Facility Management

BETTER BY DESIGN

Whether facility managers are coming to grips with something as basic as a faulty elevator, right up to strategising and implementing an organisation’s desire for a new way of working, their only constant is meeting the challenge.

With a vastly varying degree of complexity involved, workplace issues old and new require facility managers to use a new lens. One tool that could prove to be of immense value is design thinking.

Arising out of industrial and product design, the process of design thinking is now being widely applied through corporate life. Essentially, it’s a set of practices that helps organisations and individuals see problems from a new perspective and potentially find atypical solutions.

But, most importantly, according to those encouraging its use within the built environment, the principle underpinning design thinking is to be ‘human centric’. Maureen Thurston, chair of Good Design Australia and global director of Design to Innovate at Aurecon, says facility managers by definition are design thinkers.

“In their stewardship of the building(s) within their portfolio, facility managers are not only accountable to deliver good business practices but, at the end of the day, their ultimate responsibility is to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of the people within,” Thurston says. “The decisions they make should be on behalf of people – with the goal of making their work environment a great place to be.”

Essentially, Thurston believes: “A facilities manager should be designing backwards from the needs and expectations of the people interacting with the space, not simply following a prescriptive formula.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Facility Management

Facility Management1 min read
Editorial
When we were all sent home in March of 2020, no one knew how long our home offices would remain our offices. Empty buildings stood on our horizons, once bustling with workers, these structures were now devoid of activity. But this year office workers
Facility Management3 min read
The Soft Skills Every FM Needs
For facility managers, most have taken non-traditional career paths. Perhaps it’s the road a little less travelled, or perhaps the profession attracts a certain kind of person. One thing is for sure: you can’t just get by on technical knowledge. Faci
Facility Management6 min read
Inside The Sydney Opera House With Building Operations Manager Dean Jakubowski
You only have to show most people the iconic shape of the sails and they would instantly recognise the Sydney Opera House. Since the unveiling of the finished structure in 1973, the landmark has come to symbolise not only a vibrant performing arts sc

Related Books & Audiobooks