Innovative Green Chemistry Model Changes Landscape of Academic Planning
The University of Oregon's (UO) revolutionary "green chemistry" program is delivering significant triple-bottom-line payoffs that translate to lower operating costs, increased safety, and reduced environmental impact. Green chemistry, which seeks to eliminate the use of environmentally hazardous elements by substituting low-hazard chemicals and catalysts instead of reactants, requires fewer fume hoods and consumes fewer resources than traditional teaching methods. Because of its inherent adaptability to nearly any space and increased safety, green chemistry is changing the way institutions across the country think about the future of their instructional programs and lab facilities.

Getting through difficult times while protecting long-term capital assets
Even as analysts struggle to identify the bottom point of the current economic downturn, CFOs and finance groups are already taking a more conservative approach to funding levels for the next several years. In this kind of environment, the pressure on corporate real estate (CRE) and facilities managers to cut annual operating plans is enormous. As a result, many now find themselves in the position of making informed business decisions on deferred maintenance (DM) while protecting company assets.

Redefined Project Phases Help to Increase the Value of Construction Dollars
The use of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) has been gaining popularity as a way to optimize project outcomes and get more for each construction dollar spent, with higher quality results. The healthcare industry has been leading the way with its use of IPD for new construction through a variety of organizational models.

Benefits Focus on Costs, Efficiencies, Staffing, Animal Care, and Research Quality
A comprehensive master plan can be a critical tool in assessing the overall efficiency of a facility, the integrity of animal care, and the quality of research. There are many circumstances that might warrant the creation of a master plan by academic institutions or other entities involved in animal research.