Published 2011

Civilian BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) passes
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
The Civilian Property Realignment Act (H.R. 1734) was approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on October 13th by a vote of 30 to 22.  Proposed by Representative Jeff Denham, the legislation is designed to improve the management of federal property and shrink the federal government’s footprint.

Seventy-six Awards Distributed in The Best of NeoCon® 2011 Competition
Chicago—Seventy-six awards were distributed in The Best of NeoCon® 2011 competition of contract furnishing products during NeoCon® at The Merchandise Mart. Six Innovation Awards and a Best of Competition Award were included among the honors in June. The Tables: Training & Work Category took the top prize as the Best of Competition with MOTUS, manufactured by HALCON. 

State Budgets Recover Slowly
WASHINGTON, D.C.—State budgets are recovering, but have not returned to pre-recession levels of 2008, according to the biannual report, “The Fiscal Survey of States,” released by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO).

US Postal Service Continues to Face Fiscal Crisis
The ongoing realignment of postal facilities to better fit the changing needs of customers is saving the Postal Service millions of dollars — but it and other cost-cutting measures are not enough to stave off a fast-approaching liquidity crisis.

Steelcase research reveals top trends of a global, mobile 24/7, interconnected world
As teams are increasingly distributed around the globe, and new technology un-tethers employees from the physical work environment, companies need to change the workplace itself to support people and the flow of information to help solve tough business problems, build market share and stay competitive. In other words, an interconnected workplace for an interconnected world.

Governors Struggle with Fiscal Stress
WASHINGTON—Governors continue to face fiscal stress and high unemployment, according to the National Governors Association (GSA) Center for Best Practices.

Round-Up: New Laws Enacted in First Quarter 2011
A wide range of state laws became effective January 1, 2011. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), these laws range from fresh drinking water for students (California) to outlawing use of K2 (Kansas).

Federal Legislation Promotes Federal Energy Savings and Strengthens Building Operations
On December 14, President Obama signed the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act. The Act was introduced in April 2010 by Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Judy Biggert (R-Il.) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-De.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.). It was supported by more than 33 leading organizations involved in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings, including IFMA, AFE, ASHRAE, NIBS, NEMA and the Electrical Safety Foundation International.

Starting at the Bottom: Raised Access Flooring
by Beth Leibson - When SAP Americas, a German software company, started to contemplate a second building on its 110-acre Newtown, Pennsylvania, regional headquarters site, height constraints were a major issue. “We were limited to 56 feet,” says Brian Barrett, Senior Project Manager, SAP Global Facilities

Federal Legislation Promotes Federal Energy Savings and Strengthens Building Operations
On December 14, President Obama signed the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act. The Act was introduced in April 2010 by Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Judy Biggert (R-Il.) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-De.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.). It was supported by more than 33 leading organizations involved in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings, including IFMA, AFE, ASHRAE, NIBS, NEMA and the Electrical Safety Foundation International.

The Air National Guard’s Readiness Center Building meets BRAC & LEED criteria with Wausau’s curtainwall
In September 2010, the Air National Guard (ANG) dedicated its new Readiness Center building at Joint Base Andrews to a former ANG director, Maj. Gen. Donald Shepperd. Now known as Shepperd Hall, the four-story, $52 million project features a blast hazard mitigating curtainwall system offering the ANG a secure, centralized command, as well as energy efficiency and operational efficiency.

A New Model for Military Medical Construction Decisions
by John A. Becker and Clayton A. Boenecke -- In recent years, the quality and condition of military medical facilities have been subject to intense scrutiny. Our Secretary of Defense has said that our service members “deserve the very best facilities and care to recuperate from their injuries . . .and apart from the war itself, the department has no higher priority.” As a result, leadership within the Department of Defense (DoD) and Congress concluded that the current inventory of hospitals, clinics, and support facilities required substantial improvement. Fundamental to this support was the recognition of our military medical infrastructure as a strategic national asset. While additional funding has become available to modernize a large, diverse, and world-wide inventory of military medical facilities, these increased resources have been accompanied by many new challenges.

White Paper - Greenworks Philadelphia contributes to the city’s rebirth