“Resilience today is what sustainability was 10 years ago,” says stok, a building design and consulting firm, in an article predicting the most important green building trends for 2019. As discussed in a recent Building Operating Management cover story, sustainability and green building are complementary strategies, and according to stok, resilience will become increasingly vital in combating climate change.
The increasing importance of data is another trend to watch. The firm predicts monitoring-based commissioning, which it calls an “ongoing performance solution,” will take on increasing urgency as a way to keep facility equipment optimized and resource utilization low. Data are critical, according to stok, for improving performance and for making the financial case for the value of green buildings.
Monitoring-based commissioning also is a must for bridging the gap between a building’s design and its facilities management. Katie Stanford of stok wrote an article for the February issue of Building Operating Management about the way monitoring-based commissioning is essential in connecting sustainable design intent with efficient operation.
Managers also should keep an eye on the Federal Reserve Bank in terms of the way it will treat interest rates and the way that strategy will affect the real estate market, according to stok: “While the Fed has been steadily increasing rates since late 2015, the direct correlation of those rises to a fixed asset like real estate is about as clear as mud.”
Greg Zimmerman is executive editor of Building Operating Management. Read his cover story on how buildings are tackling climate change.
