Healthy indoor environments influence the comfort, health and wellbeing of the occupants. Monitoring the indoor temperature, relative humidity and CO₂ levels in primary schools during the COVID-19 pandemic was mandated by a local authority in Scotland. The aim was to investigate the comfort and safety of the teachers and their pupils. This paper presents the measurements of indoor climate in 20 classrooms in four different primary schools in Scotland. The schools were of different architypes. The classrooms were of different sizes, orientations and occupancy, and had different ventilation systems. Ventilation was achieved either by manually opening the windows, or by a mechanical ventilation system. Indoor air temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations were continuously monitored for one week during the heating season 2020/21. Occupancy and opening of the windows were logged in by the teachers. The ventilation rates in the classrooms were estimated by measuring the CO₂ concentrations. On the 20 classrooms of the study, data of 19 were analysed. The results show that four of the five mechanically ventilated classrooms performed better than natural ventilation, which indicates that opening the windows depended on the customs and habits. Classrooms in naturally ventilated Victorian buildings have the worst average ventilation rate (4.38 L/s per person) compared to the other classrooms (5.8 L/s per person for the more recent naturally ventilated ones, and 6.08 L/s per person for the mechanically ventilated ones). The results of this preliminary study will be used as the basis to find ways to ensure adequate ventilation in natural ventilated classrooms.

Purpose: The use of indoor living plants for enhancement of indoor relative humidity and the general environment of a large, modern, open plan office building are studied using a mixed-methods paradigm. Design/methodology/approach: The quantitative element involved designated experimental and control zones within the building, selected using orientation, user density and users’ work roles criteria. For a period of six months, relative humidity was monitored using data loggers at 30 min intervals, and volatile organic compounds were measured using air sampling. Qualitative “perception data” of the building’s users were collected via a structured questionnaire survey among both experimental and control zones. Findings: Study findings include that living plants did not achieve the positive effect on relative humidity predicted by (a-priori) theoretical calculations and that building users’ perceived improvements to indoor relative humidity, temperature and background noise levels were minimal. The strongest perceived improvement was for work environment aesthetics. Findings demonstrate the potential of indoor plants to reduce carbon emissions of the [as] built environment through elimination or reduction of energy use and capital-intensive humidification air-conditioning systems. Originality/value: The study’s practical value lies in its unique application of (mainly laboratory-derived) existing theory in a real-life work environment.

This viewpoint paper aims to discuss sustainable digitalisation of facilities management (FM) through the implementation of the newly recognised International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards within the ISO 41000 series. This viewpoint paper provides a review of the literature of the recent ISO documents and academic study. The content is also dependent on the authors’ opinions and interpretation. FM is currently shifting emphasis towards a strategic focus through the adoption of the new recognised international ISO standards that consider sustainable digitalisation in business decisions. However, the FM sector is encountering potential risks to the implementation of the new recognised international ISO standards. Digitalisation is one kind of force that has shaped the management of the built environment and FM recently and rapidly, especially in the Covid-19 period. This is impacting the FM industry. As standardisation aims at establishing a constantly evolving baseline of proven practices, standardisation can be considered a part of sustainable FM. It is believed that standardised and strategic level support is crucial for the smooth adoption of sustainable FM practices and processes. Standards such as the ISO standards, applied to the global FM industry, help in objectively quantifying the added value of FM to the core business. Advanced technology and digitalisation can contribute to the sustainability of any profession and industry, but it also requires a community to tackle the problems. This paper contributes to the FM industry by making recommendations for improvement in the use of digitalisation. In summary, the significant finding of this viewpoint paper is that digitalisation offers both possibilities and problems in the application of the new recognised international ISO standards within the FM industry.

(1) Background: Generally, firms are reluctant to report outsourcing failures, no matter what industry they operate within. To eliminate poor performance of outsourced service providers, it is necessary to establish a specific outsourcing relationship model for facilities management (FM). The purpose of this paper is to study the concept of outsourcing relationships in relation to FM and to investigate the design of the critical success factors on sustainable outsourcing strategies through a discussion of four dimensions (ownership of FM assets, control of FM assets, competitive position and long-term plan). (2) Methods: Based on two questionnaire surveys, data were collected from 38 clients and 34 service providers. The study evaluated the FM outsourcing strategies from critical success factors in educational facilities in Hong Kong. (3) Results: This study explains the impact of FM outsourcing strategies on Hong Kong’s four commonly outsourced FM contracts including building maintenance, security, cleaning and catering from the clients’ and service providers’ point of view. (4) Conclusions: This is the outsourcing way forward in order to create a better working environment conducive for all the parties that would result in better sustainability of FM’s future and thus impact the economic objectives of sustainable development, in parallel with adding social and environmental value.

Facilities Management (FM) is currently shifting emphasis towards a sustainable focus through the adoption of the newly recognized United Nation (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when making business decisions. Strategic sustainable FM has the potential towards the realization of the 17 SDGs at all levels of organization in the FM sector. However, the FM sector is also encountering potential barriers to the implementation of the SDGs. Standardized and strategic level support is crucial for the smooth adoption of sustainable FM practices and processes. This chapter is aimed at discussing the role of facilities management in achieving the SDGs. The SDGs can help to objectively quantify the added value of FM to the core business and the global FM industry including impact of ISO standards and stakeholders (clients, service providers and researchers). The chapter also defines and identifies the challenges of adopting the SDGs in the FM sector.

Teachers are among the most stressed professionals, for whom the built environment has an influence. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the pressure on schools, where enhanced ventilation is deemed essential to help reduce virus-laden particles in classrooms. Good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is required to maintain an adequate level of comfort, health, and well-being. Therefore, solutions to improve IAQ quickly and cheaply are essential. As such, the Scottish Government has funded Local Authorities to purchase CO₂ sensors for school classrooms. This study explores two interventions designed to improve the quality of indoor air. The first one by raising the awareness of the teachers on ventilation strategies via a webinar. The second one by deploying devices that visually inform the occupants of the indoor conditions: Temperature, Relative Humidity, and CO₂ levels in the classrooms. The novelty of this study is that it evaluated the influence of engaging teachers in the management of their working indoor environments. This paper presents the results of the perceived health, comfort, and well-being of teachers from two primary schools built before 1919 located in Edinburgh, Scotland. Visual feedback sensors improved the perceived air quality of teachers in their classrooms but increased pressure on their workload and were a potential distraction for their pupils. In contrast, raising the awareness of the teachers via the webinar improved their perception of their indoor environment without added pressure. Therefore, awareness programs should be devised to educate school staff on Indoor Air Quality in addition to the development of sensors with visual feedback.