Skip to main content

Latest Reports

Tradeline's industry reports are a must-read resource for those involved in facilities planning and management. Reports include management case studies, current and in-depth project profiles, and editorials on the latest facilities management issues.

How Lehigh Future-Proofed its New STEM Building

Published 10/23/2024

Lehigh University's new Health, Science & Technology Building is designed to break down silos between academic departments, to enhance faculty research and better prepare students for tomorrow’s transdisciplinary world. Three different lab modules—with no walls between them—facilitate easy transitions from one use to another, as well as expansion and contraction as needs change. And collaboration spaces are strategically located between labs throughout the building.

 

Read More

Wayne State’s Campus Plan Shifts Focus from Continuous Growth to Improved Agility

Published 10/9/2024

When Wayne State University in Detroit released its campus plan—the Wayne Framework—in 2018, no one could have guessed how prophetic the school’s new approach would turn out to be. Rather than creating a campus plan that sets a specific schedule of chronological tasks and building projects, the Wayne Framework instead focuses on how the school should evaluate priorities on an ongoing basis, allowing the facilities department to remain flexible enough to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Within a few years of launching the Framework, those circumstances would include a global pandemic, catastrophic flooding, and numerous university leadership changes.

Read More

Raising the Bar for Athletic Facilities

Published 10/9/2024

Some of the toughest competition in sports today is happening in the area of athletic facilities. Teams at all levels are competing against streaming services for fans’ time and attention; they are competing for the best athletes and the most talented coaches. And they are demanding state-of-the-art facilities to pull it off. What’s happening at the highest tier of professional sports arenas, locker rooms, and training facilities is not being lost on college and university planners, where the stakes may be even higher. At play in collegiate athletic facilities are mandates to boost the school’s brand, attract students, increase donor support, and develop new sources of revenue. 

Read More

Boosting Employee Presence and Performance in the Hybrid Workplace

Published 9/25/2024

The idea of a workplace means something very different today than it did five years ago. Even before the pandemic, offices were not at full capacity. While occupancy rates have rebounded from their low point in 2020, commercial building spaces are now being used only about 30% of the time. That reality creates an opportunity to rethink what the remaining office space looks like. Employees want a reason to leave the comfort of their homes and endure the commute to the office. They are looking for purposeful presence.

Read More

Putting STEM Education Front and Center with Teaching-Only Lab Buildings

Published 9/25/2024

Teaching-only lab buildings are so much more than simplified versions of the latest shiny new research building on campus. They serve as a hub for students, a point of pride on tours for prospective students, and an opportunity to showcase a college or university’s identity. But they do require special design considerations, especially around safety.

Read More