CFMD July 2022

JULY/AUGUST 2022

HYBRID OFFICE

LEGAL TIPS

FUEL-SWITCHING IN FACILITIES

MAPPING OUT STRATEGIES

MAKING WAVES A BLUE WHALE, LABS ON DISPLAY AND CORRIDORS FOR CHEMICALS AT MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY’S NEWEST SCIENCE COMPLEX

PLANNING YOUR NEXT CAREER MOVE

PA R T O F T H E

P A R T

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This spirit of collaborative leadership is the essence of who we are.

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[ contents ]

18 ON THE COVER: Memorial University’s Core Science Facility is located at 45 Arctic Avenue on the St. John’s campus.

10 CORPORATE COMEBACK Going fully hybrid at HSBC Bank’s new Toronto HQ.

14 FUEL-SWITCHING FORECAST he path to electrification of mechanical systems comes with varying degrees of T difficulty dependent on the region.

18 COASTAL CUES

26

new building opens at Newfoundland and Labrador’s only university to advance the A school’s growing community of scientists and engineers.

26 LEGAL DILEMMAS IN THE HYBRID WORKPLACE A cultural shift brings new considerations for health, safety and equity.

32 READY, SET, ACTION Agility for 360-degree learning. Here are some trends in educational furniture that encourage students to move within a space to support collaboration.

columns 9 MANAGEMENT MEMO 16 OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE 30 DESIGN 34 LAST WORD

department 6 OBSERVATIONS 8 FOUNDATIONS

July/August 2022 CFM&D 5

[ observations ] A SPECTACLE OF SCIENCE

T

he idea of a scientist experimenting heads-down in a dull basement lab, away from the light of day, is far from the reality at Memorial University, where feats of engineering and oceanography are on display for all to see. Showcasing science and bringing the field into the realm of curious eyes to explore—like fantastical items in a department store window—inspires students to forge ahead with advanced research and highlights the exciting role of science in everyday life.

In our education issue, we profile the new Core Science Facility at Newfoundland and Labrador’s Memorial University. One atrium was designed specifically for a 6,500pound blue whale skeleton.

In a growing hybrid workplace world, we turn to concerns over privacy, equity, and health and safety and what that means in a home office environment, with a look at important legal considerations.We also take a look at how one global organization is handling the office culture shift at its new headquarters in Toronto.

And the leap to net zero buildings informs a piece on fuel-switching challenges from coast to coast, bringing together thoughts from a recent Canada Green Building Council conference.

With summer comes time to reflect, whether that takes place on a beach or an outdoor patio. For anyone contemplating their career journey at this mid-point of 2022, check out the Management Memo for tips on investing in new FM experiences.

As always, you can find more news on our digital REMI Network.

Happy Summer, REBECCA MELNYK EDITOR, CANADIAN FACILITY MANAGEMENT & DESIGN REBECCAM@MEDIAEDGE.CA

JULY/AUGUST 2022 Volume 37, Issue No.2

EDITOR: Rebecca Melnyk rebeccam@mediaedge.ca SENIOR DESIGNER: Annette Carlucci annettec@mediaedge.ca GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Thuy Huynh roxyh@mediaedge.ca WEB DESIGNER: Rick Evangelista ricke@mediaedge.ca PRODUCTION MANAGER: Rachel Selbie rachels@mediaedge.ca CONTRIBUTORS: Barbara Carss, Amanda Darley, Dru Douglas, Giles Morgan, Marcia O’Connor CIRCULATION: Adrian Hollard circulation@mediaedge.ca (416) 512-8186 ext. 234 PRESIDENT: Kevin Brown kevinb@mediaedge.ca GROUP PUBLISHER: Sean Foley seanf@mediaedge.ca DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA: Steven Chester stevenc@mediaedge.ca

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DELIVERING QUALITY SERVICE AND SOLUTIONS FOR OVER A CENTURY A lot has changed since 1922, but not our dedication to excellence

DELIVERING QUALITY SERVICE AND SOLUTIONS FOR OVER A CENTURY • HVAC Services • Predictive Maintenance • Energy Management & Audits

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July/August 2022 CFM&D 7

[ foundations ] A STRONGER CASE FOR HEALTHY BUILDINGS A new report from the Centre for Active Design (CfAD), in collaboration with QuadReal Property Group, points to the positive ways healthy building strategies can drive value in real estate. Released June 8th, the report’s findings support the long-advised notion that investing in the health of a building leads to higher tenant satisfaction ratings and better financial outcomes.

“This research makes clear the value of benchmarking to transform the information about a portfolio into a pathway that owners and investors can act on to plan future investments,” said Joanna Frank, President and CEO of CfAD, operator of Fitwel.

“At scale, this will solidify health-promotion interventions as best practices across the real estate sector.”

COVID-19 has underscored the need for better benchmarking and reporting. Commercial building owners are also under greater pressure to provide data that shows exactly how their properties are impacting the health and well-being of those who work and live there.

Launched in tandem with the report, Fitwel has also introduced a “Portfolio Benchmarking Tool” that will allow building owners and investors to assess how a single asset or entire portfolio is impacting occupant health.

The new tool enables the user to calculate how their operating decisions will impact mental, social, and physical health outcomes, allowing them to invest more wisely and reap the rewards of better overall health.

To learn more about the Fitwel standards or to access the complete report, visit fitwel.org.

BOOK SMARTS

NEW SCHOOL

Diamond Schmitt was named Best of Competition winner of the 2022 American Library Association/ IIDA Library Design Awards for the North York Central Library. Located in Toronto, the renovation included expansive updates to the library’s sevenstory structure. As an integral part of the North York community, the library features large, multidisciplinary workspaces, natural light, and cutting-edge library science technology.

The School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is getting a new home with a purpose-designed facility. The project cost is $139.4 million, with $25 million from the province and $114.4 million from UBC. Construction is expected to start this summer with the building opening for students in early 2025. Designed by Patkau Architects + Architecture49, the fivestorey facility will feature classrooms and learning spaces on the lower floors, with research labs and spaces on the upper floors.

The building will consolidate classroom and lab spaces currently hosted in 24 buildings on the Vancouver campus.

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[ management memo ]

BY MARCIA O’CONNOR

INVESTING IN YOUR CAREER JOURNEY Facility management professionals partaking in continuing education courses are anxious and excited to explore the next step in their career journey, either to apply newly-acquired skills and knowledge at their current workplace or to seek out other opportunities in the industry. In doing so, these learners seek support and guidance for their next career move.

H

ere are some tips on how to prepare for a career change in facility management, based on personal experience in career planning and mentorship with 200-plus learners, colleagues, and friends.

IDENTIFY YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PASSION

First, think about the accomplishments that you would be proud to share and talk about in your present job, volunteer life and past work experiences. It is vital to identify your strengths and passion to showcase in your professional profile when seeking new career opportunities.

Your accomplishments are who you are.

Articulated properly, they will profile your confidence, ability to take on new challenges and your breadth of experience.

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

Take a step back and review your weaknesses, as this is critical to assess.

Are you able to overcome any through additional education or mentorship?

Ask yourself — are you working in your ideal job and, if not, what do you envision as the ideal job? Take a clear look at the reasons why you seek movement in your career. There could be a lack of stimulation, challenges and opportunities, changes in corporate culture and work responsibilities, difficulty with communication or colleagues, or family changes and relocation.

ALIGNING WITH COMPANY’S VISION AND MISSION

Employees who are able to connect with their company’s values, mission and vision will enjoy and believe

in the strategies and direction the company is aiming for.

If you want to work towards making buildings more energy efficient for the future of the planet, does the company you are interested in joining have a mandate for retrofitting their buildings to achieve that goal and become more environmentally economical?

WORK CULTURE

Sometimes we get into a slump and maintain the status quo in our work environment. Part of all basic human needs, even in employment, is having a strong work culture that offers trust, respect, and loyalty.These factors are very important when starting the search for new employment.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

YOUR RESUME

Professional development can be an important tool to continue boosting skills, knowledge and making connections.

Search out greater knowledge and skills that you can showcase for the next opportunity.

What you’ve learned about yourself and your accomplishments can now be reflected in your resume. Searching for your dream job becomes clearer and more defined.

Becoming the greatest asset to an employer involves challenging and educating oneself, and selecting advantageous career paths.You will need commitment and focus to follow-through with your next career move as it takes a lot of thought and steps to prepare for advancing forward. | CFM&D

JOB CHANGES

For many industry members, there seems to be a basic pattern to job hop every two to five years. In today’s changing work environment, it is acceptable to desire greater career challenges or opportunities.

Marcia O’Connor is president of AM FM Consulting Group. She is a strategicminded leader with more than 20-plus years of progressive experience in corporate real estate, asset management, and integrated facilities management.

Marcia has a passion for mentoring young professionals and helping people, teams, and organizations see their potential. She is the lead instructor for the University of Toronto School of Continued Studies’ facilities management courses, including the FM Certification Program and many others.

July/August 2022 CFM&D 9

WORKPLACE

BY REBECCA MELNYK

CORPORATE COMEBACK HSBC Bank’s new head office in Toronto goes fully hybrid and hastens mental health supports.

O

n a Friday morning, in HSBC Bank’s new corporate office at 16 York in downtown Toronto, sit-stand desks and meeting rooms are dotted with workers who’ve returned from pandemic lockdowns.

Over the past two years, the global bank has been deciding what postCOVID life should look like for their employees and rebooted into fullyhybrid work arrangements ahead of a March opening in the brand new 33-storey tower.

Occupying floors two to six and more than 5,200 square feet of retail on the main floor, the office suits a revamped collaborative approach for the 1,500 employees who call the office home base. There’s flexible work spaces, no assigned seating, and innovative technology to support teams working around the globe.

One could find Zoom-ready meeting rooms, quiet corners with high-back seating and ventilated booths that automatically close-in for private conversations. Digital white boards

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at team tables allow multiple users to collaborate in real time from any location, and there is a desk-to-person ratio of 1:3.3, with sit-stand or nonadjustable options.

To make office life easier, an employee experience ambassador is on hand, both in Toronto and the recently renovated national headquarters in Vancouver.

They oversee a rainbow of tasks. A typical day could involve arranging events, fixing IT glitches and assisting with HSBC’s global app, by which employees can book meeting rooms, see when their colleagues plan to be in the office, view building alerts and indoor floor plans, and navigate maps of the local neighbourhood.

Kim Toews, executive vice president and head of human resources, describes the ambassador role as people whose sole job is to “make the office a positive experience,” similar to hotel concierges.

“We wanted to make sure employees felt we are really focused on them and it’s not just about the business and being productive and cost-effective;

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this is very much about the employee experience,” she says, over a Zoom chat from one of HSBC’s meeting rooms in Toronto. “It’s also practical.

You can’t expect managers to know all the ins and outs, so centralizing that to one person is very efficient.”

The company has long embraced a flexible work policy that the pandemic has since magnified to unexpected levels. Many workers had never spent all five days in the office. There wasn’t a 1:1 desk ratio for every person, as vacations, illness, training, and travel all impacted desk space. As Toews says, “in a cost conscious environment you’re always trying to maximize every dollar spent.”

There’s more choice now, with four work styles based on internal employee surveys: full-time in office; full-time at home; flexible home; and flexible office. Going to the office also has more purpose. Employees revealed they wanted to return to “the stuff they were missing most” like connectivity and creativity.

“It’s not just about coming to the office, sitting down and working; it’s what are you going to do in the office,” says Toews. “We wanted people to tell us how often they think they are going to come in, but the more we talked about it, the more we started working out the kind of spaces and designs we need.”

“This is our best guess of what is going to work.A lot of spaces are flexible, so we can adjust as we see how people are using the space and the demand for different types of styles.”

Space planning has been a hurdle for many companies configuring return-to-office layouts that fit hybrid work models.

In B.C., HSBC’s Vancouver team contracted with WeWork

for alternative offices to relieve overflow at other locations, where a lack of space could be a barrier to productivity. “We are actually trying to dedicate more people to spaces there,” says Toews. “That gives us some additional flexibility, where in leases you don’t have that as much.”

The move to 123,000 square feet at 16 York, a designated LEED Platinum, WELL-certified tower designed by architectsAlliance and B+H Architects, was announced in September 2018.

Back then, the glass tower had yet to fully rise on the southwest corner of

July/August 2022 CFM&D 11

WORKPLACE

�

An informal gathering spot for work or collaboration. Photo courtesy of HSBC.

York Street and Bremner Boulevard, south of Union Station. It had only broken ground in 2017, during a time when the vacancy rate in Toronto was 4 per cent and 1.5 per cent in the south core.

12

Relocating from 70 York brought opportunities to turn technology up a notch.“The goal was to look at the latest and greatest, not necessarily cutting edge, but to retain the best details about remote working, while still getting the benefits

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of being face-to-face,” says Toews.

“It is very hard if you’re not in a room to feel that connectivity. That was one of the biggest objectives of the technology; to make everyone feel as equal as possible.”

Equity is central to the conversation around hybrid work modes that bring with them a new etiquette of sorts. One tip—not signing off immediately when a meeting ends. A remote participant who can ‘join in the after conversation’ helps with that connectivity, suggests Toews.

It’s also a small way of supporting workers’ psychological well-being, which the pandemic has intensified.

Workplaces have traditionally focused on protecting employees from physical harm, but there is strong scientific evidence that depressed mood, anxiety, and burnout can affect their mental health, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

“This is our best guess of what is going to work.”

“I cannot emphasize the importance of manager training when it comes to this,” says Toews. “Everyone’s stress levels have gone up significantly. The degradation of our mental health is significant and continues.”

Managers must now oversee staff who are experiencing less patience and rational, cognitive thinking, she explains. The human brain has adapted to high levels of anxiety and stress during the years-long pandemic.

“It has the greatest and most direct impact on employees if a manager knows how to spot someone who is struggling or knows how to alleviate

some of that stress,” she says.”We haven’t given managers the right tools in the past; it was more in a crisis moment, as opposed to that ongoing attention to it.”

The company has a wealth of resources like the online LifeSpeak platform for mental health and wellbeing education and skill-building tools via HSBC University, which help managers create psychologically healthy environments.

Last year, the company boosted mental-health coverage under its employee assistance program to 18 fullycovered counselling sessions per year.

“If a company does not have any kind of employee assistance program, that is job number one because people often don’t want to talk to someone at work about what they’re struggling with,” says Toews. “We also try to destigmatize it as a free service and encourage people to use it, not just when they feel they are having a breakdown.”

There’s a lot to smooth out for any company surfacing from the throes of the pandemic and mental health awareness figures prominently into the equation, as is rolling out a fullyenabled hybrid workforce.

“We’ve proven we can all work remotely... we had really great results last year from a business perspective,” says Toews. “As the organization truly buys into it, and as employees are really forgiving while we all try to figure this out, I think this will result in a much better place.” | CFM&D

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July/August 2022 CFM&D 13

[ operations and maintenance ]

BY BARBARA CARSS

FUEL-SWITCHING FORECAST Climate, cost and capacity pose fuel-switching challenges for facility owners looking to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with Canada’s target for a 40 to 45 per cent reduction below 2005 levels by 2030. Industry panellists contemplating the electrification of mechanical systems during a recent Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) conference in Toronto acknowledged that the leap to net zero comes with varying degrees of difficulty from region to region across the country.

F

or example, B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a ’s lower mainland enjoys the twin advantages of a clean electricity grid and milder winter temperatures that generally don’t compromise the effectiveness of airsource heat pumps. Elsewhere, the arrival of new technologies and ongoing replacement of fossil-fuel-fired power generation with renewable sources are expected to ease the transition to low-carbon heating and domestic hot water systems, but that’s occurring on a patchwork of timelines.

A carbon price on pace to reach $170 per tonne by 2030 and the potential for other regulatory and investmentrelated imperatives are now reshaping conventional cost-benefit analyses.

Yet, even as the commercial real estate industry is urged to readjust priorities from incremental improvements with quick paybacks to big-ticket, deep retrofits, energy efficiency continues to be a preferred gateway to decarbonization for many companies pursuing emissions reduction targets.

“One of the goals along with heating electrification is to reduce the amount of heat we need. It seems like now we’re talking about carbon, carbon, carbon, carbon, but energy efficiency is still very much the first thing that we focus on,” affirmed Ariel Feldman, director of sustainability with Choice Properties.

“You still need to take all those steps first because, from the owner’s perspective,

14

electrification is not necessarily going to pay back.You might spend more money up front and you might spend more money on the operations side.That’s not a very good business case to start from.”

That said, he maintains business cases should no longer be anchored in the supposition that a boiler has a 30year life cycle. Speaking at the REMI Show in June, Jeff Ranson, director of energy, environment and advocacy with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Greater Toronto, hammered home the same message.

“If you’re comparing the cost of zero carbon with your current operating costs, that’s a false equivalency because your current building operations may not be possible in the future. Business as usual may not exist, and probably won’t exist,” Ranson submitted. “We’re not typically factoring in changes to the asset value whether or not your building is aligned with carbon targets. We’re not factoring carbon pricing. We’re not factoring in policy risk.”

“The sticks are coming,” Steve Kemp, a principal with RDH Building Science, warned CAGBC conference attendees.

INCENTIVES AND OBSTACLES FOR ELECTRIC HEAT PUMPS

In British Columbia, there’s now one such stick intertwined with a carrot. Since the release of the provincial budget on February 23, 2022, the provincial sales tax (PST) on gas-fired heating and cooling

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systems has jumped from 7 per cent to 12 per cent, while heat pumps are now exempt from PST. “To qualify, it must be a heat pump for air-conditioning and heating, where your heat pump is your primary heating and cooling system,” said Pushpinder Rana, senior director, commercial products and industry relations, with Mitsubishi Canada’s HVAC division. “Those are huge trigger points, and we are seeing similar movements across Quebec.”

Kemp outlined some of the obstacles to adoption. Notably, some air-source heat pumps employing variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technology function well down to temperatures of minus 30⁰ Celsius, but, predominantly, hydronic systems “go kaput” at about minus 15⁰ C, necessitating backup boilers in areas where the temperature falls below that threshold. Because heat pumps circulate lower-temperature water — at about 49⁰ C versus 82⁰ C with boiler systems — a switchover will likely also entail replacement of space heating equipment.

“Whether it’s a fan coil, baseboard convector or radiant panels, at these lower temperatures, you need a bigger physical thing to deliver the same amount of heat to that space,” Kemp advised.“We may be gutting every baseboard convector, every fan coil in the building.”

Retrofitters are installing larger convectors and fan coils, multiple-row fan coils or fan-assisted baseboard convectors.

However, reinforcing Feldman’s argument for prioritizing energy efficiency, Kemp also cited an example of a major retrofit where his firm derived sufficient savings from building envelope improvements to cancel out such required investments.

“There, we basically cut the heating demand by 75 per cent and theoretically could have kept the same mechanical system,” he noted. “Sometimes you can get lucky.”

In the future, hybrid hydronic-VRF heat pump systems are expected to improve cold-weather performance and mitigate uncertainty around pending phase-downs of some hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. Rana sketched out a range of existing and emerging VRF heat pump and heat recovery products he predicts will increasingly capture market share, including hyper-heating technology for cold-temperature performance and a water-source format.

“There is a huge gap between what a heat pump or heat recovery solution provider can offer to the market and the understanding and the knowledge the market has,” he asserted.“We have training for consulting engineers.We have training for contractors.The objective is to educate the market.”

Alternatively, geo-thermal systems promise consistent output everywhere the required wells can be accommodated.

“If you’ve got space on your site for geothermal, you can do it across the country and we’re seeing really good paybacks even on a 15-year assessment,” reported Cara Sloat, senior engineer with the mechanical and electrical engineering firm, Hammerschlag and Joffe. “It’s worth looking at that technology even if you’ve previously been worried that you can’t afford it. Some of the big banks are financing that now also, so that can take it off your project’s books and get it somewhere where it’s easier to deal with.”

MAPPING OUT STRATEGIES TO 2030 AND 2050

She suggests the timing is right to convert to a heat pump in any building with a cooling system approaching the end of its life cycle, but also highlighted potential for capital planners to stretch the expenditure over a longer period.

“There are a variety now of quite good heat-only heat pumps on the market so you can get something that is optimized for heating only that would do your domestic hot water plant and directly replace a boiler,” Sloat said.“So maybe you do half the plant now and you think about phasing.That is available.”

Meanwhile, a portfolio primarily consisting of open-air retail and industrial warehouse buildings has given Choice Properties more flexibility for a phased

FEW LOW-CARBON TECHNOLOGIES MAKING MARKET INROADS A newly released examination of deep retrofit logistics finds that few of the existing technologies projected to help dramatically curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have yet conquered their market categories. The study from the Canada Green Building Council and the Delphi Group assesses 27 strategic building products and systems for availability, affordability and degree of adoption within the industry, and concludes that only eight figure positively for all three of those considerations.

Electrical and mechanical equipment have made greater progress toward being the status quo, while more obstacles to market penetration are noted for building envelope technologies and renewable energy systems.

Market awareness, a steady supply chain and competitive pricing will be needed to encourage the rollout of low-carbon technologies on the scale required to achieve emissions reduction goals. The study calls for a priority focus on six key technologies identified as “having greater relevance on the future of building improvements”. They include heat pumps, wall recladding systems, building automation systems, heat and energy recovery systems, building integrated photovoltaics and energy storage.

To read the full article, Deep retrofit logistics trip up on key products, please visit the REMI Network.

approach to its 2050 net zero target.

Feldman projects rooftop HVAC units will need to be replaced at least twice in that period and, for now, that means dual-fuel gas and electric systems in some cases. It’s an approach he aims to minimize given the extra costs of two systems, but it’s a necessary contingency to address concerns about pass-through utility costs to tenants and capacity of the electrical grid. The latter can be a particular vulnerability when landlords have little ability to control tenants’ energy use.

“That was a limiting factor at one of our sites where we decided, even though we would have ideally liked to go all-electric, we’re doing dual-fuel for now while the grid is improved,” Feldman recounted.

“We’re hoping with the next iteration in 15 years, we’ll go all-electric at that point.

We have a little bit more leeway than you have on a multi-unit residential building or an office where you’re replacing a boiler that lasts 30 years.”

“We find that trying to retrofit heat pumps into existing buildings with limited space for additional transformers is very challenging,” Sloat concurred. “Doing a study on a high-rise building, we saw we were adding maybe 3 megawatts to back

it up with an electric boiler, which is the same as a whole new building.”

Regardless of complications, with a the carbon price now at $50 per tonne, Kemp calculates electric heat pumps are already more cost-efficient than natural gas systems in British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec. That pool should expand rapidly as the price takes its ordained trajectory to $170/tonne over the next eight years, and on up to possibly as high as $300/tonne by 2050.

By 2030, Kemp foresees Saskatchewan and Nunavut will be the only areas of Canada where fuel-switching may not be a money-saving proposition. Feldman concludes it’s best to get proactively ahead of that curve.

“British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, where the grids are clean and the electricity is relatively inexpensive, that’s where you want to focus at the start. Start with the ones that are a bit easier and then build your experience,” he urged. “As the technology improves and the supply chain improves and costs start to come down relative to the existing technologies, you will get to a point where it starts to look better and better in other provinces as well.”| CFM&D

Barbara Carss is editor-in-chief of Canadian Property Management.

July/August 2022 CFM&D 15

[ operations and maintenance ]

BY GILES MORGAN

GETTING TECHIE WITH SCHOOL HYGIENE compounds (VOCs) or formaldehyde.

Increasing ventilation by opening windows may cause poor outdoor air to come inside if the area is polluted, and presents temperature challenges which can impact comfort, particularly during the cold winter months and humid summer days.

In a global washroom and air quality survey conducted for Dyson in July 2021, 83 per cent of 15,100 people across 20 countries believe air purification is important in indoor working environments (1). Among the Canadian respondents, the top three benefits include being less likely to transmit or contract illness from microbes in the air, reducing the intake of harmful particles for longterm health, and supporting a fresher feeling environment.

If schools are thinking about adding portable purifiers to classrooms and common areas to aid in better indoor air quality, they should consider purifiers that are scientifically tested to capture particles as small as allergens and viruses, and include:

Giving air purification and washroom health and safety a boost

T

echnology can play an important role in strengthening hygiene in schools with mechanisms like filtration to help capture bacteria and other particles to reduce the spread of germs

16

Air quality is a big driver of school hygiene, but while many buildings have built-in ventilation systems, it can be difficult to know how effective these systems are at removing pollution from the air. Pollutants can include particles ranging in size and gases such as volatile organic

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High-quality filtration and powerful projection to complement existing HVAC systems and provide cleaner, purified air throughout public spaces such as schools; A fully sealed HEPA 13 standard filtration2 — not only ensuring that no air bypasses the filter but blocking any potential leak points through which dirty air might enter the airflow. Filter systems should capture 99.97 per cent of particles as small as 0.3 microns including allergens, pollutants, bacteria, pollen, mould spores and gases; Strong air circulation to ensure that purified air reaches every corner of the room; Quiet operation to reduce unwanted disruption in educational spaces.

GREEN SEAL BANS ALL PFAS IN CLEANING PRODUCTS Shared washrooms also have a significant impact on hygiene in schools.

The survey found that 65 per cent of respondents were more concerned about visiting public washrooms than they were the previous year, indicating empty paper towel dispensers among their top five frustrations along with a lack of toilet paper, unclean toilets, no soap, and blocked toilets.The survey also found that 24 per cent of Canadians were worried about drying their hands with dirty air from dryers. This is another area where HEPA filters could be beneficial—purifying the air used to dry hands Canadians said that if a washroom did not have any working hand dryers or paper towels, 32 per cent would let their hands dry naturally while 19 per cent would wipe them on their clothes.

Both options present risks of undoing the work of cleaning hands in the first place.A landmark 1997 study found that damp hands can transfer up to 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands.

With the right technology and a regular cleaning schedule, education facilities can alleviate many of these concerns, ensuring washrooms are more hygienic and ready for visitors.

Armed with the right information and data, schools can make informed choices about how to keep their students and staff safe, while prioritizing hygiene and protecting those most vulnerable. | CFM&D

1. Global survey conducted for Dyson in July 2021 across 20 countries worldwide (UK, DE, ES, FR, IT, NL, US, CA, MX, CN, JP, MY, SG, AU,

Green Seal, an industry-leading environmental standard development and certification organization, now prohibits all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in certified cleaning and personal care products.

PFAS are a large group of synthetically produced chemicals that have a history of use dating back to the 1940s. The category includes over 12,000 chemicals that are often found in food packaging, coatings, personal care and cosmetics, paints, textiles, cookware, and even some cleaning products. PFAS have carbon-fluorine bonds that make them persistent in the environment and are also associated with numerous adverse health effects, including the body’s ability to develop beneficial antibodies in response to vaccines.

Green Seal says it is taking a product-category approach to developing PFAS restrictions as part of a multi-year phased initiative to ensure that certified products in all categories have leadership restrictions.

Giles Morgan is a senior design engineer with Dyson. He joined the organization from university and within his 4.5 years has been part of the new product development engineering team.

DESIGN, INNOVATION AND QUALITY IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES.

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TW, HK, IN, TR, AE, BE) with 15,100 respondents in total (500 in Canada), aged 18 years-old or above. Individual

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percentages vary per country.

July/August 2022 CFM&D 17

FACILITY DESIGN

COASTAL CUES An ocean-inspired facility puts science on display for the next generation of students and researchers in Newfoundland and Labrador.

BY REBECCA MELNYK

PHOTO BY JANE BROKENSHIRE

July/August 2022 CFM&D 19

FACILITY DESIGN

�

Clockwise from left: Students gather between classes to study and socialize; salvaged remains of the whale are never far from view and bring awareness of animal protection; seating choices on the ground floor. Photos by Jane Brokenshire. The Core Science Facility was built in three different construction phases. Baraco completed the enabling work in 2015. Pomerleau then completed foundation work in 2016.

Marco Services Limited completed the main building construction, which took place from April 2017 to August 2021. Photo by Karl Hipolito.

A

blue whale skeleton, 82 feet long, suspends from the ceiling of Memorial University’s Core Science Facility — as though it is swimming in empty space.

The 30-metre-high, light-filled west atrium is suitable for displaying the remains of Earth’s largest known creature and ref lects the motto of Newfoundland and Labrador’s only university—Provehito in Altum, which means “launch forth into the deep.”

Soon after the carcass washed ashore in Bonne Bay in 2014, the Royal Ontario Museum and Research Casting International restored the marine specimen, which became central to the facility design, led by HOK Architects and Hearn Fougere Architects. The whale skull was so large it had to be brought into the building during construction to properly fit.

The 6,500-pound skeleton, from a species that’s been declining exponentially over the past century, is submerged into the aesthetic with

20 CFM&D | Part of the REMI network | www.REMInetwork.com

its commanding presence meant to inspire a new generation of scientists and the school’s oceans-related research.

Gazing in from outside, the whale is a prominent fixture for passersby—an iconic touch to a structure intended to be a gateway for the St. John’s campus. “We took a lot from the ocean vernacular—using the iceberg as inspiration for form and colour of the exterior,” says Jeff Churchill, the regional leader of Science + Technology for HOK’s Toronto studio.

The colourful painted houses in downtown St. Johns—a bright palette of what’s called “Jellybean Row”—are reflected in the facility’s colour-coded f loors as a form of wayfinding. A floating box in a lounge area of the west atrium draws upon the fishing huts along the coastline.

The building is made of three tower block pavilions separated by two tall vertical atrias. From the west, through a connecting promenade, students converge on a series of platforms in the east atrium to study and collaborate in be-

tween classes— a feature, which plays upon the province’s rugged shelf-like coast.

MAKING WAVES

The 475,000-square foot building— delivered on a budget of $325 million, with funding from Memorial University, the provincial government and Canada’s New Building Canada Fund—merges collaborative student spaces with teaching labs for the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, as well as labs from the Core Research

Equipment and Instrument Training CREAIT network.

Electrical and computer engineering programs in the province are in tremendous demand from both Canadian and international students.

“Our undergraduate computer engineering class is growing, our research-based graduate student population has grown substantially and we’ve just added new graduate programs in artificial intelligence and software engineering,” the university said via correspondence with CFM&D. July/August 2022 CFM&D 21

FACILITY DESIGN

�

A series of windows look into the second-floor computer design studio. Photo by Karl Hipolito. Hands-on learning takes place inside the computer design studio. Photo by Jane Brokenshire.

“Despite all of this growth, the local industry needs more highly-qualified ECE grads.”

With existing campus facilities nearing the end of their design life cycle, this new space is also poised to attract and retain prominent faculty and source external research funding through shell space and industry partnerships, while creating opportunities for students inside the classroom and within the community.

The idea is that it also lasts 50 to 100 years. Materials used for construction were selected with the local climate in mind. Robust exterior pre-cast panels made of three million pounds of sand and 1.5 million pounds of cement strengthen the building envelope, while mechanical, electrical and laboratory systems are designed to be flexible for

future changes to the research and curriculum programs.

As the body of scientific knowledge constantly evolves, the facility is also reducing the barriers that separate academic disciplines. As the university explained, “while we don’t know what the future will hold, it is reasonable to assume that the problems that will be addressed will become increasingly complex and often beyond the realm of a single academic discipline to solve.”

New faculty members no longer have to wait to begin their research as individual spaces have been swapped with shared spaces with like-minded faculty.

A more novel design is the CREAIT network, which makes major research infrastructure accessible to the entire university community, rather than

22 CFM&D | Part of the REMI network | www.REMInetwork.com

residing within the lab of the individual who wrote the grant.

EXPLOSION-PROOF CORRIDOR

In a building laden with 3,500 lab fixtures, are more high-tech hopes as design provisions allow for rooftop renewable energy teaching and research labs for solar panels and wind turbines.

Currently in place is dedicated routing technology that delivers chemicals and lab-related hazardous materials throughout the facility. The idea is to reduce the life safety risks associated with transporting chemicals and cut down delivery time.

Chemicals leave the ground-level stores department and immediately travel to the penthouse level via an adjacent service elevator. An exclusive, explosion-proof penthouse corridor

�

Clockwise from left: The collaboration platform conference room. Photo by Karl Hipolito; the installation was designed to give people the feeling of being underwater—watching the whale swim above. Photo by Jane Brokenshire; an inorganic chemistry teaching lab looking into a class in session. Photo by Karl Hipolito.

runs the entire length of CSF—almost two football fields long.

From this corridor, each of the buildings’ three pavilions can be directly accessed via separate service elevators.

The service elevators are located at each of the five lab levels and are centrally positioned to quickly access laboratories upon exit.

SEE-THROUGH SCIENCE

Large laboratory windows further the collaborative intention of the space. As students and the public walk past, they can observe experiments in motion. For instance, swarm robotics work could be on display in CSF-4101—a room for research projects involving small commercial drones.

There are also plans for ground station displays for the Killick-1 CubeSat. The

“We took a lot from the ocean vernacular—using the iceberg as inspiration. . .”

student-built observation satellite, funded by the Canadian Space Agency’s Canadian CubeSat Project, will collect big data on sea ice and ocean conditions and be a first in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Some rationale behind [the displays] is to entice students from undergrad to continue to pursue careers in science through the upper levels of research,” says Churchill. “We also situated some

undergrad spaces adjacent to some more advanced research spaces, which allows for students to come in contact with the research projects going on in the upper years.”

The facility opened its doors to students in September 2021, with plans for future occupants, including the Department of Psychology, the Ocean Frontier Institute and the Memorial Centre for Artificial Intelligence. | CFM&D July/August 2022 CFM&D 23

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IS NOW A PRIORITY IN FACILITY MANAGEMENT Sustainability has taken precedence in facility management, and for good reasons. Beyond the fact that greener operations unlock savings and protect asset values, tenants and investors are more interested than ever in partnering with facilities that demonstrate an awareness for – and resilience against – evolving climate issues.

“The idea of sustainability has been around for decades, but the awareness around climate-related issues has evolved,” agrees Kim Saunders, RPA®|HP®, CLO®, BOMA

1

Fellow, Property Manager with East Port Properties, adding, “Today, there’s a recognition that real estate accounts for a significant portion of the world’s energy usage – up to 40% according to the United Nations – and that property managers and operators have a big role to play in contributing to a healthier, more resilient planet.”

Prioritizing sustainability in asset management also makes business sense. Facilities that embrace energy-saving equipment and eco-forward practices are more resilient and cost-effective to run.

It’s little wonder, then, that a recent Bloomberg report states Global ESG assets will surpass $53 trillion by 2025 to represent over a third of the world’s total assets under management1.

In short: It pays to put environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies at

the top of the facility management agenda. And to do that, says Saunders, facility teams require the training, skills, and support to lead the way.

“To be successful, [facility managers] need to know a bit about everything when it comes to sustainability,” says Saunders. “They need to know what technologies or processes will make their buildings more efficient, and they have to be able to sell sustainable strategies and investments to owners and other stakeholders.”

Going further with BOMI Championing sustainability in facilities management takes more than good intentions. It requires additional training and resources to ensure impactful strategies take root. It’s for this reason that programs like BOMI’s High Performance (HP)

www.bloomberg.com/professional/blog/esg-assets-may-hit-53-trillion-by-2025-a-third-of-global-aum

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Sustainable Buildings and Facilities Management Administrator programs are designed to provide facility managers with the tools, resources, and skills to rise above evolving climate change challenges.

“BOMI’s FMA® designation course basically prepares you for anything that comes your way,” says Saunders. “It gives you the additional skills and knowledge to take your job to the next level or even take steps towards your future career in facilities management.”

“I always tell my coworkers to plan for the job they want, and that’s what the FMA® program allows,” she adds.

BOMI’s FMA® program is complemented by the organization’s HP program, a designation source that offers a more granular exploration of this fast-evolving topic.

“The BOMI-HP® program is deep dive into the things you do as a property or facility manager, how they relate to sustainability, and how

to get future ESG initiatives off the ground,“ Saunders explains.

“And that’s an important piece,” she continues. “To make any progress on sustainability, you need to know how to engage stakeholders and communicate both the financial and social benefits.”

Indeed, gaining buy-in for sustainable initiatives can be a barrier for facilities management teams. It is a skill that requires insight into how investments in cleaner, more efficient operations translate into long-term savings.

And that’s not always an easy sell.

“I remember trying to implement daytime cleaning among our tenants because I knew it would save energy,” Saunders recalls. “I got a lot of resistance at first until one of the tenants finally agreed to try it on a pilot basis. I kept track of the results and shared them with other tenants, and pretty soon everyone started seeing the benefits. Soon after, they

started asking me to sign them up.”

The good news is that it’s getting easier to sell building owners and tenants on sustainability – both in regards to the return on investment and the positive impact on tenant relations. The key, Saunders notes, is communicating the value: “Once people understand how sustainability benefits and operation, it’s easier to get that support and engagement. And now, because climate change is such a public issue, that buy-in is becoming easier to secure.”

The pressure is on facility teams to go further with sustainability and ESG. For those in the industry, that means understanding what needs to be done and acquiring the skills to take action.

Learn more about BOMI’s FMA® (www.bomicanada.ca/facilitiesmanagement-administrator) and BOMI-HP® Designation (www. bomicanada.ca/bomi-hp) courses.

WORKPLACE

BY REBECCA MELNYK

LEGAL DILEMMAS IN THE HYBRID WORKPLACE

Almost two-thirds of Canadian workers indicated they prefer hybrid or remote workplaces in an Accenture survey last year. A more recent Ipsos poll in May 2022 found one-in-three workers would change jobs if their employers mandated an exclusive return to the office. Organizations are fashioning work models that reflect flexible and remote preferences. Along with this culture shift comes new legal considerations and best practices for safe, equitable spaces.

S

ome employees may need additional support to succeed in a hybrid workplace, whether it’s because of protected grounds under human rights legislation or performance needs, says Maddie Axelrod, a labour and employment lawyer with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. She was speaking in April during a webinar on the topic.

Companies may likely field various concerns around inclusivity. There could be animosity from workers who are required in the office versus their teleworking colleagues. Employees who’ve gone remote might also feel detached from the physical workplace.

“Equitable treatment on the team is important for obvious reasons like team morale,” says Axelrod. “We also know there’s a challenge with

recruitment and retention right now.

People may not want to return to work and join an office where they feel they’re not part of a cohesive team.”

She advises employers to listen and survey for input and develop policies and practices that account for various types of work—for instance, building a hybrid model into promotion decisions.

“If you have more traditional markers of success or commitment and you’re shifting into a hybrid workplace, give some thoughts as to whether you need to adjust those metrics to match,” says Axelrod. “Have you traditionally been rewarding people who spent most time in the office and are you no longer going to be doing that?”

CHANGES TO TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT, OVERTIME, ATTENDANCE

In the context of flexibility, the request for alternative arrangements is growing.

If a change to terms of employment occurs as a result, companies should secure their workers’ written consent prior to reduced hours or wages, and changes in responsibility, says Melissa Eldridge, labour and employment lawyer with Borden Ladner Gervais.

She references Hagholm v. Coreio Inc., 2018 ONCA 633, in which the recall of an employee previously permitted to work from home three days a week amounted to constructive dismissal. The employer had changed the terms of employment without the worker’s consent.

A commute-free, remote office culture is also prodding more people to work extra hours at home due to choice or losing track of time. “In terms of a role, what they are paid and their contract, they may be entitled to more pay for that time,” says Axelrod.

“When people are working remotely, it is important to develop policies to ensure everyone is clear about the parameters around working longer hours and overtime, and the obligation to track and record those hours.”

Employers are encouraged to set boundaries for when the work day begins and ends—whether that means logging in and out on a traditional 9-to-5 schedule or working within flexible hours.

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY AT HOME

As of June 2, employers who employ 25 or more workers must now have a written policy in place on electronic monitoring. The new legislation is part of Bill 88, the Working for Workers Act, 2022, which became law in April.

“There may be various other non-COVID reasons that people can’t fit into a hybrid workplace as planned. Flexibility and creativity are going to be key here.”

Although the policy doesn’t give workers a r ight-to-disconnect, many employers are taking the opportunity to review expectations around disconnecting, which is harder to accomplish with remote arrangements, says Axelrod.

“Home offices are still in the home and work is being conducted there,” she adds. “There is a limited expectation of privacy even with a work computer.”

The policy must identify whether an employer electronically monitors employees and, if so, describe how and in what circumstances employees are electronically monitored and identify the purposes for which electronic monitoring may be used and how.

Even if companies don’t engage in e-monitoring, Eldridge suggests doing a “quick sweep” to determine whether contracts, collective agreements or policies touch upon this practice. Due to Bill 88, as well as new considerations with the hybrid workplace, she also advises updating an acceptable use policy, which establishes rules that a user must agree to for network access.

“If e-surveillance is happening, for example—to keep track of vehicles used in the workplace, mileage or locations visited on any given day, there is a justifiable use that could be a pre-existing arrangement that exists,” she says. “The rationale for monitoring is often a very important point and goes a long way in terms

of your efforts to be transparent with your employees.”

On another level, the security of employers’ information that will be accessed remotely is also a key privacy consideration, whether work is being conducted on home or company networks.

PROTECTING WELLBEING IN REMOTE WORKPLACES

Under provincial labour laws, such as Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), employers must take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect the health and safety of workers. The OHSA has an exception for private establishments.

“It is not entirely clear if this will apply in the context of people working from home, but our best advice is to assume that it does and this obligation to protect your workers is still going to apply even when they are working remotely,” says Axelrod.

As she further explains, decisions from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) show their coverage generally extends to employees “performing job duties in the course of employment”— on the road, in other remote places or in the office.

“Another best practice is creating a risk assessment checklist that offers employees a step-by step review of their working environment at home or in the office,” Eldridge July/August 2022 CFM&D 27

WORKPLACE

recommends. “It promotes a culture of safety for each and every employee.”

She advises asking employees to “sign back” to show they’ve scanned for hazards—for instance, loose cables and back-friendly ergonomic equipment.

‘DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE APPLIES AT HOME’

Hybrid or remote work models must also reflect the duty of employers to reasonably accommodate employees who fall into groups protected by human rights legislation to the point of undue hardship.

In what will likely be a “very case-by-case and factspecific” situation, high-risk employees may continue requesting remote work or a tweaked hybrid model.

“If an employee has a legitimate substantiating document for human rights-related reasons and can’t fit into the hybrid work model the way you thought, then you need to go through an accommodation process,” says Axelrod.

“There may be various other non-COVID reasons that people can’t fit into a hybrid workplace as planned.

Flexibility and creativity are going to be key here.”

Companies may also need to provide special office equipment for these home-working employees.

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28 CFM&D | Part of the REMI network | www.REMInetwork.com

Untitled-6 1

Meeting accommodation needs isn’t a one-size-fits all solution. Potential outcomes could mean modifying or bundling job duties, alternative assignments, disability leave for strictly in-office roles, or full-time or part-time remote work. A flexible schedule for work-life balance is yet another option many companies are exploring—even if the statue doesn’t apply.

Close to half (45 per cent) of Canadians say the pandemic has negatively impacted their mental health, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s mental-health index in May. “They are not the same employees who existed prior to the pandemic,” Eldridge observes. “We are seeing employees who can feel drained or bored because their life has been infiltrated.”

In other instances, workers may feel anxious to connect with colleagues or exhausted from video calls. The lawyers offer a spate of strategies for tackling declining mental health: combat digital exhaustion with acceptable in-person arrangements; invest in better benefit plans and allowances, such as food delivery; change traditional working hours for balance; focus on active engagement; and set clear expectations.

As more people ditched urban life for small towns and other provinces, companies are encouraged to proactively clarify jurisdictional issues that come from teleworking across any border.

Employees may require working permits or visas.

Companies may need to “carry on business” in that jurisdiction with corporate filings and paying taxes, as well as registering for workers compensation and reviewing applicable local employment laws.

TIPS FOR HYBRID AND REMOTE WORK POLICIES

As a form of legal protection, a hybrid or remote work policy outlines when and how employees can work outside the office, and should include all leaders within an organization. This is a document that companies can convey as fluid—with potential future modifications, The lawyers advise this policy reminds employees of work obligations, such as attendance, performance and confidentiality, and reiterates the code of conduct as workplace harassment can also transpire in remote set-ups.

On top of that, companies can clarify expectations for a safe workplace, procedures for hours of work and overtime, and equipment reimbursement, with room to vary the policy for human rights accommodation purposes “Policies aren’t going to anticipate every single possible situation that is going to arise, especially as we venture into this new area of hybrid working,” says Axelrod. “But if you set out guidelines and general principles— that moreor-less expected conduct you have for your employees, it will put you in a good position to have a strong, effective, cohesive hybrid workplace.” | CFM&D

2022-06-09 12:36 AM

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WHO'S WHO 2019

June 2018 • Vol. 33 #2

Costa advised that he no longer wished to occupy his role as president. The emergency meeting took place at the defendant’s (MTCC 1292’s) premises.

At the emergency meeting, the plaintiff and Mr. Da Costa entered into a heated argument, which led Mr. Da Costa to “lose it” and strike the plaintiff on the head with a chair. Mr. Da Costa was charged by the police and received a conditional discharge for assault with a weapon. iff commen The plaintiff commenced a civil action against Mr. Da Costa fo for his use of force as well as MTCC TCC 1292 for fo failing to ensure her safety and nd failing to employ security meet measures at board meetings.

MTCC 1292 brought a motion summary judgment otion for su to dismiss the plaintiff’s plaintiff’ claim against it nly opposed by Mr. Da Costa which was only given his crossclaim MTCC 1292 ossclaim against ag on and indemnity. inde for contribution

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In Omotayo v. Da Costa, 2018, the defendant occupier, Metro Toronto Condominium Corporation 1292 (MTCC 1292), was successful in dismissing the plaintiff’s claim and the assailant’s crossclaim when a member in attendance at a condominium board meeting struck another meeting attendee with a chair.

Justice Nishikawa found that the duty the condominium corporation owed to the plaintiff did not include preventing an assault that occurred during their condominium board meeting.

Facts of the case T he plaintif f, J ac queline O mot ayo, was a resident and former chair of the condominium corporation. The defendant, Jose Da Costa, was also a resident and former president of the condominium corporation. An emergency board meeting was held on Oct. 4, 2011, to discuss the future organization of the board as Ms. Omotayo had recently been removed from her position as chair and Mr. Da

By Steven Chester

SERVING THE FACILIT Y CLE ANING & MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY

Let’s face it, we all want our businesses to be social media rock stars, and we know it ain’t easy.

It’s becoming more prevalent that some of the most popular social media platforms have been infiltrated by those who game the system.

This includes those that buy fake followers and “likes” in order to create the illusion that their social media profile is more popular than it is.

These fake followers are predominantly bots – accounts run by software designed to look and act like real people.

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New services are also popping up that allow authentic social media accounts to become part of the bot game. By signing up for the service, the user authorizes their account to automatically like, follow and randomly comment on other users’ posts, and in turn they trade that fake engagement with other users. Sound harmless enough? The thing is you have no say in in the message your account is spreading or where it ends up.

CARING FOR FRAGILE FLOORS

Summary judgment motion udgment m positi MTCC took the position that its duty w is confined confine to the physical under the law condition of the premises premise and foreseeable e unforese risks, not the unforeseeable conduct of individuals in attendan attendance. Meanwhile, Mr. Da Costa that MTCC 1292’s a argued th s to having rules of conduct duty extends s, policies re for meetings, relating to abusive l an gu a g e, thre at s aan d intimid atin g d a duty to h behavior, and hire and supervise competent professional professionals to oversee its luding, if appropriate, ap business (including, security Cos further argued personnel). Mr. Da Costa ult was foreseeable fore that the assault given the M quarrelsome nature of MTCC 1292’s board nd a prior unrelated u meetings and incident involving the plaintiff and another member of MTCC 1292 wherein the police was 292 wherei called. ng her dec In reaching decision, Justice Nishikawa looked Coleiro v. Premier ooked to C s where summary sum Fitness Clubs judgment d in favour of the defendant was granted

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Ask yourself this: What’s more important, having 50,000 cosmetic followers, or having

500 followers who are in your target market REMEDYING FOUR that actually want to hear from you?

COMMON CARPET As a consumer, it’s even simpler, as PROBLEMS deceptive tactics are easy to spot. If you’re using underhanded methods to promote your business, this can be viewed as a reflection of your product or service. Your integrity is at stake.

This is one of the more complex topics that can’t be fully covered in this space. As always, I invite you to stay social and continue the conversation on Twitter at @Chestergosocial where I’ll share a link to the full article.

SCENT OF

SUCCESS Steven Chester is the Digital Media Director of MediaEdge Communications. With 15 years’ experience in cross-platform communications, Steven helps companies expand their reach through social media and other digital initiatives. To contact him directly, email gosocial@mediaedge.ca.

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MULTIPLE CHOICE

Flooring designs that promote learning and foster creativity in educational settings.

E

ducation projects present unique challenges. For example, teachers, professors and school administrators may have different ideas for how classrooms, media centers or study areas should be designed to best meet the needs of the students. Likewise, the students themselves may have different preferences for how they study, collaborate, or work best individually.

One important factor that must be considered to meet these various needs is careful consideration of the flooring type. While there are many different surfaces and materials to choose, flooring is an expansive surface extending into rooms, hallways, common areas and other spaces. Whether it’s for a K-12 building or higher education setting, the right flooring foundation can foster learning and creativity, and even help

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keep students inspired. But, to ensure the right flooring choice is selected, it’s important to ask several important questions.

WHO WILL USE THE SPACE AND WHAT IS THE INTENDED EDUCATIONAL FOCUS?

K-12 students have different needs than college students. As a result, there are different functions and educational activities. Kindergarten teachers may want their students to gather on the floor. Naturally, a soft surface carpet f looring might be a good choice.

College students, conversely, might

BIOPHILIA IN THE CLASSROOM Biophilia is humankind’s desire to commune with nature. But when students spend a tremendous amount of their school day indoors, how is that need resolved?

While the healthcare industry initially led the way in this arena, managers and designers of educational spaces have seen the enormous benefits provided in the classroom when students of all ages are provided with connectivity to the natural world.

Tapping into designs that reflect nature seemingly achieves the same result. Consider using flooring made elements found in nature such as wood visuals, curvy lines rather than

need to collaborate and group up with each other for team projects, so a hard surface where chairs and desks can be easily moved without damaging the flooring would make that easier.

When planning and designing for an educational space, it’s critical to know the end user’s activities, the type of experience desired for that space and what kind of flooring choice can best support that.

WHAT ARE THE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS AND/OR MAINTENANCE NEEDS? AND HOW DO THOSE NEEDS LEND THEMSELVES TO A COHESIVE DESIGN?

Carpet in either a modular or broadloom format can be a viable choice. Carpet is softer and offers better sound absorption than other f looring options, which brings acoustical benefits and can provide a nice warm ambience for the room. Because of its softness, it can also be better at preventing injuries that might occur with trips, slips for falls.

Broadloom carpet with welded seams and a moisture barrier backing provides excellent stain protection, while carpet tiles offer an easy opportunity to repair small sections of the area without having to replace the entire flooring. Modular carpet also allows flexibility in design for just the right look. When selecting carpet, look for a Texture Appearance Retention Rating (TARR) of at least 3.5 for an education facility.

Another flooring option is Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT). This flooring type is engineered to withstand extreme foot traffic, is easy to maintain, is often

geometric ones or flooring that mimics nature. These subtle cues signal the benefit of the outdoors to the physical self.

Studies have shown that a design focus on biophilia reduces stress and fatigue, improves cognitive function and creativity, as well reduces absenteeism, promotes test scores and creates a more naturalized feeling inside of a space.

While a design might not encompass an entire educational room or space with biophilia in mind, bringing it to the flooring first— the largest visual that our eyes are known to consume—is an easy way to achieve the obvious benefits of biophilia.

waterproof and can be cost effective, an important consideration for many schools. LVT can often provide a range of design aesthetics, including the ability to create custom looks that can contribute to school branding. To help with sound absorption, some LVT providers offer a specialized underlayment. It’s also important to select a wear layer with 20 mil or higher to assist with the performance needed for the space.

A rubber f looring choice is quiet, durable and comfortable underfoot, an important attribute, especially for teachers or instructors who spend most of their time standing. Additionally, rubber provides an extra level of safety when it comes to falls - for people or manipulatives. Whether it’s a kindergartner tripping over an untied shoe, a teacher falling in the hallway or a biology major dropping an old beaker, rubber flooring allows for better outcomes when people or things hit the ground. Plus, rubber is easy to clean and maintain. It has self-migrating waxes that come to the surface when the floor is cleaned and/or buffed over the life of the product, so there is never a need to wax the floor, thus a lower maintenance cost.

WHAT ARE THE DESIGN CAPABILITIES OF THE FLOORING?

Many schools at the K-12 and college and university levels recognize the power that comes when they connect their brand to their physical spaces.

Incorporating school colours in the

hallways, the dining areas, or the student union, reinforces a school’s brand with students, faculty, staff and visitors. A flooring solution can support a school’s branding, but it may require a custom carpet with custom colours to match to the school’s logo.

Of course, branding is just one consideration when it comes to design.

Many schools will want to use the flooring to assist with wayfinding to direct people from one area to another or to signal to people they’ve entered a new space.

Design should incorporate the intent of the space. For example, does the space need bright colours to foster energy and excitement, such as what might be needed in a K-5 building? Or does the design need to be more “muted” with toned-down colours to help students with focus or concentration. The best floor covering manufacturers should be able to assist with wayfinding, custom design, and other design services to meet a facility’s various design needs.

Today’s educational spaces are dynamic and can present challenges when tr ying to align design, functionality, maintenance, and budget requirements. But asking the right questions, especially when it comes to the f looring, can mitigate those challenges. Moreover, the right flooring for a space can be a major driver towards safe and comfortable spaces that can also spark student learning, creativity, and inspiration. | CFM&D

Amanda Darley is Mannington Commercial’s Vice President of Marketing.

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FOCUS ON LIGHTING

READY, SET, ACTION Get-up-and-go seating options bring extra agility to active learning experiences. Think quick-tomove flex chairs, temporary walls that create ‘hackable spaces,’ and nondirectional seating that follows the flow of learning.

Tenor by Steelcase Learning recently won Best of NeoCon gold in the education solutions category. The active learning chair and stools were designed for comfort and specifically with tight budget constraints in mind. The nondirectional seat encourages movement and allows students to easily rotate their bodies to follow the flow of learning. Tenor chairs are made to move and stow, supporting shifting environments with a six-high stack and an optional storage dolly, and come with an intuitive bag hook to keep belongings accessible and bags off the floor.

In 2006, Frank Gehry and French artist Sophie Calle collaborated on Le Telephone, a giant flower sculpture displayed as public art in Paris. Heller recently launched The Gehry Color Cubes inspired by the bright colours of the installation and based on the original silver cubes of its Frank Gehry Furniture Collection. The moulded Left Twist Cube works for indoor/outdoor use and measures 17 ⅛ -inches by 18 ⅛-inches.

Allsteel added Corral USA’s modular Logger collection to its North American offerings. The sofa and lounge seating supports bespoke solutions for and offers a dual-sided perch for conversation and casual interactions. Designer Eric Pfeiffer drew inspiration from the natural landscape of the Northern California Coast, where fallen timber creates comfortable resting places for woodland explorers. Logger modules can stand solo or be combined to wiggle and wind through open areas, providing a multi-directional functionality for open floorplates. There are six styles and an extensive array of colours. The components include 36-inch and 72-inch straight lounges and 60- and 90-degree convex or concave curved lounges.

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Inscape introduced Harp by Connection UK. Designed with unorthodox bungee cords to construct walls, it acts as a nonpermanent space divider and an enclave. Available to configure as an individual workspace or a multi-zone format, Harp can be used in educational facilities, such as libraries, to encourage flexible break-out zones for students to collaborate on projects together while offering some visual privacy without disrupting space flow. It can also be configured into layouts for private work spaces and studying.

The HON Company introduced Tangram, a new seating collection designed for non-traditional learning environments.

From stepped areas to cozy nooks, students and teachers can mixand-match shapes to create distinctive layouts for common areas, cafeterias and classrooms. Tangram comes in high or low-back options with easy-to-clean surfaces, 27 configurable shape and size choices, and multi-colour and fabric options.

Allseating is offering Res, a hybrid design by modus ID. The seating supports active learning with a variety of adaptable features and combines elements of comfortable lounge seating with focused task seating. Res features a large, 90-degree rotating tablet surface that can be added and specified to suit either left or right-handed work surface needs. It also includes a cup holder, a lower shelf to free the work surface of small items and hooks for coats and bags.

The Flex Perch Stool, part of the Steelcase Flex collection, is made for circularity and 100 per cent recyclable. Perch is lauded as the first furniture product that reduces the use of fossil resources through CCycling, which transforms post-consumer waste from electronics production into like-new raw material needed for high-quality products. The stool weighs 8.5 pounds and offers a quick space-saving place to sit in flexible environments.

July/August 2022 CFM&D 33

[ last word ]

BY DRU DOUGLAS

CYBER EXPOSED Facility operators must be able to securely collect, analyze and use data without compromising security as underwriters scrutinize network security postures more readily.

L

ast year, Canadians spent 4.4 hours each day just on mobile apps. Statistics Canada suggests that we spend 6 hours each day on the internet. The numbers are staggering but revealing.

Given the amount of time we spend online, it’s no surprise that our buildings are becoming more and more connected as well. Whether it’s an HVAC system or elevator network, a doorbell or even a smart fridge, if it’s connected to the Internet, it’s a risk.

The hackers are creative; in 2017, a Las Vegas casino was hacked through a smart thermometer in the lobby fish tank, giving hackers access to guests’ personal information.

Facility owners and operators are keen to adopt smart technology, but it’s critical to tread carefully. The more advanced the technology, the more data it captures – and the more responsibility it creates.

Smart buildings are more susceptible to cyber attacks than average buildings, and even a small breach can have disastrous consequences.

FOUR STEPS FOR REDUCING CYBER EXPOSURE

Facility managers must be able to securely collect, analyze and use the data without compromising security. Underwriters will be scrutinizing an organization’s network security posture this year, so it’s more important than ever to have a plan.

REVIEW CURRENT SECURITY CONTROLS

In the current hard market, insurers aren’t offering quotes until building owners demonstrate that certain security controls, such as network security and privacy policies, are in place. These controls include:

1. Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

for remote network access, email systems and privileged accounts; 2. Remote desktop protocol ports to be closed or placed behind a virtual private network protected by MFA; 3. Privileged account access limited to those who need access; 4. At least one email filtration solution, such as a Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance; 5. A next-gen antivirus solution; 6. Endpoint detection and response solution; and 7. At least one copy of backups should be stored off-site or in the cloud.

REQUIRE CYBER RISK TRAINING

Most people will say they know all about cyber risk. But studies have shown that 97 per cent can’t identify phishing emails. It’s critical to explicitly train all employees, vendors and other key constituents to recognize and delete suspicious emails without opening them. The IT department can’t manage this alone.The entire organization must step up to create an organization-wide culture of security.

DEVELOP AN INCIDENT RESPONSE PLAN

An incident response plan (IRP) is a comprehensive plan for addressing

network security and/or privacy liability threats and attacks. The plan provides a roadmap to assist participants in the initial stages of responding to an incident. It includes information about who to call, what steps to take and when to take each step.The IRP helps organizations to plan out the critical steps it needs to take from the time of the suspected breach to postincident response and closure. The IRP, once considered a bonus, has become so critical that insurers are specifically asking about it before offering coverage.

REHEARSE THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO WITH A TABLETOP EXERCISE

A cyber tabletop exercise is a simulated cybersecurity scenario exercise where participants (ideally members of senior management) must act, think and make decisions as if the cyber incident were real. It places those with decision-making authority in a stressful but lifelike situation and forces them to make choices. This exposes any weak links in the plan and offers an opportunity for improvement.

With a hard market getting harder, insurers expect that their clients will be guarding against risk by practicing their IRP regularly.

Connectivity isn’t going away – and it doesn’t need to. For building owners and operators in smart buildings, it’s critical to work with the tenants to learn new approaches and ensure everyone stays both secure and connected. | CFM&D

Dru Douglas is an account manager for the Ontario region for global insurance brokerage Hub International. He specializes in insurance and risk solutions for the office, retail, industrial and multi-family sectors of commercial real estate. Dru holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Castleton University. He holds a Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) designation from the Insurance Broker Association of Canada and Risk Management Certificate from the University of Toronto.

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