FMLink Weekly News Digest I May 10, 2022
The way people work and learn has changed, and the need for flexibility and multiple-use buildings has increased dramatically. How do you set up a traditional space to fit the needs of multiple people? And what is the technology needed to achieve these goals?

Readers are invited to tune in to this recorded webinar on Space Management and Tenant Engagement Roundtable, organized by the publishers of fnPrime and available on the VergeSense website. You will watch top facilities leaders share best practices and latest trends around utilizing and managing space effectively.

Walk away with key takeaways such as:
  • Understanding of how space management trends have changed
  • Best practices for space management
  • How to utilize space most efficiently

The editors of The McMorrow Reports and FMLink are always reading about emerging trends in workplace planning and built environments that enable work to flow in a purpose-built space or in the cloud where many teams meet. We are following workplace experts’ wisdom on return to the office, hybrid working, facilities management expectations, work culture, and practices in terms of real estate and space usage, planning, corporate culture and engagement.

Here are links to several articles and reports we think are worthy as workplace professionals respond to the expectations of leadership, collaborators, and fellow workers in built environments:
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The strong appetite for data, fueled by continued growth in cloud computing and social media, and the emergence of new technologies such as 5G and autonomous vehicles, is driving increased investor interest in data centers, according to a CBRE survey.

Ninety-five percent of survey respondents, which include many of the world’s largest institutional real estate investors, plan to increase their capital deployment in the global data center sector in 2022. Capital allocated to the sector continues to expand with more than three-quarters of investors allocating over $100 million of equity to the global data center sector for 2022 and nearly half allocating over $300 million.

NeoCon 2022 is expecting to host a large number of facilities managers, college and university planners, and other workplace professionals as they investigate resources for transforming their offices to meet worker expectations and learning environments that respond to teachers and students following the pandemic. From June 13-15, NeoCon will offer daily on-site keynotes and special programs as well as 47 virtual CEU-accredited programs from leading industry experts from a wide cross-section of fields. The sessions will span eight program tracks: Workplace, Healthcare, Education, Facilities, Wellness, Sustainability, Design Skills, and Industry Direction and delve into the topics that are making an impact on the design industry.

With a limited talent pool and a competitive hiring landscape, a key challenge for employers is finding enough talent to effectively manage their facilities and enable their organizations to meet their strategic goals. Instead of relying on external recruitment, more employers are using internal training funds to help FM staff with high potential build the right skills while increasing confidence and credibility.

For built environment professionals, 2022 is proving to be a year of rebuilding and growth worldwide.

Since 2019, the Professional Facility Management Institute (ProFMI) and Building Operating Management (BOM) magazine have been conducting the Facility Management (FM) Training Outlook Survey to determine the need for facility management training and credentials from both the management and staff points of view. The latest survey was conducted in February and March of 2022 to identify FM workforce trends, determine the current need for FM training and credentials, and gauge how sentiments may have shifted over time.

Initiated in 2008 by Global FM and earning renewed exposure due to the pandemic, World FM Day aims to recognize the vital work that facility management professionals contribute to business, healthcare and educational institutions worldwide. Further, the day raises the profile of the FM profession due to its influence on the health, safety, productivity, and well-being of people who use the built environment. During the pandemic, FM teams are at the forefront in making environments and digital platforms available to meet unanticipated demands and have been important in keeping many sectors operating. With a renewed emphasis being placed on human health and safety, coupled with building sustainability and resilience, the FM is thrust into the center of the “Return To” conversation.

Distech Controls, a provider of intelligent building solutions, recently announced the launch of the Smart Air Control Valve solution, designed to replace a traditional Variable Air Volume (VAV) box, offering greater airflow control accuracy and a much wider operating range, all while delivering increased energy savings and a more comfortable environment. The Smart Air Control Valve is an innovative, packaged air control solution that can achieve an “incredible” 100:1 turn down ratio and measure airflows as low as 1.5 cfm, says the company.

According to Distech Controls, the Smart Air Control Valve solution can measure and control airflow far better than traditional VAVs, which have limited efficiency below 30% of their maximum airflow.

Glass manufacturer Arden Studio, officially launched in 2021 to create elegant and safer spaces in shared settings as workers return to a transformed workplace, recently announced the multifunctional Mobl glass panels. Mobl joined Arden Studio’s existing Haven glass partitions as winners of 2021 GOOD DESIGN Awards in the Furniture category.

Mobl glass panels double as a writing surface and partition. An elegant workplace solution, Mobl offers infinite possibilities for reconfiguring shared spaces, creating opportunities for both private and collaborative moments. Mobl’s writing surface was designed to “sit proud of the frame,” says Arden Studio, allowing light to hit the glass edge and bringing the beauty of the glass surface to life with subtle highlights and shadows. Mobl’s 4mm Fineline glass board is made of tempered Starphire Ultra-Clear glass for clarity.

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