The statement caught my attention when I first heard it from a panelist at the Greenbuild International Conference in Philadelphia last November:
“Young people do not understand how buildings work.”
Coming during a panel discussion of staffing challenges facing maintenance and engineering managers in institutional and commercial facilities, the statement addresses one basic issue managers face daily: finding the time and money to provide the training entry-level technicians need to maintain facilities properly.
The more I thought about those words, though, the more I understood that they go far beyond nuts and bolts and chillers and automatic transfer switches.
What most young people truly don’t understand about buildings is the same thing the general public doesn’t understand: the way buildings work to help create better communities.
Consider one example of their impact on human health. The COVID-19 pandemic and outbreaks of Legionnaire’s disease have reminded the public that facilities issues such as ventilation, air filtration and disinfection are critical to protecting building occupants and visitors.
Managers know all too well that such issues are only the start of the benefits facilities can bring to society. From energy-efficient HVAC systems that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to green roofs that minimize the urban heat island effect to built environments designed to benefit people and tie into surrounding communities, facilities can deliver tremendous benefits far beyond nuts and bolts.
Buildings do indeed have important stories to tell. In the most basic sense, helping young people understand buildings’ roles and benefits might make buildings more attractive as sources for jobs.
In the grander scenario, telling the stories of how buildings work can help the public better understand and appreciate how much safe, energy-efficient and sustainable facilities can do for communities.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
