Protecting VFDs From Overheating: An Easy Way to Calculate Cooling Requirements
Variable frequency drives (VFDs) are gaining rapid adoption due to energy savings, but their compact electronics generate heat that can overheat sealed enclosures. Pfannenberg introduced simple rule‑of‑thumb calculations: 75 BTU/h of active cooling or 4 CFM of passive airflow per horsepower, based on a 3 % heat loss. The guidance helps engineers size cooling solutions quickly, avoiding complex unit conversions. The market is expected to reach $25 billion by 2027, underscoring the importance of reliable thermal management.
Trimble Makes Project Management Platform Available in UK and Ireland
Trimble has launched its cloud‑based ProjectSight platform in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Benelux region, extending a tool that is already entrenched in the U.S. market. The solution offers real‑time capture and sharing of drawings, RFIs, submittals and site...
Grimshaw Moves to Inevidesk VDI Platform
Grimshaw has completed a firm‑wide migration of its UK and European design teams onto Inevidesk’s virtual desktop infrastructure, replacing a centralized rack of physical workstations with cloud‑based virtual desktops. After a pilot deployment for its visualisation team in 2024, the...
The ROI of Predictive Property Management with IoT Sensors
A six‑month pilot at Langvout Court retirement complex in the Scottish Borders equipped the site with unobtrusive IoT sensors linked to an ambient assisted‑living platform. The deployment generated a 4.4 to 1 return on investment, meaning each £1 spent produced £4.40 of...
How AI and Other Tech Will Free Up Time for Facilities Managers in 2026
The National Fire Protection Association’s August 2025 survey shows AI is becoming a top priority for skilled‑trade facilities teams, with 35% expecting technology deployment to dominate 2026 initiatives. A striking 95% of trade workers already see AI supporting daily tasks...
Q3D Sensing Unveils AuraGO
Q3D Sensing announced the AuraGO, a compact add‑on LiDAR scanner that attaches to smartphones and tablets. The device promises centimetre‑level accuracy and a working range of 0.5 m to 30 m, delivering roughly 100 times the coverage of built‑in phone LiDAR. AuraGO...
How Oregon Is Building Back Smarter After Wildfire
After the 2020 Almeda Fire devastated Oregon’s Rogue Valley, the state paired temporary code relaxations with targeted financial incentives to rebuild homes that are both fire‑resilient and energy‑efficient. Leveraging American Rescue Plan funding and nonprofit programs like Energy Trust of...
What Happens When You Test Real-Time BIM in the Real World?
In the LiveCol final seminar, Professor Kalle Kahkonen presented a real‑time BIM trial where steel and concrete designers collaborated live on a canopy connection using Tekla Live Collaboration, eliminating file transfers and coordination lag. Participants experienced immediate visual feedback, faster...
Can Shading Become Energy? From Passive Facades to Productive Envelopes
Facades are evolving from passive skins to active energy generators, exemplified by EHRET’s SolarSlide photovoltaic shutters. These movable shading elements embed monocrystalline cells within double‑glazed modules, delivering 500 W‑peak per leaf with 20‑22% efficiency while offering eight color finishes. In a...
New Platform Launched with Claims It Can Reduce the Need for Agents to Chase Sales
LMS has introduced the National Property Transaction Network (NPTN), a data‑sharing platform that lets estate agents assemble a Fast Track Sale pack at the listing stage. The pack aggregates ID checks, title details, searches and other key information, which conveyancers...
WARNING: Manual ID Checks Leave Agents ‘Vulnerable to Scams’
Property agents are being warned that manual identity checks expose them to sophisticated scams. SmartSearch reports that 54% of verification checks remain manual, leaving gaps for AI‑generated IDs and deepfake documents. A recent survey of 1,000 decision‑makers shows fraud incidents...
Betterment Strengthens Client Offerings with Mortgage Partnership and Advisor Model Marketplace Expansion
Betterment announced a nationwide partnership with mortgage fintech Rate, giving eligible clients with at least $100,000 in assets a discount of up to 0.75% on 30‑year fixed mortgages and a $500 closing‑cost credit through December 2026. The platform also launched an...
AI Now Helps Manage 16% of America's Apartments
EliseAI, an AI housing startup, now handles leasing and management for roughly one in six U.S. apartments, about 16% of the market. The technology, accelerated by the COVID‑19 pandemic, enables self‑guided tours, instant text and voice interactions, and rapid response...
Beyond Capacity: Why AI Is Forcing a Building-Level Performance Reckoning
AI‑driven workloads have accelerated U.S. electricity demand, with data centers responsible for roughly 60 % of last year’s load increase and a 150 % rise over five years. This non‑linear growth exposes a hidden vulnerability at the building level, where inefficiencies in...
Three Schools - One Process / Gmp Architects
gmp Architects completed three new schools in Bremerhaven using the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model, marking the first public‑sector IPD project in Germany. The facilities, designed for roughly 1,750 pupils, opened between summer and autumn 2025 and replace aging buildings...
A Century of Temporary Housing Experiments: Milano–Cortina and the Evolution of Olympic Villages
The Olympic Village has evolved from a purely logistical shelter in the early 20th century to a strategic urban development tool. Early Games used simple, security‑focused compounds, while the 1960s saw Rome and Grenoble turn villages into residential prototypes for...
Rising Dog Bite Claims Drive Insurance Innovation
Pet ownership in the U.S. now exceeds 94 million households, yet only one in ten rentals permits animals without restrictions. Dog‑related liability claims have surged, with the average bite claim nearing $69,000 and a 48% rise over the past decade. Property...
Gensler’s 2026 Design Forecast: AI, Agility and Adaptation Redefine the Future of the Urban Built Environment
Gensler released its 2026 Design Forecast, highlighting how artificial intelligence, design agility, and climate adaptation are reshaping the urban built environment. The report adds country‑specific insights, showing Europe’s livability focus, Asia’s dense‑city innovation, and the Middle East’s resilience priorities. Six...
How Getting Building Data Early in an M&A Deal Can Add Value
Facilities managers are often left out of M&A due diligence, yet early access to building data can dramatically increase deal value. By collaborating with finance teams, they can inventory leases, square footage, occupancy, and technology stacks before the transaction closes....
Room Pricing Mistakes and How Channel Managers Can Help
Hotel room pricing mistakes—such as ignoring local demand drivers and maintaining inconsistent rates across channels—continue to drain revenue for many properties. Relying on outdated, intuition‑based methods leaves hotels underpricing high‑demand periods and overpricing low‑demand times. A channel manager centralizes rate...
Accelerating Data Center Construction with Sustainability in Mind
AI adoption is driving a 160% surge in data‑center power demand by 2030, prompting developers to seek faster, greener construction methods. Prefabricated concrete emerges as a solution, shaving 2‑4 months off build schedules and delivering 30‑40% faster overall completion. The...
From IT Controls to Engineering Resilience: Rethinking Smart Building Cybersecurity
Smart building operators are importing IT‑centric cybersecurity controls—encryption, authentication, zero‑trust—into legacy automation systems, but these measures can unintentionally disrupt deterministic control loops. A real‑world HVAC example shows a missed certificate renewal causing controllers to stop responding, leaving occupants uncomfortable and...
Modular Construction’s Big Boom: New Risks Outpacing Standard Contracts in Industrial Projects
Modular construction is set to surpass $200 billion globally by 2030, reshaping industrial building practices with faster schedules and reduced waste. While residential projects have already embraced the method, large‑scale industrial applications such as airport terminals are exposing new liability, logistics,...
Israel Considers Updating 50-Year-Old Building Codes to Enable 3D Concrete Printing
Israel is reviewing its 50‑year‑old building construction regulations to accommodate 3‑D concrete printing (3DCP). The push follows exposure to advanced construction tech at the World of Concrete expo and a severe labor shortage caused by the Gaza conflict. Officials argue...
Hyperscaler Expansion Redefines Europe’s Data Centre Supply Dynamics
CBRE projects a 24% compound annual growth rate for Europe’s hyperscaler self‑build data centre segment, reflecting surging AI workloads and expanding cloud services. The forecast signals a rapid acceleration of capacity construction by the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google...
Modern Mill Evolves Its Composite ACRE Into New Construction Applications
Modern Mill’s ACRE composite, launched in 2020, blends 50 % up‑cycled rice hulls with PVC resin to create wood‑like profiles for siding, decking, trim and other non‑structural applications. The material cuts, feels and stains like wood while offering water resistance, rot...
Optimization of AI, Automation, and Digital Twins for the AEC Industry | GeoBuiz Summit 2026
At GeoBuiz Summit 2026, Bentley Systems’ Chief Platform Officer Patrick Cozzi outlined how AI, automation and digital twins are reshaping infrastructure engineering. He highlighted AI‑assisted design, reality capture and full‑lifecycle twins as tools to combat aging assets, talent gaps and...
How Westfield Modernized 18 Buildings Without Losing Its Past
Westfield, Massachusetts partnered with Siemens to retrofit 18 municipal and school buildings, avoiding demolition of historic structures. The $40 million program focused on replacing aging steam boilers, installing high‑efficiency HVAC, and deploying a city‑wide energy management system. Upgrades cost $14 million for...
Funnel Processes the World’s First Rent Payment Inside ChatGPT
Funnel, the AI‑driven CRM for multifamily operators, completed the world’s first rent payment inside ChatGPT in partnership with BH Management, which oversees over 93,000 units. The transaction leveraged Funnel’s existing Resident Portal workflows, requiring no new software integrations. This proof‑of‑concept...
Hexagon Multivista Connects to Revizto
Hexagon Multivista has integrated its Analyze deviation‑detection service with Revizto’s BIM collaboration platform, enabling users to push clash and deviation data directly into Revizto’s issue log. The workflow lets project managers select individual or grouped deviations from reality‑capture scans and...
Renovations and Conversions: The New Focus for University Facilities
Higher education institutions are curbing new construction as budgets tighten, redirecting capital toward renovating and repurposing existing campus assets. A 2023 report shows a 26% year‑over‑year increase in strategic investment for existing facilities, while some universities project capital budgets shrinking...
FLYR Hospitality Now Available on Shiji Daylight PMS
Shiji announced that its cloud‑native Daylight PMS now integrates directly with FLYR Hospitality’s AI‑first commercial optimization platform. The connection lets hotel groups automate pricing, forecasting and performance analytics within their existing PMS, replacing manual spreadsheet workflows. FLYR’s Optimize and Insights...
We Tried Using AI for Real Building Work. Here Is What Actually Happened.
At AHR Expo 2026, SES Consulting’s Brad White and Cochrane Supply’s Jacob Fenley tested generative AI on real building data. ChatGPT matched 80% of recommissioning measures but hallucinated equipment specs, while Gemini accurately extracted data from photos, PDFs, and handwritten...
Boston Launches Curb Lab to Digitise and Coordinate Kerb Space
Boston’s Office of Emerging Technology has launched the Curb Lab, a cross‑department effort that uses artificial intelligence and open‑data assets to produce a live, citywide digital map of curb‑side parking rules. The initiative builds on a three‑year asset‑management platform and...
AHR Expo 2026: Connections, Innovation, and the Evolving Role of Platforms
The AHR Expo 2026 in Las Vegas underscored a rapid shift in the HVAC and building‑automation sector toward fully connected, AI‑enhanced ecosystems. Thousands of manufacturers and tech startups showcased solutions that move beyond simple automation to cloud‑native, data‑driven intelligence. A...
Omni Hotels & Resorts Modernizes Guest Engagement with Canary Technologies
Omni Hotels & Resorts announced it will integrate Canary Technologies’ Guest Experience Platform across its portfolio. The rollout includes AI‑powered Guest Messaging via SMS, WhatsApp and 100+ languages, plus a mobile‑friendly Digital Compendium that consolidates property information. The partnership aims...
Research Uses Shape Memory Alloy and Fibre-Reinforced Concrete to Strengthen Ageing Bridges
Swiss researchers at Empa have demonstrated a novel bridge‑deck strengthening technique that embeds heat‑activated iron‑based shape memory alloy (Fe‑SMA) bars within an ultra‑high‑performance fibre‑reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) overlay. Laboratory and large‑scale tests on 5 m cantilever slabs showed that the Fe‑SMA/UHPFRC system...
The Value of Circular Steel in Modern Construction
7 Steel UK is scaling a fully domestic, circular steel model that turns the UK’s 8 Mt of annual scrap into low‑carbon billets using an electric arc furnace. By keeping scrap in‑country, the company shortens supply chains, boosts material traceability and cuts embodied...
New Property Portal Launches
London‑based nHabit has entered the property‑portal arena with an AI‑driven rental matchmaking platform. It offers a free tier of up to three active listings and a pay‑as‑you‑go price starting at £10 per listing, with volume discounts and no lock‑in contracts....
Industry Anticipates Significant Digital Shift in Conveyancing This Year
The Conveyancing Association’s 25th‑anniversary conference highlighted a rapid digital transformation in conveyancing, with industry leaders predicting acceleration through 2026. Speakers noted that digital tools now exist to improve transparency and transaction speed, but their impact hinges on coordinated action across...
The Multifamily Operations Tip of the Day: Why Change Management Is the Real Work
The Multifamily Collective’s daily tip highlights that most operational initiatives falter because employees don’t adopt new tools, not because the tools are flawed. Effective change management begins by clearly communicating the rationale behind each change and involving staff early in...
Nothing to Sneeze At: Mitigating Viral Plumes with Innovative Air Circulation
The article highlights that standard HVAC systems are inadequate for removing viral plumes in office buildings and proposes modern solutions such as improved filtration, ionization, and especially thermal destratification to dilute and disperse airborne viruses. It explains that viral particles...
Rightmove Reports Surge in Property Valuation Leads to Agents
Rightmove announced a 50% jump in valuation leads in January 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. The increase stems from the launch of its Online Agent Valuation product and AI upgrades to existing tools. The expanded suite—including Rightmove Discover,...
Opendoor CEO: ‘We’re Asking You to Hold Us Accountable’
Opendoor reported Q4 2025 revenue of $736 million, a 33% drop from the previous year, while net loss ballooned to $1.1 billion, nearly ten times the prior period. New CEO Kaz Nejatian, who took over in September, outlined “Opendoor 2.0” and pledged transparency,...
PROPTECH-X : News Roundup – Seven Days of Articles & Analysis
AIIC Group increased its ownership of home‑moving platform SlothMove from 50% to 92%, accelerating technology upgrades and B2B partnership expansion. SlothMove now supports over 75,000 UK movers, cutting administrative time by 15 hours per move for a £30 fee. Proptech...
Is Compass Stock a Buy After Kanen Added 1.6 Million Shares to Its Position?
Kanen Wealth Management disclosed a $14.36 million purchase of 1,573,950 Compass shares in its Q4 2025 filing, lifting its holding to 20.5% of the firm’s $329.38 million assets under management. The transaction pushed the value of Kanen’s Compass stake to $67.59 million, reflecting both...
Ownwell Raises $50M Series B Round
Ownwell announced a $50 million Series B financing, bringing its total capital to $74 million. The round includes $30 million in equity led by Alpha Edison and Mercato Partners, with participation from Intuit Ventures and other investors, plus $20 million in debt from Western Alliance...
Exclusive: Eric Trump Calls Maldives Hotel First of Many Real Estate Tokenization Projects
World Liberty Financial announced the tokenization of loan revenue from the Trump International Hotel & Resort in the Maldives, marking the first project in a broader on‑chain real‑estate strategy. The initiative is being built with real‑estate developer DarGlobal and tokenization...
CoStar Confirms Layoffs Following Investor Criticism, AI Push
CoStar Group confirmed a new round of layoffs while unveiling its Homes AI feature, a tool that blends Microsoft Azure models with the company’s property data. The cuts, reported to affect photo, video, and content teams tied to Homes.com, come...
What’s Behind a Big Jump in January Property Tech Funding
Property‑tech companies secured roughly $1.7 billion in January 2026, a 176 % jump from the same month a year earlier. The average deal size more than doubled to about $34 million, reflecting a shift toward larger, later‑stage rounds. Generative AI is identified as...