Operating Cost

London Health Sciences Centre is utilizing Honeywell Vector Space Sense to optimize facility utilization and reduce operational costs. The software solution shows where, when, and how spaces are being used at any given point in time, enabling the operations team to make informed real estate and space allocation decisions. London Health Sciences Centre is a hospital network in Ontario with 15,000 employees occupying 1.9 million square feet.

Kewaunee Scientific has partnered with international design studio Rainlight to create the CODA laboratory furniture benching system. CODA’s modular design offers adjustable height surfaces, moveable shelving, and integrated lighting, with companion tables available to complement the main system. With spans of up to 10 feet long between structural supports, CODA’s bench enables greater flexibility for lab layout.

Bentley University has been awarded LEED Platinum sustainable design certification for the $45 million Bentley Arena in Waltham, Mass. Designed by Architectural Resources Cambridge, the 76,000-sf project is the only standalone ice arena in the nation to have attained LEED Platinum. The multipurpose facility includes a glass-walled function room, a sports medicine center, state-of-the-art locker rooms, strength and conditioning suites, and a student-run media control room.

Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) has mandated that Building Information Modeling (BIM) be implemented in the final phase of its $9 billion construction program. LACCD, which is the largest community college district in the United States and comprises nine colleges, is also targeting net-zero energy consumption in the sustainable development of its extensive portfolio.

The American National Standards Institute published APPA 1000-1 in January of 2018, creating the first national standard for Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in the United States. The standard identifies and defines the foundational elements and the structure required to implement TCO principles for facilities. It is essential that the entire cost of purchasing and owning a building through its lifetime is understood by all stakeholders, especially before finalizing design plans for new construction.

In the concluding Open Forum/Town Hall session of Tradeline’s Facility Strategies for Animal Research and Biocontainment conference, moderator Derek Westfall, president of Tradeline, and subject matter commentators, Mark Corey with Flad Architects and Tiffini Lovelace with EYP Architecture & Engineering, led a knowledge exchange on questions posed by conference attendees. This is an edited transcript of that exchange.

Swarthmore College is constructing the $120 million Biology, Engineering, and Psychology Building in Swarthmore, Pa. Designed by Ballinger, the 160,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will feature flexible classrooms, labs, and common spaces to support enhanced pedagogical experiences linked to environmental sustainability. The project will be developed according to Swarthmore’s Environmental Sustainability Framework, a standard equivalent to LEED Platinum, with some elements exceeding LEED Platinum criteria.

Pfizer’s pharmaceutical factory in Dalian, China, has attained LEED-NC Platinum sustainable design certification. The project, which involved a 140,000-sf expansion to accommodate an aseptic workshop for cephalosporin products, began construction in 2014 and reached completion in April of 2017.  As the chosen strategic partner for the project, Johnson Controls was involved throughout the design and construction process and provided building controls systems and lifecycle green building certification consulting services.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a widely used buzzword that refers to a rapidly growing network of internet-connected devices and sensors that transmit data back to a central repository for rapid analysis. This network generates massive amounts of information that can be used to maximize energy efficiency, optimize space use, reduce costs, and increase operational visibility across all types of facilities and organizations. LED lights with sensors, smart grid meters, intelligent HVAC and security systems, even mobile and body-worn devices, all generate tremendous amounts of data that both humans and computers can use to make better decisions.

NASA awarded AECOM a contract in September of 2017 to provide support services for Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. The scope of the contract, which has a maximum value of $58.3 million and a one-year base period with four one-year options, includes facility master planning, facility engineering design, energy and water conservation program management, and property utilization oversight. 

There are positive signs that funding for scientific research will not only be maintained, but will once again increase. Earlier this month, the Senate Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved $36.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health for the upcoming fiscal year. If approved intact, it will mark the third consecutive year that the NIH receives a $2 billion increase. The House Appropriations Committee already approved a $1.1 billion increase.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the second quarter of 2017. Key points include:

The University System of New Hampshire has selected Sightlines to perform a comprehensive Facility Condition Assessment and lifecycle study of core buildings on the four campuses that comprise the system, which includes approximately 9.6 million gsf of educational facilities and supporting infrastructure.

Geothermal heating and cooling exchange systems are proving to be a leading technology for achieving zero net energy consumption in cold climates. Geoexchange systems (also known as “geothermal heat pumps”) reduce energy consumption by using the earth to store heat and greatly improve HVAC efficiency. Using a network of closed-loop tubes buried deep underground, geoexchange systems require extensive planning, soil testing, and proper load design to function as intended, especially in energy-intensive lab environments. But when used with other strategies, they can play a significant role in reducing a facility’s HVAC-related energy use and carbon footprint.

Just Biotherapeutics is integrating PODs® made by G-CON Manufacturing into the construction of its biologics manufacturing building in China. Located in the Hangzhou Economic & Technology Development Area (HEDA), the cGMP plant will utilize the prefabricated cleanroom units to create a highly flexible and efficient facility. Completion is expected by early 2018.