February 2023
Nature in city environs has a positive effect on people’s well-being. Yet biological diversity in urban areas continues to shrink, for example because of increasing building density. In the “ECOLOPES” project (ECOlogical building enveLOPES), researchers led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are searching for specific solutions which will make it possible to create green infrastructure with a higher degree of biological diversity in urban areas. As a key discipline, architecture has a considerable influence on the built areas of cities and thus also on urban biodiversity.

“Generally speaking, architects don’t plan for biological diversity. At the same time, nature conservation efforts usually don’t focus on the built areas of the city. The significance of architecture in creating a green urban infrastructure is ignored in the process,” says Wolfgang Weisser, professor for Terrestrial Ecology at Technical University of Munich (TUM).

Each year, the Professional Facility Management Institute (ProFMI) and its partners ask facility managers from around the world to share their opinions on FM training and credentials. Results are shared publicly to help FM professionals and employers prioritize and justify their training investments.

The 2022 FM Training Outlook Survey provided valuable insights in four categories: building and retaining the FM workforce, the value of FM training, addressing the FM skills gap and the importance of FM credentials and qualifications.

Now it’s time for you to share your opinions in the 2023 survey! Facility management professionals and employers are encouraged to complete the survey by February 24. All survey participants will receive a complimentary Pro Level registration to NFMT Baltimore, March 21-23

The first facilities industry event this year returns to Baltimore with NFMT 2023, the National Facility Management and Technology Conference & Expo. The McMorrow Reports & FMLink have been attending for at least 20 years, and we know our readers should, too. Facilities managers, executives, engineers and allied professionals will gather March 21-23 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. Both the educational conference sessions, starting on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. and ending on Thursday at 4:45 p.m., and the expo floor are bountiful with exhibitors from all segments of FM. 


Use NFMT’s event explorer while registering to pre-register for sessions. Build your agenda to include conference sessions roundtables, networking functions, product zone sessions, and time in the exhibit hall. Research the education sessions and the exhibitors to successfully choose the ones that apply to your position and company needs. The conference tracks include: Asset Management, Energy & Sustainability, Future Trends, Health & Safety, Maintenance & Operations, Security, Technology and Think Tank.

Just released, the International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) Experts’ Assessment, Vol. 2: Future working environments and support functions toward 2030 is an in-depth analysis of what the facility management (FM) industry has learned since the first Experts’ Assessment study was conducted in 2020, and how changing organizational priorities are shaping the future of the built environment and FM roles. Assessing insights provided by subject matter experts (SMEs) from around the world, the report aims to build industry resilience and help FM professionals prepare for significant shifts in how organizations operate.

From July to September in 2022, IFMA used real-time Delphi methodology to survey 222 experts who are readying their organizations and clients for new ways of working toward 2030. Five thematic sections synthesize the subject matter experts’ perspectives on:
  • Facilities in demand toward 2030
  • Technology, work and workforce development
  • Workplace management and strategy
  • Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG)
  • Facility management in 2030

The AGF COLLECTANDRAIN FLOODELIMINATOR Model 5900 is designed to stop the flood of water that may result when a dry fire sprinkler system’s auxiliary drain malfunctions due to a freeze and break, causing the dry valve to trip. The Model 5900 allows condensate to collect normally in an auxiliary drain, but if confronted with a pressurized flow of water from a tripped dry valve the internal mechanism closes, shutting off the flow to the malfunctioning auxiliary drain, eliminating external flooding.

The Model 5900 is suitable for dry and pre-action systems, compressed air or nitrogen, requires no power, automatically resets when the system is restored to operation, and can easily be retrofitted onto existing small volume low-point drains or auxiliary drains.
With sweeping changes in work and workplace, it’s imperative for facility management professionals to lead their organizations to higher levels of performance and experience. Hosted by the association that has provided training, knowledge sharing and support to FMs globally for more than 40 years, IFMA’s Facility Fusion is about building future-ready leadership skills. It’s about exploring what’s possible for our facilities, industry and careers. It’s about synthesizing ideas and industries for a new world of work.

Facility Fusion is all about focus — on your needs as a facility manager, on your concerns in supporting specific facility types, on your career advancement and on building your professional network. IFMA’s Facility Fusion serves a unique purpose: it builds FM leaders. New in 2023: learning labs, team-building exercises, health & well-being activity, and a community service project. Focusing on leadership and strategy, workplace diversity, sustainability, data and connection, you’ll build future-ready skills for taking the initiative on: Building trust and inspiring vibrancy; Reducing risk and increasing resilience; Finding new opportunities for improvement; and Inspiring and uplifting yourself and others.

Fast reads . . .
This week's Featured Book from FMLink's new Books section, Accessibility Pocketbook, offers the vital accessibility information you need in one handy source. This helpful publication contains selected provisions from the 2021 International Building Code (IBC), 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) and the entire text of ICC A117.1-2017: Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.

Accessibility Pocketbook assists in the design, plan review, construction, and inspection of accessible facilities and features by combining the accessibility provisions of the IBC and IEBC with the technical requirements of the A117.1 standard into a single easy-to-reference resource. Accessibility Pocketbook is an ideal tool for the job site as well as an easy-to-use desk reference for the office.

Mohawk Group has debuted the latest addition to the commercial flooring manufacturer’s collection of resources for specifiers — the Sustainability Estimator. This new digital tool, available exclusively on the Mohawk Group website, allows users to see the positive impact their projects can potentially have on the ecological community and society as a whole.

Operating the Sustainability Estimator is simple and straightforward, says Mohawk. Users select different flooring products that are being considered for specification and the estimated carpet square yardage or hard surface square footage. Once the required information is entered, the Sustainability Estimator will provide the project’s relevant building and product certifications and carbon and water positive impacts, as well as social benefits associated with the selected products.

Hydronic comfort heating solutions provider WM Technologies has added five smaller sizes to its advanced, energy-efficient Stainless Vertical Firetube (SVF) boiler portfolio for commercial heating applications. The Weil-McLain SVF line of commercial boilers has expanded to now include BTU sizes of 500, 600, 725, 850 and 1000 MBH models that join the existing 1500, 2000, 2500 and 3000 BTU configurations.

The Stainless Vertical Firetube boiler line features thermal efficiency up to 98%, ease of installation and maintenance, large color touchscreen Unity 2 and Nuro control systems, and Weil-McLain boiler design reliability and longevity. The SVF boiler meets all market-driven bid specifications for new construction projects and can be ideal for hybrid and replacement boiler applications for both small and large commercial projects such as schools, colleges and other educational facilities, municipal buildings, multifamily, healthcare, churches and more.

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