Greater regulation of access to public and private buildings and visitor hot spots may figure among major impacts from the coronavirus affecting architects, builders, facility managers and site owners “Certainly, there will be a new normal for people-intensive public and private facilities, where owners have a duty of care to protect staff and visitors,” says security and entrance specialist, Boon Edam Australia Managing Director Michael Fisher (Master security licence number: 000104487). Continue →

Recent years have brought a massive interest in smart home technology, with more and more average house owners embracing this sort of home solution According to data gathered by PreciseSecurity.com, the global smart home market revenue is expected to reach $158 billion value in the next four years. Continue →

An increase in flexible working practices within New Zealand will reduce levels of carbon dioxide by 900,000 tonnes per year by 2030 and add between NZ$16.2 billion and $18.1 billion to the economy These are the findings of an independent economic study commissioned by global workplace provider Regus (one of the IWG group of companies). Continue →

Underneath the award-winning Barangaroo South precinct lies a secret city – one built around a 77,000 sqm basement as large as one of the 42-storey towers that sit above it    From the mail room and loading dock to the centralised operations room and waste and recycling facilities, more than 200 people and over a dozen service partners call the basement ‘home’ day and night. Continue →

Luxury whisky brand The Macallan has installed a variety of Flowcrete floors to create surfaces that reflect its visual identity and maintain the functional properties required to produce this iconic Scottish spirit When Edrington, the international spirits group that owns The Macallan, decided to build a £140 million facility to meet increasing global demand, they knew that no ordinary site would suffice. Continue →

Perimeter security and access control installations specialist HTS Group is expanding its operations in New Zealand to supply world-leading anti-terrorism solutions to protect the public from possible attacks Ranging from simple barrier and boom gates for carparks through to advanced speed gates with integrated controls, HTS Group’s technologies are designed to protect spaces from unauthorised personnel that may intend to cause harm. Continue →

KONE has launched a 24/7 Connected Services in New Zealand and Australia that will enable smart elevators in buildings to improve facility performance and reliability As part of the new KONE Care maintenance, 24/7 Connected Services uses the IBM Watson IoT platform and other advanced technologies to bring intelligent services to elevators and escalators. Continue →

Power management company Eaton has released a new arc fault detection device that provides critical all-in-one protection against electrical fires in homes and buildings With built-in arc fault detection, earth leakage current protection (RCD), short circuit and overcurrent protection (MCB) technology in one compact device, the AFDD+ can be easily installed on switchboards for new-builds or retrofitted in residential applications. Continue →

Big crowds, lots to learn, new features and plenty of emerging technology – that was the 2018 edition of the annual Facilities Integrate exhibition at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds The unique show brought together the people and companies who make buildings smarter, safer and more efficient and has again proven a big hit with the trades, attracting more than 2600 delegates who enjoyed the presentations and stands of more than 120 exhibitors. Continue →

Leading wellness and technology real estate companies EDGE Technologies and Delos are exploring the integration of their respective platforms and capabilities Together these two industry leaders will investigate and create physical environments (air, water, light, comfort, sound) and inform behavioural choices (nutrition, movement, personal interaction) to improve the performance of people in new and existing commercial buildings. Continue →

New Zealand’s army of tradespeople who monitor, maintain and fix the billions of dollars of equipment that keeps offices, factories and shops open have become the new frontline in the advance of the Internet of Things (IoT) As the internet and smartphones become primary necessities over paper and landlines, trade services must embrace the next phase of business evolution in order to remain relevant in the market and to appear dependable, effective and cutting-edge for the modern customer. Continue →

Many commercial buildings around New Zealand are putting lives and property at risk because they don’t comply with fire safety standards, says John Lucas He became aware of this problem from insurers doing risk surveys and is leading an international seminar this month to highlight the issues and work on solutions. Continue →

Open-plan offices have taken off because of a desire to increase interaction and collaboration among workers, Libby Sander notes But an innovative new study has found that employees in open-plan offices spend 73% less time in face-to-face interactions while email and messaging use shot up by over 67%. Continue →

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has published a handy guide to managing buildings in emergencies Managing buildings in an emergency describes the roles and responsibilities of central and local government and other agencies for managing buildings in an emergency using the 4Rs framework – Readiness, Response, Recovery and Reduction. Continue →

North City’s new owners have appointed Colliers International to manage the shopping centre Kiwi Property yesterday announced it had sold the centre in Porirua, 15 minutes’ drive north of Wellington, for $100 million. Continue →