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.
Latest Reports
Technology Fosters Teamwork in New ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Headquarters
ARIAD Pharmaceuticals’ new home in Cambridge, Mass., has 40,000 sf of high-tech biology and chemistry labs, along with four distinct space types to accommodate the work modes of its staff: focus, collaboration, learning, and social engagement. The new 130,000-rentable-square-foot headquarters, known by its address, 125 Binney Street, in the heart of the Kendall Square life science community, stands in marked contrast to the company’s existing facility, less than two miles away.
Integrated Facilities for Engineering and Life Sciences Pose New Challenges
An increase in funding streams for interdisciplinary research coupled with major advances in computational research are driving bioengineering and integrated life sciences and engineering program growth. “Increasingly, universities are engaging in interdisciplinary research—that’s where the exciting problems are, and that’s what funding agencies are funding,” says Dr. Stephen Director, provost emeritus of Northeastern University in Boston. “We have found that our existing facilities don’t easily support that.”
Bridging the Gap Between Designing and Operating High-Performance Buildings
High-performance buildings are designed with the innovative features and advanced technology necessary to sustain peak operating efficiency, but they frequently fail to live up to their full potential, due to a number of factors: inadequate staffing; a lack of correctly configured technology; and a lack of proper instruction, capabilities, and skill sets of employees. Incorporating a process of building optimization can prevent these shortcomings.
John J. Sbrega Health and Science Building
The John J. Sbrega Health and Science Building at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass., unites the programs of chemistry, biology, and medical and dental education in a single facility that is designed to be net-zero in energy usage, meaning it generates at least as much energy as it uses over the course of a year. The two-story, 50,600-sf building is the first of its kind in the Northeast.
Reduced Construction Spending and Increased Costs Reflect Slowing Third Quarter
Non-residential construction spending has dropped 6 percent since the beginning of 2016. This reduction was offset by a nearly equal increase in infrastructure spending and steady residential construction. Increases in construction prices for 2016 are now trending towards 6 percent annually, depending on location, while job growth saw a slight up-tick with an average of 192,000 jobs added per month in the third quarter of 2016 versus the 171,000 jobs per month averaged in the first half of the year.