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Using design to curb aggression

Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

Within the past five years, American society has become increasingly angry, belligerent and aggressive. It may be due to the intense stress of daily life, to fallout from the last recession, to income or racial inequality, to political and regional polarization, to the nature of much popular entertainment, to the fractured news media, to the no-holds barred invective popular on social media — or due to all of them. Whatever the reasons, as a society we need to look for ways to alleviate and prevent aggression, especially in public spaces. Research shows design can help.

Suburban farming: It’s not just for homes

Connie Ulman Food & Beverage

Suburban farming is achievable, beneficial and fun. Many churches and businesses in various municipalities have donated city lots to be used for gardening. Also, a significant number of organizations get together with community members and grow food. This is an excellent option for those who do not have a yard to plant a garden or are new to gardening.

Does your school facility need a makeover?

Brian Stack Education

Does your school facility need a makeover? According to this 2012 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, 53 percent of American schools are due for such an upgrade. Upgrades can be done in ways to fit almost any school budget. The key for school principals is to stretch the financial resources they have to provide the biggest rate of return possible to enhance student learning and overall school culture.

Designing in many shades of green

Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

Green, or eco-friendly, is now widely accepted as a responsible way to design. Yet, in practice, designing green can take many forms. You need to consider your own as well as your clients’ values when offering green solutions. Even among clients who consider themselves to be eco-conscious and responsible, being green may translate into conserving utilities and faithfully recycling. These individuals want energy-efficient appliances and heating and lighting systems, water-saving fixtures, and well-insulated walls and attics. They also have their eye on another kind of green — money.

Land assembly: Solving the land puzzle in American cities

Lucy Wallwork Construction & Building Materials

We see lots of seductive grand visions for how our cities might look, laid out on master plans that make anything seem possible. But the reality is that these plans generally do not start with a blank canvas. Indeed, the largest obstacle to the reshaping of our cities — whether that is for economic development, smart growth or housing delivery goals — is something much less sexy. The not-so-simple task of land assembly. Land assembly is the process of taking on a plot of land with high potential but highly fragmented ownership, and making it work as a whole.

Facility managers struggle to see ROI of building management technology

Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

More than 100 energy and facilities executives were interviewed recently to gauge how their firms are using technology and the challenges they face in realizing value. The research showed some in-depth insights from multiple industry sectors, but the responses came primarily from large enterprises with more than $500 million in annual revenue. The focus was on the direction of their facilities management strategies, what technologies they are deploying to optimize energy and facilities processes, and the top barriers to realizing expected value from these deployments.

Hurricanes Michael, Florence leave serious recovery challenges

Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & Environmental

In the weeks since Hurricanes Florence and Michael swept through the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, the Carolinas, and elsewhere, communities have started to assess damages and plan large-scale recovery efforts. This is difficult since both hurricanes have caused record levels of damage. The most recent Hurricane Michael death toll is at 45 people, while Florence caused 53 deaths. Overall damage reports are now available. Hurricane Michael caused $158 million in damaged crops, and the timber industry has endured $1.3 billion in damages.

Negotiating commercial leases: Focus on important issues

Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield Retail

For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate. Whether you are leasing a new location for the first time or negotiating a lease renewal for your business, here are two money-saving tips.

How can controls, automation, and instrumentation help with integration…

Joseph Zulick Manufacturing

As advances in technology make it more cost-effective to deploy the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), industries will need to acquire a strategic approach to integrating new sensor data with pre-existing data environments. Now more than ever, industries are seeking simple integrations with controls, automation, and data analytics visualization software to harness the power of IIoT and realize attractive operational and competitive benefits for their business. IIoT can unite people and systems on the plant floor with those at the enterprise level and enable users to get the most value from their automated systems while reducing technological and economic limitations.

Making housing more affordable

Michael J. Berens Construction & Building Materials

Historically, a robust housing industry has been a bellwether of a booming economy. At present, however, the economy is at its strongest point in 10 years, but the housing industry is limping along. Recent projections indicate annual home sales will fall below those of last year. A number of factors are contributing to this situation, but the major one is affordability. For many Americans who want to buy a home, the cost is just too high.

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