Issue link: http://digital.corporatepress.com/i/445610
Facilities Manager | january/february 2015 | 53 transient locations. The meaning of a workplace is changing from a where employees do their job to where dis- parate people do a variety of things. I've observed it myself in an academic setting, where students don't study or do their work in a dorm or library, but instead do so just about anywhere on campus. Graduate students don't do their research in their assigned lab station unless that's where the experi- ment is. Students are choosing where to work; they're mobile by choice, not necessity. As facility officers we need to pay attention, because they are the next generation of workers. So what does this mean for facility managers? Will we provide services to a fixed group of people who show up every day to do a particular job, or will start providing "hoteling" solutions, and what are the implications of doing so? That answer, presented in Wide Open Workspace is upbeat and based on eight cowboy codes. I won't list them in detail but they include the terms: "new trails," "get together," "share," and "brand." Whether the eight codes identified by the authors represent an inclusive list of how cowboys did their job, and how the next generations of workers will do theirs, is immaterial. They frame the argument of mobility based on success. While the ideas are sound, the argu- ments reasonable, and the delivery is sat- isfactory, there are extensive references to the services delivered by the author's company, iOffice, and with a clear Texas bias. However, once you get past the ap- pearance of commercialism, and accept the heavy "Made in Texas" references, the message in the book is clear and important for facility officers to hear and understand. While it's entirely possible your institution won't be implementing "hot desks" for faculty or staff anytime soon, students are creating their own, and it will become an issue in the future. Buildings stand for multiple generations of workers, so it's important for facility officers to become aware of these issues. To this end, Wide Open Workspaces does a good job of describing the issues and challenges coming our way. Ted Weidner is an associate professor at Purdue University and consults on facilities management issues primarily for educa- tional organizations. He can be reached at tjweidne@purdue.edu. If you would like to write a book review, please contact Ted directly. Specializing in Educational Facilities since 1964 Gale Associates, Inc. 800-366-1714 ejm@gainc.com www.galeassociates.com Building Envelope/Structural Services: Q Facade, curtain wall, roof, waterproofing, and structural evaluation and design Q Construction administration (CA) and on-site monitoring Q Building enclosure commissioning (BECxP): peer review, design assistance, and CA Q LEED-certified, sustainable design, historic facilities Q Multi-facility assessments and building envelope management programs Athletic and Recreation Facilities Design Services: Q Comprehensive athletic campus evaluation and master planning Q Athletic facilities planning, permitting, and programming Q High-efficiency lighting, minimizing off-site impacts Q New track facilities, track renovations, and conversions Q All types of synthetic and natural turf fields B O S T O N B A L T I M O R E O R L A N D O S A N F R A N C I S C O W A S H I N G T O N , D . C . H A R T F O R D ENGINEERS & DESIGN PROFESSIONALS