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To redress this lack of information, the architecture firm Perkins+Will went about creating a free, online database – called Transparency – of building materials that contain substances known or suspected to be harmful to health. The database is geared towards the consumers who most often specify what materials should be used in a building project: architects and interior designers ... »»»
Lighting creates more secure building environments inside and out, day and night. Security starts with lighting. Don’t believe it? Think about this: A security concept called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) teaches that appropriate lighting makes people who belong in a space feel comfortable and safe and trespassers uncomfortable. Combine visible cameras and appropriate CPTED lighting to send potential malefactors packing ... »»»
Ensure your sprinklers pass the test. Inspect often to ensure your fire protection system is ready at a moment’s notice. Coughing up $300-500 for a yearly inspection could save you millions in property damage and business interruptions. With major initiatives competing for your attention, the state of your sprinklers is probably low on your priority list. But let your maintenance and inspection routine become lax and you could be compromising your life safety with every passing minute ... »»»
The safety of six-storey wood frame construction is being questioned after a housing project, being built under new regulations, was destroyed by a fire in Richmond, B.C. The Office of Housing and Construction adopted changes to the B.C. Building Code in April 2009, which increased the limit on wood-frame structures from four to six storeys ... »»»
At some point, every building must bring in an outside contractor to do specialized work that in-house manpower cannot perform on a cost-effective basis, such as boiler blasting, concrete waterproofing, or ceiling painting. Such an option makes sense, as many operations do not enjoy the luxury of reassigning staff to do labor-intensive work that requires additional training. Nor does facility management have at its ready disposal the unique equipment required to perform major maintenance or upgrade projects ... »»»