Your One Stop Tenant Improvement Shop
Many contractors’ balance sheets have been decimated. Excepting a small minority of the clever or the lucky, commercial and institutional contractors have downsized and lowered expectations. Reputation and years in business count for little when a GC can’t pay his subs, the trades can’t afford to fully man a project or pay their vendors. There is a new real-time urgency in gauging the ability of a contractor to fund work ... »»»
LEDs are increasingly used for ambient lighting and other retail applications. Ambient lighting and highlighting are both needed in retail spaces, and in light of recent technological advances, LEDs can now provide both. A common practice in the retail industry involves contrast – increased illumination is designed to emphasize featured merchandise against general light levels. An increasingly efficient and feasible way of providing contrast is with LEDs ... »»»
Everyone has seen paint peeling off a surface like layers off an onion. Are you taking the steps to ensure this problem won’t leave you weeping? Bob Cusumano, president of Coatings Consultants Inc. in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, has encountered many horror stories involving painting and coating failures. In some cases, these can cost building owners and facilities management professionals thousands of dollars. In extreme cases, they can cost folks their jobs ... »»»
Healthy and comfortable workers can lead to healthy, productive buildings. From the moment workers sit down in the morning until they leave at the end of the day, it’s important to have them in a work station that best equips them for success. Ergonomic enhancements don’t have to mean refurbishing offices with top-of-the-line, executive-level chairs or overhauling the technology set-up ... »»»
According to the ‘U.S. Telecommuting Forecast, 2009 to 2016’ report from Forrester Research, by 2016, more than 63 million Americans will telecommute – working from home at least one day per week. Consequently, corporate offices are increasingly accommodating multiple working populations – full-time workers, part-time workers and remote workers who come to the office on both a scheduled and sporadic basis. But as workforce dynamics change, are physical office spaces keeping pace ... »»»
Upgrade your fire alarms to the new standard with IP communications and watch analog telephone lines become a thing of the past. As traditional phone lines fall by the wayside, digital systems such as Voice over IP (VoIP), GSM cellular networks, and fiber optics are taking their place. But if your fire alarm communications still depend on outdated phone lines, your system’s reliability is being sacrificed ... »»»
The technologies of tomorrow promise to revolutionize how we collaborate, power our devices and navigate our world, but innovative designers are already changing these tasks with the technology of today. This month, we’ve decided to look forward and give you a taste of what’s to come in the places where we work and live, as well as look at some useful tech-related products that are already hard at work, transforming the office of today into the office of tomorrow ... »»»
Disaster stories in construction abound: unfinished homes and buildings, blown budgets, lawsuits and contractors fleeing the state. People often undervalue the knowledge required to design and build successfully. Just because you own a hammer and a cordless drill, the odds are construction professionals know more than you do. Evaluate them, hire them, trust them and let them build you a great home, where the real peace of mind begins. Here are a few tips to maintain your sanity ... »»»
Update aging restrooms and boost occupant satisfaction by exploring renovation options. Are your building’s washrooms losing their luster? The washroom’s appearance can negatively impact how users view your business, so if you notice signs of age, it’s time for an update. Office washrooms may not be renovated until the facilities start showing their age. But deterioration won’t wait for a planned project, so keep an eye on common trouble areas before they become permanent eyesores ... »»»
Tackle tiles to keep your ceiling appealing and acoustically sound. Until a problem rears its head, ceilings typically don’t catch your attention. A dusty, dirty, or stained ceiling, however, can negatively impact perceptions of the space. Depending on the ceiling’s condition, you may be able to get by with a quick sweep, while other occasions require replacement. Assess the type, size, and severity of your ceiling’s problem to determine your next step ... »»»