use of DC power.  The standard is a revolutionary approach to the layout and re-use of interior space.”

Founding Members of the Alliance at the Governing level include Armstrong World Industries, Johnson Controls, Nextek Power Systems, OSRAM SYLVANIA, and WAVE.

Participating Members include Crestron Electronics, Delta Power, Finelite, Kanepi Innovations, Lighting Science Group, Steelcase, WattStopper,and Zumtobel.  Eden Park Illumination is a General Member, and Supporting Members include AVP, Brinjac Engineering, CleanTech Commercialization, EdCampus, Green Plug, Houston Advanced Research Center, JB Electrical, Los Angeles Community College District, Paladino and Company, Sensor Switch, Southern California Edison and Webcor Builders.

The central feature of the proposed EMerge standard is the selective and scaleable distribution of low-voltage DC power within common infrastructures already present in commercial interiors. For example, DC power is ideally suited for integration into the ceiling plane, providing facility managers with the ability to arrange and rearrange lighting, sensors, actuators, and other devices without the need for rewiring.

The EMerge standard also embraces the trend toward using on-site alternative energy, by providing a means of direct and more efficient connection between these new energy sources and interior electrical loads, like lighting and controls.

Patterson sees the development of this new commercial technology standard as providing a platform for innovation to create even more energy efficient and individually controllable devices for the future, such as Light-Emitting Diode (LED) or other solid-state general lighting devices.

“In creating a long-reaching, ‘plug and play’ standard for integrated management and control of lighting and the many digital devices found in commercial buildings, the Alliance is focused on the nexus of today’s top priorities for building owners–energy savings and adaptability. One of the most intriguing aspects is the ability to seamlessly connect a low voltage DC infrastructure to on-site generated alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind power,” said Patterson.  “This provides sustainability-minded building owners on the leading edge of power technologies with a faster return on their investment in clean energy.“

The EMerge Alliance is accepting new members interested in developing or supporting the EMerge standard.  Membership is open and available at a variety of levels, from those interested in contributing to or making products compatible with the new standard, to companies and organizations supporting the overall development of this new platform.  The Alliance is professionally managed by Global Inventures.

About the EMerge Alliance
The EMerge Alliance is an open industry association promoting the rapid adoption of safe, low-voltage DC power distribution and use in commercial building interiors. EMerge is focused on developing a global standard that integrates interior infrastructures, power, controls and a wide variety of peripheral devices, such as lighting, in a common platform.  Building owners can gain unprecedented design and space flexibility along with reduced energy usage and improved sustainability. Alliance membership is broad-based in nature, comprised of entities such as architects, interior designers, consultants, engineering firms, government and code groups, academic and industry groups, product manufacturers, and building owners.

Nearly three quarters of American office workers believe that social networking is a growing trend in the workplace, illustrating a significant opportunity for workspaces to embrace collaboration as never before. As organizations learn how best to bridge communications between the Millennial and Boomer generations working together, a recent Workplace Index Survey on the nature of work—commissioned by Steelcase, a global office environments manufacturer—digs deeper into how this might be achieved.

Through a survey of nearly 300 office workers in the United States, 71% of respondents foresee social networking sites playing a larger role at work in the future, with the majority of those using social networking tools under the age of 34. Only 28% of office workers report having a profile on one or more of these sites, 68% of 18-24 year olds, and 48% of 25-34 year olds. This data shows a significant trend—networks are now living both in and outside of the workplace—and workspaces need to accommodate this increased interconnectivity.

“Social networks, at their core, are simply trust relationships that exist between people,” said Chris Congdon, manager of corporate marketing for Steelcase. “To that end, social networks in the workplace are not new, but with the advent of the Internet, their reach now extends beyond the hours of the workday. These networks often exert more influence on an organization’s success than the traditional hierarchy, and companies would do well to translate that popularity into the daily lives of their workers.”

The idea has legs. Though the study shows that just 37% of workers currently utilize social networking Web sites for professional purposes, 66% see value in using these sites to network with other professionals. Beyond networking, workers of all ages also consider the sites useful in marketing their company (59%) and recruiting talent (58%).

The problem lies in that this view is not always shared among key decision makers. While many workers appreciate the potential of social networking sites within the workplace, there are still challenges facing widespread use of them within an office setting. More than half of those surveyed believe that these sites compromise productivity, even though less than a third of workers with a social networking profile report using the sites at least once a day. Additionally, most white collar workers say that their workplace discourages or restricts the use of these sites (59%), and of those employers who discourage social networking sites, 37% have a policy that restricts or blocks employee access at work.

“What this demonstrates is a need for companies to think out of the box and ask themselves if rather than blocking these sites, what their takeaways can be. Employees are communicating with co-workers inside and outside of the workplace, so how can companies create environments that encourage and fosters that communication?” asks Congdon. “The workplace is as much virtual as it is physical and organizations that embrace this new reality will reap its rewards.”

Additional survey findings include:

• The most popular social networking sites among white collar workers include: MySpace (66%), Facebook (46%) and LinkedIn (22%).
• 73% of workers who have a social networking profile report that they are “friends” with their colleagues. 
• 65% of workers have not signed onto social networking to maintain personal privacy, although of those who do have profiles, 56% of workers do nothing to maintain the personal privacy. A quarter of workers use privacy controls to partially or completely block co-workers from viewing the full content of their profiles.
• The majority of respondents sign onto social networking sites to reconnect with family or friends (82%) or because family or friends are users (76%).
• Those workers who do not have a social networking profile cite a variety of reasons for not using the sites including general disinterest (75%), lack of time (54%) or the fact that they are too much of a distraction (38&).

The Steelcase Workplace Index Surveys address pertinent issues in today’s work environment. This continual workforce feedback is essential to the development of Steelcase’s knowledge of the workplace and to the company’s product development and corporate ventures aimed to increase worker effectiveness and productivity.

Results of additional parts in the Nature of Work in 2008 series examine telecommuting, naps in the office, and romance at work. Past surveys have covered office gossip, fitness, and workplace and a multi-generational workforce.

Steelcase, a global office environments manufacturer, was recently granted a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Certification by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), an independent third party accredited by the FSC to certify companies to its international standards. The certification highlights Steelcase’s ability to meet the FSC tracking requirements for ensuring that the materials used to develop its wood products come from a well managed forest.

By working with well managed forest, these woodlands can provide a continuous yield of raw materials and remain the home for numerous animal species. Loggers use special techniques to harvest the wood without causing environmental damage. In a forest that is not responsibly managed, loggers perform clear cutting, high grading, and over harvesting which can take an area out of production for over 50 years. Steelcase’s efforts to operate sustainably span the history of the company as purchased wood veneer comes from sustainable sources.

“It is an honor to receive this FSC certification as it affirms Steelcase’s commitment to cradle to cradle environment processes,” says Nancy Hickey, senior vice president, chief administrative officer of Steelcase. “From design to production, we are constantly seeking more effective ways to conserve resources, prevent pollution, and nurture environmental consciousness. FSC certification demonstrates that Steelcase’s responsible practices extend to the very beginning of the product lifecycle by utilizing responsibly managed forests.”

Founded in 1992 following the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the first FSC certification was issued in 1993. FSC certification for a company demonstrates that it can perform to the highest social and environmental standards in the market in wood product sourcing. Additionally, as governments around the world enforce stricter environmental regulations in their purchasing programs, FSC certification protects a corporation’s brand and reputation in the international market.

The Steelcase wood business operates out of the world’s first LEED certified manufacturing facility. The facility opened in 2001 and has since made additional changes to allow the facility and its operations to become more sustainable. Notable is the recent change from solvent based to water based finishes; this has contributed to a reduction in VOCs by 91% since 2001.

This FSC Certification comes on the heels of other recent environmental accomplishments by Steelcase, including the most cradle to cradle (C2C) product certifications in the industry as well as the first wood casegood to be C2C certified. These products are additionally certified by Indoor Advantage, receiving awards from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WasteWise program for the past six years for the company’s efforts in waste prevention, recycling collection, and manufacturing recycled content products. Steelcase was also recognized for signing an agreement to purchase all of the green power produced from a new wind farm in Texas for at least five years, publication of the company’s inaugural corporate responsibility report, and creating a Green Giants campaign that highlights sustainable leaders that have made strides in giving back to the community from an environmental perspective.

Nearly half of office workers surveyed in the United States see advantages to an office romance, but an overwhelming majority choose to pursue love elsewhere due to office politics and perceptions. These results are the second in a four part Workplace Index Survey of 279 workers on the nature of work commissioned by Steelcase, a global office environments manufacturer.

While only 17% of respondents have engaged in an office romance, many see personal advantages to dating a coworker. Just under 50% of American workers (47%) would enjoy dating a colleague that understands the issues they face at work, and 42% believe that their mood would improve, encouraging them to go to work each morning. A third of respondents would also welcome the ease of coordinated personal and professional lives. Despite the lack of official restrictions on office romance—only a quarter of respondents said that their company prohibits office relationships—most employees are influenced by the unwritten rules of the work environment

Nearly 90% of office workers cite awkwardness if the relationship does not last as a chief deterrent, while 80% want to avoid being the subject of office gossip. Furthermore, 65% of respondents believe an office relationship is looked down upon by their work colleagues. Gossip aside, there is hope for those who choose to pursue an office romance. Of respondents who have dated a coworker, a third of the relationships were long term, and 15% led to an engagement or marriage.

Additional survey findings include:

• 17% of respondents have dated a coworker.
• 85% of respondents believe an office romance would be a workplace distraction.
• 74% of respondents believe they would have a difficult time drawing the line between their work and personal life if they engaged in an office romance.
• 53% of respondents said their office romance was unsuccessful.
• 43% of respondents know someone who has had an office romance.
• 12% of respondents know someone who has had a long term relationship with a coworker, while 34% know a coworker that turned an office romance into an engagement or marriage.

A similar European study found that 82% of respondents in France, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom have not dated a coworker. In the United States, 83% of respondents have not dated a coworker.

The Steelcase Workplace Index Surveys address pertinent issues in today’s work environment. This continual workforce feedback is essential to the development of Steelcase’s knowledge of the workplace and to the company’s product development and corporate ventures aimed to increase worker effectiveness and productivity. Results of parts 3 and 4 in the “Nature of Work in 2008″ series examine naps at work and social networking. Past surveys have covered working on office gossip, vacation, ergonomics, and workspace personalization.

In a contradiction, a majority of office workers fear that telecommuting can hurt their career prospects, yet just over half believe that it is beneficial for a company to endorse telecommuting. These results are the first in a four part workplace index survey of 700 white collar workers on the nature of work commissioned by Steelcase, an office environments manufacturer.

Almost half of the respondents’ companies allow them to telecommute, but less than a third take advantage, largely due to perceptions that working away from home will hinder their chances at a promotion due to the lack of contact with the employer (64%). Additionally, most office workers feel that their companies prefer them in the office to control their work environment (72%) and prevent a decline in productivity (71%).

Despite the hesitance of most office workers to telecommute, most have favorable impressions of working outside the office. Eighty percent of respondents believe that current technology allows them to remain just as connected to the office, while half feel that a different environment actually makes them more productive.

“The lines between work and life are continuing to blur and at an increasing pace,” said Chris Congdon, manager, corporate marketing at Steelcase. “Office workers view telecommuting as a way to be successful in both life and work. Employees appreciate companies that allow them to strike a balance, and if done well, the company can reap the rewards as well.”

And workers agree. Whereas most respondents believe their company prefers them in the office, over 50% feel that companies promoting telecommuting will be more successful than companies that do not endorse it. Over 80% of respondents believe that working away from the office increases morale for employees and reduces staff turnover.

Of those who do telecommute, an overwhelming 98% do so from the comfort of their home. Over half stay in touch via e-mail, while about a third of telecommuters communicate via the telephone.

Additional survey findings include:

• 80% of respondents believe telecommuting is a trend that will continue to grow over the next five years.
• 32% of respondents telecommute.
• 46% of respondents’ companies allow them to telecommute.
• 62% of respondents believe companies prefer them in the office to prevent a lack of communication; 41% believe it is because of the cost of the technology involved.
• 61% of telecommuters do so to balance their family and work life, and 37% do so to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Steelcase Workplace Index Surveys address current issues in today’s work environment. Results of additional parts in the Nature of Work series examine social networking, naps in the office, and romance at work. Past surveys have covered office gossip, exercise on the job, and workplace interaction between generations. Further information on workplace issues is available in the knowledge center on Steelcase’s Web site at www.steelcase.com.

Steelcase recently announced that it has negotiated a strategic business alliance agreement with Lab Crafters Inc., a 30 year old company located in Ronkonkoma, NY, that manufactures a portfolio of product solutions developed for laboratory environments. Lab Crafters designs and manufactures fume hoods, casegoods, and other integrated laboratory solutions. The alliance will provide Steelcase new capabilities to meet customers’ needs for product solutions in a wide range of laboratory settings.

For a number of years, Steelcase has created laboratory solutions, including its lab bench product. The foundation of lab bench is a structural module that can be combined into benches of almost any length and configuration. Unlike more traditional casework products, the entire system is flexible. Since lab bench components are easily adjustable, they can adapt to the changing needs of different workers, changing projects, and changing equipment to help accelerate a facilities change process. Utilities like power, data, vacuum, and water are easily routed through this infrastructure, and two people can move, disconnect, and connect the benches to be configured in many combinations or directions, using minimal hand tools.

Lab bench was initially designed to serve the bioscience market, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and other health care markets. The product can also be applied to a variety of higher education scenarios as well as the food and electronics industries.

“Laboratory Solutions is a fast growing division of Steelcase, and Lab Crafters is a valued partner who can significantly enhance our capabilities,” said Dean Witting, general manager of Steelcase Laboratory Solutions. “This alliance will advance our momentum in the marketplace by integrating Lab Crafters’ fume hood technologies and extensive industry expertise with our marketing, distribution, and research based product development approach.”

“This alliance blends innovation, marketing, and distribution expertise with similar corporate cultures and values. Like Steelcase, Lab Crafters is committed to producing leading edge products and solution based applications. And both companies share a dedication to problem solving through sustainability and environmental responsibility,” said Bob DeLuca, senior president and CEO of Lab Crafters. “This alliance will allow both companies to provide a richer
offering of products intended to help laboratory workers be more effective.”

Effective immediately, Steelcase and Lab Crafters will distribute a full range of products throughout North America, including Canada and Mexico.

The SeaChange Institute, a project of the Ocean Alliance, has mounted an exhibit in the lobby of the Steelcase Building at 4 Columbus Circle in Manhattan that addresses the importance of living sustainably by keeping pollutants out of the seas. The exhibit is underwritten by the Annenberg Foundation.

SeaChange is on display weekdays through May 31st between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at 4 Columbus Circle across from the AOL/Time building. The exhibit highlights the problem of the “bioamplification” of heavy metals and other toxins in the fish we eat and what that means both for consumers and for the future of the world’s seafood supply. It visually documents some of the results of a 5½ year scientific voyage around the world by the Ocean Alliance research vessel, Odyssey, to gather the first ever baseline data on levels of synthetic contaminants throughout the world’s oceans.

Dr. Roger Payne, a biologist and founder of Ocean Alliance, explains, “Preliminary results of our research voyage indicate that the world’s oceans are seriously contaminated with a suite of heavy metals as well as by POPs (persistent organic pollutants), including a subset of POPs known as EDCs (endocrine disrupting compounds) that are of particular concern.”

The term “bioamplification” describes the process through which consumption of pollutants in organisms by chains of ocean predators (food chains) causes these toxins to reconcentrate, increasing their concentration by about 10 times in each new predator step in the chain. The SeaChange exhibit shows that the highest concentrations of EDCs are found in the very fish consumers love to eat most, the top predators in this chain.

Payne, who is best known for his discovery (with Scott McVay) that humpback whales sing songs, and for his theory that the sounds of fin and blue whales can be heard across oceans, describes his latest studies of ocean pollutants as “the most important scientific research with which I have ever been involved.”

The SeaChange exhibit on display at the Steelcase Building summarizes in layman’s language Ocean Alliance’s preliminary research findings on how these pollutants are impacting the seafood chain. Payne and his associates have been analyzing close to one thousand skin samples extracted benignly from sperm whales around the world. When complete, their research will provide the first bioassay—quantitative measurement—to look at pollutant levels and their physiological effects on fish throughout the world’s oceans.

“We want to create awareness in the general public,” Payne said, “that today’s ‘better living through chemistry’ is polluting the fish we eat and, that if it keeps up, humanity will soon lose access to seafood.” The SeaChange exhibit offers some solutions to this serious problem. “We want to arouse exhibit-visitors’ concern about the critical importance of living sustainably, without which, civilization has no long-term future,” explained Payne’s wife and fellow environmental spokesperson Lisa Harrow.

Together, Payne and Harrow—an actress with numerous stage, film, and television credits—also have been sharing their message about the need to protect the planet by living sustainably through their lecture/performance piece, “SeaChange: Reversing the Tide.” That piece combines the knowledge of science with the wisdom of poetry—from Shakespeare to Robert Frost to Mary Oliver, and others — to argue compellingly that man’s survival depends on the well being of thousands of other species on this planet.

They hope that the SeaChange exhibit at Steelcase will reach more audiences with their message that most of the problems humanity faces are solvable, that many solutions are simple, and that existing scientific knowledge is strong enough to start implementing the long-term rewards of living sustainably.

Steelcase Featured In Exhibit
Steelcase is represented in the SeaChange exhibit as well. Projected on the lobby wall are quotes from Economicology: The Eleventh Commandment, a book by Peter M. Wege. The former Steelcase board member and son of one of the company founders coined the word “economicology” in the 1990s to define the balance the world must find between “economics” and “ecology.”

“Our lobby exhibitions now and in the past have connected to the community and have been a source of education,” noted Steelcase spokeswoman Jeannie Bochette. “From the moment we opened our space, more than 10 years ago, we have had exhibitions, which change every three months.”

About The Exhibitors
The Ocean Alliance is dedicated to rigorous scientific research in conjunction with global education in order to improve people’s appreciation for, and understanding of the ocean environment and the creatures within it. Their principal focus is on whales and the importance of conserving them.

Since 1967, Ocean Alliance founder Roger Payne, has studied the behavior of whales, leading over 100 expeditions to all oceans and studying every species of baleen whale in the wild. In 2007, Payne—who is knighted in the Netherlands and is a MacArthur Fellow—was awarded the Dawkins Prize for Animal Conservation and Welfare by Balliol College, Oxford University “For outstanding research into the ecology and behavior of animals whose welfare and survival may be endangered by human activities.”

His publications include the book, Among Whales (1995) and three recordings: Songs of the Humpback Whale (1970), Deep Voices (1975), and Whales Alive (1989—works composed by whales but arranged and played by humans). Payne has appeared in many documentary films for television, some of which he wrote and/or presented. He co-wrote and co-directed the IMAX film Whales. An award-winning film about Payne’s work, A Life Among Whales, is currently being screened worldwide.

In addition to writing and performing SeaChange: Reversing the Tide, Lisa Harrow is the author of the environmental handbook What Can I Do? Born in New Zealand, she studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. Her resume boasts numerous other stage, film, and television credits, including a number of leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Lisa played the lead in the New York production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Wit. She won the Australian Oscar for Best Actress for the film The Last Days of Chez Nous, and starred in the film Sunday, which won the Grand Jury Award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.

The couple married their scientific and theatrical talents with their shared environmental interests to create SeaChange: Reversing the Tide, which uses science and poetry to urge Earth’s inhabitants to make sustainable living our primary goal.