Furniture & Interiors

Magnolia Hotel

Height of Hospitality: The Unique Challenges of High-Rise Hotels

High-rise hotels offer up some unique challenges. Regardless of the economy, guest satisfaction scores correlate with guest retention, length of stay, and overall hotel success – which ultimately contribute to a healthier bottom line. And facilities management plays an important role in making sure guests are satisfied with hotel facilities and amenities. So how do you overcome common high-rise hotel design and operations challenges to stand out as one of the [...]

Make Your High-Rise Work Harder With Total Lighting Management

Because lighting accounts for approximately 39 percent of the average commercial office building’s total electricity use, effectively managing lighting use gives high-rise building owners and facility managers the power to save more electricity than they can with any other control technology at their disposal – without sacrificing employee comfort or satisfaction.

Rise to the Challenge: Three High-Rise Owners Turn Obstacles into Opportunities

Facilities management – especially when it comes to high-rise buildings – is often a game of discovery and problem-solving. But the answers aren’t always clear-cut. Lights being left on, extreme weather, or increased plug load may be to blame for a sudden spike in energy use. HVAC problems could be caused by solar heat gain, tenants overriding central controls, or lack of maintenance. High water bills could be due to leaky toilets, high water pressure, or irrigation […]

Chicago High-Rise Owner Turns Under-Used Top Floor Into ‘Wow’ Suite

A classic Mies van der Rohe-style building, 401 North Michigan was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the 1960s. Formerly known as the Equitable Building, the 35-story tower sits on the second largest plaza in Chicago. “Pioneer Court is second in size only to the Daley Plaza,” says Eric Taylor, assistant vice president at Zeller Realty Group. “The building purposely has a large plaza area so it could be set back from the road.” [...]

The High Life: Luxury Residential Towers Challenge Designers and Managers

“Cities are becoming the place to be,” says Gary Pomerantz, executive vice president at WSP Group. “If you’re going to bring local wealth back into the cities from the suburbs, you have to offer something as luxurious as what can be found in a single-family home with acres of land and beautiful views.” Residential high-rises used to be reserved for affordable housing...

Encouraging Mobility in the Workplace

Every work day, millions of people all over the world enter high-rise office buildings to spend eight hours or longer. Staying sedentary at a desk for long stretches without a break stresses their bodies (eyes, wrists, arms, shoulders, lower back, and spine) in ways that hinder