Space Planning and Management 101

Successfully managing the physical facilities of higher education institutions requires a seamless approach to supporting research activities, classroom scheduling, and conducting annual space and inventory audits. Additionally, those institutions that perform government-funded research are entitled to recover facilities-related expenses. To receive this reimbursement, universities must submit a Facilities & Administrative Rate proposal, which includes accurate documentation of how their research space is being used and identifies the grants and associated personnel that are allocated to that space. This has traditionally been a labor-intensive and manual process, but many universities are now using facility information management systems with web-based access to automate the process and update their records.

One such system is a computer-aided facility management (CAFM) system, which allows facilities to accurately track space usage and occupancy.  For these universities specifically, it ensures the proper and maximum reimbursement from grants and other sponsored activities by providing solid, defensible data captured in reports based on grant, department, occupancy, and room use. A secure website allows the database and drawings to be accessible to authorized users so upkeep and report generation is quick, consistent, and simple.

Founded over 150 years ago, the University of Dayton (UD) is the largest private university in Ohio with more than 10,000 students. For years, UD relied on a manual space management system to document their space for planning, reporting, and funding. In 2005, they recognized the need to further improve the space tracking, and partnered with the in4mation division of GBBN Architects to implement a CAFM Space Management solution.

The University of Dayton currently tracks 2.6 million square feet of space in 60 buildings across their campus. They quickly and efficiently prepare an annual space audit to accurately identify their space utilization by room category, room type, and occupying department, as well as differentiate between research and instruction use. Implementing the CAFM application has greatly reduced the time and labor involved in completing these necessary tasks. 

Space planners at UD have also found the CAFM system a useful tool when developing master plans for future space needs. By relying on accurate and real-time space information, ad hoc reports are created to track space availability, allowing immediate and future needs to be addressed. Due to frequent changes in academic programs, professors, and research grants, their space needs are dynamic; thus it is critical to have a documented and up-to-date repository of space usage information.