The Facilities Society
Encyclopedia
The Facilities Society was founded in the UK
on 9 December 2008 as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee
(registered in England
nr. 6769050). The Society is dedicated to interdisciplinary
and cross-sector academic enterprise to support the needs of the academic community, UK government, businesses, and the public at large. In its role as a learned society
, it complements established institutes and the universities.
The driver for the Society's founding was the absence of a natural home for research
into the creation, upgrading and sustainable use of facilities and the related dissemination of findings and knowledge in public and political forums in order to influence policy and practice. Other bodies, institutes and associations acknowledge an interest in facilities, for example in terms of their asset value or operational management. None adopt an interdisciplinary, cross-sector perspective, where the subject of interest is facilities and not the interests of a particular discipline
or profession
.
The need for a focus on the operational performance of facilities is evident in UK government initiatives, such as the Carbon Trust, which is helping to focus attention on actions to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings and other constructed facilities and thus reduce carbon emissions. The Society's research agenda includes measures to reduce embodied and operational carbon
in facilities of all kinds.
that is designed, engineered and operated to serve a particular function and to fulfil a need or provide a service, such as a building
, installation
, system
or network
.
Facilities are needed for living
, working, healthcare, education
, industrial production
, commercial development, retailing
, utilities, transportation and other infrastructure
, sports and leisure, entertainment and communication, and are often collectively referred to as the built environment
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 9 December 2008 as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
(registered in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
nr. 6769050). The Society is dedicated to interdisciplinary
Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity involves the combining of two or more academic fields into one single discipline. An interdisciplinary field crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged....
and cross-sector academic enterprise to support the needs of the academic community, UK government, businesses, and the public at large. In its role as a learned society
Learned society
A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...
, it complements established institutes and the universities.
The driver for the Society's founding was the absence of a natural home for research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
into the creation, upgrading and sustainable use of facilities and the related dissemination of findings and knowledge in public and political forums in order to influence policy and practice. Other bodies, institutes and associations acknowledge an interest in facilities, for example in terms of their asset value or operational management. None adopt an interdisciplinary, cross-sector perspective, where the subject of interest is facilities and not the interests of a particular discipline
Discipline
In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...
or profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
.
The need for a focus on the operational performance of facilities is evident in UK government initiatives, such as the Carbon Trust, which is helping to focus attention on actions to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings and other constructed facilities and thus reduce carbon emissions. The Society's research agenda includes measures to reduce embodied and operational carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
in facilities of all kinds.
Role
- Promote, support and conduct interdisciplinary research, studies and other enquiries into creating, upgrading and sustaining facilities and seek grants, awards, fellowships, scholarships or other financial assistance from central and local government or other public bodies and place the results in the UK public domain.
- Promote the use and uptake of research results and knowledge in public and political forums so as to influence policy and practice by providing advice and informed opinion on creating, upgrading and sustaining facilities.
- Publish or sponsor academic journals related to creating, upgrading and sustaining facilities.
- Organise and hold meetings, conferences, lectures, exhibitions, displays and demonstrations and make like arrangements for the dissemination of information related to creating, upgrading and sustaining facilities.
Definitions
A facility is defined as a physical construct and assetAsset
In financial accounting, assets are economic resources. Anything tangible or intangible that is capable of being owned or controlled to produce value and that is held to have positive economic value is considered an asset...
that is designed, engineered and operated to serve a particular function and to fulfil a need or provide a service, such as a building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
, installation
Installation (computer programs)
Installation of a program is the act of putting the program onto a computer system so that it can be executed....
, system
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....
or network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
.
Facilities are needed for living
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
, working, healthcare, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, industrial production
Industrial production
Industrial production is a measure of output of the industrial sector of the economy. The industrial sector includes manufacturing, mining, and utilities. Although these sectors contribute only a small portion of GDP , they are highly sensitive to interest rates and consumer demand...
, commercial development, retailing
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, utilities, transportation and other infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
, sports and leisure, entertainment and communication, and are often collectively referred to as the built environment
Built environment
The term built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from personal shelter and buildings to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.The built...
.
See also
- Design managementDesign managementDesign Management is a business discipline that uses project management, design, strategy, and supply chain techniques to control a creative process, support a culture of creativity, and build a structure and organisation for design...
- a general treatment of the subject and not specific to facilities - Construction managementConstruction managementConstruction Project Management is the overall planning, coordination and control of a project from inception to completion aimed at meeting a client’s requirements in order to produce a functionally and financially viable project that will be complete mingement is project management that applies...
- Facility managementFacility managementFacility management is an interdisciplinary field primarily devoted to the maintenance and care of commercial or institutional buildings, such as hospitals, hotels, office complexes, arenas, schools or convention centers...
- Property managementProperty managementProperty management is the operation, control of ususally on behalf of an owner, and oversight of commercial, industrial or residential real estate as used in its most broad terms. Management indicates a need to be cared for, monitored and accountability given for its usable life and condition...