Features

August 2011 – Plants have both aesthetic and therapeutic value, writes DR HILARY DAVIES, leading to measurable improvements in workplace productivity and the health of staff.

August 2011 – Biodegradability is a term that is commonly used when marketing ‘green-cleaning’ products, writes GREG WHITELEY. Most people understand what this means, but there is confusion about the identification and credibility of biodegradable products.

August 2011 – Industrial facilities have more to gain from ‘building green’ than those in any other sector, writes ANDREW AITKEN from the Green Building Council of Australia.

August 2011 – Anyone can practise as a facility manager in Australia – no independent certification or accreditation required. The big question is: can facility management ever be a true ‘profession’ in the absence of nationally uniform, widely embraced professional standards? Private educator MARTIN LEITCH says this issue must be resolved as a priority.

August 2011 - Environmental artist Lloyd Godman is using ‘air plants’ – specially propagated plants that can be suspended in mid-air – to create living artworks based on themes of sustainability. As JOHN POWER reports, these installations not only challenge our concept of the built environment, but they also herald a new era of plant-based shade, [...]

July 2011 – One of the key problems with facilities management is its lack of firm identity. DR HILARY DAVIES says a clearer definition of the sector would pave the way for improved educational services.

July 2011 – Choosing and installing flooring for hospitals entails a range of factors other than just cost, colour and material, writes SUE CARTLEDGE.

July 2011 – GERRY GOLDBERG, president of the National Cleaning Suppliers Association of Australia (NCSA), takes a look at the direction in which cleaning is moving.

June 2011 – Educator MARTIN LEITCH, from the private FM training company fmedge, says Australian facilities management professionals are notoriously reluctant to undertake professional development. Why? And what do we have to do to break down this barrier to industry improvement?

May 2011 – Online shopping is revolutionising the way we purchase goods and services – so what does the future hold for ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers? JEFF SALTON asks leading merchandisers to pick a winner: bricks or bytes?