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Translate “The future is already here. It’s just not that evenly distributed.” — William Gibson The smart building concept first appeared in the early 1980s and was defined as “a marriage of two technologies — old-fashioned building management and telecommunications.”i In the past few years, the building industry has developed advanced applications at the intersection of […]
Best Practices with Tech on your Building Projects: A Quiz
In keeping with the “FM Essentials” theme of this issue, we offer the following best practices when working on renovation or new construction projects where technology will play a pivotal role. 1. Start planning NOW for the people side of change that might accompany new learning spaces, new workflows, etc. 2. Use the project as […]
Emergency Notification Systems: Considerations for 2021 and Beyond
Preparing for unexpected events is not new for higher education institutions. Contemporary emergencies range all the way from campus interlopers bearing weapons to the COVID-19 pandemic. When faced with these situations, campus leaders need to communicate with students, faculty, staff, and visitors in a manner that is effective, immediate, and appropriate for the situation. What […]
EVs on Campus: Are You Prepared for Electric Vehicles and a Zero-Emission Fleet?
In the United States, over one third of the vehicles on the road are projected to be electric by 2050. Many colleges and universities are in the early phases of planning and implementing electric vehicle (EV) charging on campus. Often referred to as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), chargers located on campus will be requested […]
Exploring AI and the Future of Campus Facilities Management
APPA is delighted to announce Craig Park as the new field editor of the Technology + Trends column. An architect by training and technologist by practice, Craig is an award-winning and nationally recognized thought leader in the design of communication and collaboration facilities. He is an associate principal and director of digital experience design at […]
Finishing AV Projects: Ten Commissioning Tips for Facilities Managers
Facilities managers are aware of the commissioning process in buildings for a variety of architectural features, such as building envelopes, and for systems such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP). Much of this work over the last 20 years has also focused on sustainability and wellness commissioning, such as with Leadership in Energy and Environmental […]
How Humanity is Conquering the Darkness: From a Burning Stick to the LED
An ancient proverb states that it is better to “light one candle than to curse the darkness.” And humanity found a means to conquer the darkness, evolving from a burning stick to a candle, to a gas light, to an electric lightbulb, and finally, electroluminescence: the light-emitting diode (LED). The LED, with its high efficiency, […]
Intelligent Building Strategies: The Next Step in Planning More Connected Facilities
As we optimistically approach a post-pandemic world, some campuses will consider responsive and adaptive facilities as key to a successful future. Many APPA members are familiar with the promise of intelligent buildings to deliver the triple bottom line of energy savings, operational efficiency, and increased user satisfaction. But many campuses are unclear about how to […]
Measure What Matters: 5 Steps to Benchmarking the Connected Campus
Field Editor: John Cook, NV5 In an age where technology constantly evolves, college and university facilities operations managers face the challenge of keeping up with the latest advancements. One effective solution to this is implementing an academic technology benchmarking program. This program enables institutions to build agility and adaptability into their strategic technology planning process, […]
Metaverse, Schmetaverse—What Does That Have to Do With Me?
The term “metaverse” is not new. The earliest reference is generally accepted to be a 1992 dystopian cyberpunk novel called Snow Crash, and it has been somewhat co-opted by the various “comic book movies” in the past few years. But the term is becoming increasingly widespread in tech circles, and it is sure to impact […]
Near-Future-Proofing Academic Buildings: Technology Responses for the Post-COVID Era
Much has been discussed recently about the need for academia to respond after the time when COVID-19 has been eradicated. Facilities managers need not wait until that time to begin to implement changes to their campus assets. Here are some of the upgrades building technology experts are discussing that can be implemented to prepare for […]
Nine Observations for Higher Ed from the World of Audio/Video
The largest nerdfest of audio/video/instructional technology is a trade show called InfoComm. This year’s show attracted 30,000 people, and Higher Ed institutions were well represented again; your campus may have sent several people to evaluate products and catch up on the latest trends. Nearly 1,000 exhibitors showcased their products and new developments so, it was […]
Occupancy Measurement Solutions: A Primer for Counting People on Your Campus
If we’ve learned one thing over the course of the pandemic, it’s that understanding how building occupants utilize spaces is important to the health and safety of everyone who walks through your doors. But space utilization isn’t just a component of building wellness, it’s also part of the larger push toward data-driven building operations. The […]
Physical Security: A Critical Part of a Responsible Security Management Plan
Security management is necessary in higher education to address physical security threats, protect data, comply with regulations, mitigate cyber-attacks, prevent disruptions to academic activities, and manage reputation. Of course, these requirements must be balanced against the desire of many institutions to provide an open, welcoming, and nurturing campus environment. Institutions should develop and maintain a […]
Risk Considerations for Smart Campus Planning
As today’s campus planners consider the student experience of the future, many of them are looking to create “smarter” campuses that promote connectivity, health and wellness, and sustainability. This trend is similar to what organizations are seeing with the return of employees to the office; every campus now has a mandate from students to provide […]
Technology Impacts on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in FM
Higher education institutions have become increasingly aware of the importance and advantages of including a more diverse spectrum of people in all aspects of their organizations. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I, or DEI) initiatives have focused largely on human resources (HR) and public relations (PR) issues that affect personnel interactions such as training and hiring, […]
The Next Chapter of Campus Innovation: Robotics as a Commitment to Safe and Healthy Reopening
Since the spring semester of 2020, colleges and universities have been in a state of near-constant disruption, managing the ongoing challenges of protecting the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff amid a global health crisis. Over a year later, much has changed, and most of us are eager to return to normal operations […]
Using Early Stage, Foresight-Driven Planning to Address Technology Challenges
Each new building project brings an opportunity to move a campus community towards its envisioned future. The focused attention that accompanies a new building or major renovation can be an opportunity to reexamine current best practices and consider exciting new directions, particularly when it comes to technology. These projects often bring together faculty and staff, […]
Vulnerability and Threat Assessments for Higher Ed: What Are They and Why Do I Care? I Have a Pandemic to Deal With!
Security Consultants Scott Ondik and Randy Riley sat down for a conversational interview concerning the topic of vulnerability and threat assessments for higher education campuses. Topics included what areas of vulnerability are critiqued during the assessment, why these assessments are particularly important to college or university settings, which key members within an institution are involved […]
What Do Future Classrooms Have in Common with the iPhone? Needfinding
Educators often ask where they might find classrooms of the future to serve as benchmarks. Unfortunately, most classrooms designed before 2020 are by now obsolete in the sense that they were built before new expectations—and associated design requirements—grew out of the global pandemic experience. While many institutions deployed classroom video-conferencing capabilities in an ad hoc […]
