Pagemike@standardsmichigan.com, Author at Standards Michigan

*After the Roman period, Bath remained a small town until the 18th century, when it became a fashionable spa destination for the wealthy. The architect John Wood the Elder designed much of the city’s Georgian architecture, including the famous Royal Crescent and the Circus. Bath also played an important role in the English literary scene, as several famous authors, including Jane Austen, lived and wrote in the city. During the 19th century, Bath’s popularity declined as other spa towns became fashionable. In the 20th century, the city experienced significant redevelopment and preservation efforts, including the restoration of its Roman baths and the construction of a new spa complex.

Today, Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination known for its historical and cultural significance.

How students help to improve campus parking

CSUSB Transportation Services

Parking Lot Striping Standards

Carolina North

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Double the snow weekends, double the fun ❄️ pic.twitter.com/30y6PFa5ah

— The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (@UNC) February 3, 2026

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) is moving forward with Carolina North, a approximately 230-acre satellite campus extension on the former Horace Williams Airport site. Located about 1.6 miles north of the main campus along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, this project is described as the university’s largest development since the cornerstone of Old East was laid in 1793—over 232 years ago.

Announced on January 21, 2026, by Chancellor Lee Roberts, Carolina North is a generational investment to address North Carolina’s rapid population growth (adding over 140,000 residents annually) and support expanded enrollment, housing, and research capacity. It will create a “learn-live-work-play” environment featuring collaborative academic and research facilities (with emphasis on STEM, AI, health, biomedical engineering, and interdisciplinary work), student and family housing, retail, dining, hotel space, civic/cultural areas, public plazas, and improved trail connections to the Carolina North Forest.

Phase 1 Focus

Phase 1 prioritizes approximately 2,200 student beds, academic/research buildings, multifamily residential units, ground-floor retail, and public-private partnerships for vertical development. The project aims to help meet enrollment targets (thousands more students over the next decade), alleviate housing shortages, and expand research space while preserving the historic main campus.

Key Timelines

Spring 2026: Issue Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) for master planning, infrastructure design, and a master development partner.
Summer 2027: Projected groundbreaking for initial site preparation and infrastructure (with potential student move-in by 2029 or later, depending on phasing).

The long-term, phased approach includes coordination with the Town of Chapel Hill, a stakeholder advisory group, and responsible fiscal planning.

Funding Overview

On January 21, 2026, the Board of Trustees approved $8 million in advance planning spending authority from University Trust Funds for master planning, consultant work, infrastructure design, site assessment, and developer selection.

Full costs are TBD after Phase 1 programming. Future funding will combine:

State support
University trust funds
Revenue-backed debt
Private philanthropy
Public-private/third-party investment

Official Resources & Documents

Carolina North official website — Vision, FAQs, and updates
UNC-Chapel Hill announcement (January 21, 2026) — Full scope and rationale
2007 Carolina North Master Plan (PDF) — Foundational mixed-use, sustainable vision
2019 Campus Master Plan (PDF) — Broader framework including Carolina North
January 21, 2026 Board of Trustees Budget/Finance/Infrastructure Committee Meeting Book (PDF) — $8 million planning approval details
Frequently Asked Questions — Phasing, enrollment, and more

Campus Connector

Interactive Campus Map

The University of Michigan is developing a major transportation initiative called the Campus Connector, featuring an Automated Transit System (ATS). This proposed system aims to provide fast, reliable, and efficient transit connections between North Campus, Central Campus, and the Medical Campus in Ann Arbor.

The core concept involves an approximately 3.5-mile elevated guideway with automated, electric, rubber-tired vehicles (for reduced noise and vibration), serving around 6 passenger stations. The project is part of the broader Campus Plan 2050, which seeks to reduce car dependency, ease congestion and parking demand, support carbon neutrality goals, and strengthen connections across campuses.

Current Project Status (as of 2026)

The ATS remains in the early planning stages.
In early February 2025, the university issued a Request for Proposals (following an earlier Request for Qualifications) to identify partners for design, construction, and operation.
The project requires approval from the University of Michigan Regents, so a final transit route may not be determined until 2026 or later.
Full implementation could take an additional five years or more after route selection.
Community engagement continues, with feedback on potential routes (e.g., concerns about impacts to Nichols Arboretum have led to flexible planning and a commitment to explore alternatives).

Key Benefits and Features

Fast, high-capacity transit to move people seamlessly between campuses.
All-electric system to align with sustainability and net-zero emissions goals.
Complements existing bus services (like Bursley-Baits and Commuter routes) and potential Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) elements.
Aims to decrease personal vehicle use, boost economic development, and foster academic/programmatic ties between North and Central campuses.

Official Resources and Links

For the latest details, visit these primary University of Michigan sources:

Main Automated Transit System / Campus Connector page (concept overview, goals, benefits, and FAQs): https://campusplan2050.umich.edu/updates/automated-transit-system (Last major update: June 6, 2025)
Transit section of Campus Plan 2050 (broader context on ATS and BRT proposals): https://campusplan2050.umich.edu/plans-and-maps/physical-systems/transit
Full Campus Plan 2050 document (includes maps and transit details): https://campusplan2050.umich.edu/files/CP%202050%20-%20ToPost%2005.05.25.pdf
Additional announcements and updates: Check the Campus Plan 2050 Updates page or The University Record for news.

Note: Current bus services already connect the campuses, but the ATS would represent a significant upgrade with dedicated, elevated, automated transit. The project is evolving, so monitor official UMich sites for route finalization, vendor selections, or construction timelines.

Drivers facing the yellow-light-dilemma

Center for Digital Education | University of Michigan

Stochastic hybrid models for predicting the behavior of drivers facing the yellow-light-dilemma

Paul A. Green | University of Michigan

Daniel Hoehener & Domitilla Del Vecchio | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abstract: We address the problem of predicting whether a driver facing the yellow-light-dilemma will cross the intersection with the red light. Based on driving simulator data, we propose a stochastic hybrid system model for driver behavior. Using this model combined with Gaussian process estimation and Monte Carlo simulations, we obtain an upper bound for the probability of crossing with the red light. This upper bound has a prescribed confidence level and can be calculated quickly on-line in a recursive fashion as more data become available. Calculating also a lower bound we can show that the upper bound is on average less than 3% higher than the true probability. Moreover, tests on driving simulator data show that 99% of the actual red light violations, are predicted to cross on red with probability greater than 0.95 while less than 5% of the compliant trajectories are predicted to have an equally high probability of crossing. Determining the probability of crossing with the red light will be important for the development of warning systems that prevent red light violations.

CLICK HERE to order complete article

2029 National Electrical Code CMP-6 & 7

Transcripts for Today:

CMP-6 Public Input Report: Conductors & Cords, Chapter 9 Tables…

CMP-6 Public Comment Report

CMP-6 Public Input Report: Branch Circuits, Feeders, Services, Manufactured Buildings….

CMP-6 Public Comment Report

Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Healthcare Occupancies

DECEMBER 2025 ICC COMMITTEE ON HEALTHCARE Minutes

2025 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS

Safety and sustainability for any facility, not just university-affiliated healthcare facilities, usually begin with an understanding of who, and how, shall occupy the built environment. University settings, with mixed-use occupancy arising spontaneously and temporarily, often present challenges and they are generally well managed.

First principles regarding occupancy classifications for healthcare facilities appear in Section 308 of the International Building Code, Institutional Group I; linked below:

2021 International Building Code Section 308 Institutional Group I

university of michigan cardiovascular october medical health 1921 721

Gold_Coast_University_Hospital_Blocks_A,_B_and_C new zealand health intern NZ wiki 1921

glen_panotamic mcgill university canada international medical health aerial needs attribution 1922 719

Moffitt_Cancer_Center_viewed_from_east university of south florida medical center 1922 721

Cooper_lobby_2009 hospital new jersey interior wiki 1919 721

aubuilding augusta university hospital alabama may need attribution 1921 721

Children's_Hospital_Pittsburgh university of pittsburgh health wiki 1921 721

Cork_university_hospital_2017_stitch IRELAND INTERNATIONAL 1923 723

Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset sweden facebook international health hospital photo by Marie Ullnert needs attribution october 1919 721

There are thousands of healthcare code compliance functionaries and instructors; most of them supported by trade associations and most of them authoritative. Hewing to our market discipline to track only the concepts that will affect university-affiliated healthcare enterprises only. There are a few noteworthy differences between corporate healthcare businesses and university affiliated healthcare enterprises (usually combined with teaching and research activity) that we identify on this collaboration platform.

We collaborate closely with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which takes a far more global view of the healthcare industry. That committee meets online 4 times monthly in European and American time zones.

Finally, we encourage our colleagues to participate directly in the ICC Code Development process. Contact Kimberly Paarlberg (kpaarlberg@iccsafe.org) for more information about its healthcare committees and how to participate in the ICC code development process generally. Tranches of ICC titles are developed according to the schedule below:

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

LIVE: I-Code Group B Public Comment Hearings

Issue: [18-166]

Category: Architectural, Healthcare Facilities, Facility Asset Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben

More

The ICC Code Development Process

K-TAG Matrix for Healthcare Facilities

American Society of Healthcare Engineers

Design & Operation of Health Care Facilities

The pandemic provides background for the importance of ventilation systems in healthcare settings and reminder that there is plenty of work to do. The scope of ASHRAE 189.3 – Design, Construction and Operation of Sustainable High Performance Health Care Facilities — lies in this domain:

Purpose. The purpose of this standard is to prescribe the procedures, methods and documentation requirements for the design, construction and operation of high-performance sustainable health care facilities.

Scope.This standard applies to patient care areas and related support areas within health care facilities, including hospitals, nursing facilities, outpatient facilities, and their site. It applies to new buildings, additions to existing buildings, and those alterations to existing buildings that are identified within the standard. It provides procedures for the integration of sustainable principles into the health care facility design, construction and operation process including:

1. integrated design
2. conservation of water
3. conservation of energy
4. indoor environmental quality
5. construction practices
6. commissioning
7. operations and maintenance

Public consultation on Addendum m regarding definition of “room units” and the heating and cooling of such units closes January 27th

~~Public consultation on Standard 189.3-2021, Design, Construction, and Operation of Sustainable High-Performance Health Care Facilities closes November 11.~~

We maintain this title on the standing agenda of our periodic Health, Energy and Mechanical colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the online meeting; open to everyone.

October 9 Update

As of the date of this post, two redlines have been released for public consultation

Proposed Addendum L to Standard 170-2021, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities

Proposed Addendum i to Standard 170-2021, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities

~~The consultation closes October 29th.~~

Other redlines are released and posted at the link below:

Public Review Draft Standards / Online Comment Database

Because this title is administered on ASHRAE’s continuous maintenance platform, public consultations run 30 to 45 days. You may also submit an original idea to the ASHRAE standards development enterprise. CLICK HERE to get started.

We maintain this title on the standing agenda of our periodic Health, Energy and Mechanical colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the online meeting; open to everyone.

"The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest" - William Osler

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about" - Angela Schwindt "The true art of pediatrics lies not only in curing diseases but also in preventing them" - Abraham Jacobi

EUYVpiuX0AECpij michigan state university college of veterinary medicine nurses 1924

Students in scrubs and masks perform a procedure on a mannequin

EUYaDiJWsAIEUt7 university of ottawa operating room health hospital nurse canada interior 1919

Augustana University nursing dakota sts stps 19

Issue: [Various]

Category: Mechanical, Electrical, Energy, Facility Asset Management

Colleagues: David Conrad, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel

Workspace / ASHRAE

Exorbitant Campus Construction Projects

Facility Services

A simple web search finds several articles and reports discussing how college and university presidents’ compensation (including base salary, bonuses, incentives, and total pay packages) can be linked—directly or indirectly—to success in building new facilities, capital projects, infrastructure development, or related fundraising/capital campaigns.

Nominally, while compensation may not be tied exclusively to constructing new buildings, many public and private institutions incorporate performance-based incentives (e.g., bonuses or deferred pay) connected to strategic goals like fundraising for capital campaigns, enrollment growth, research expansion, or completing major infrastructure initiatives. These often involve new facilities as key outcomes, since presidents frequently lead capital campaigns to fund buildings, renovations, or campus expansions. The topic comes up — tacitly — in annual compensation reviews .

Readings Pro & Con:

Mercer report: “Leading in turbulent times: The challenges, complexities and compensation of public university presidents” (recent analysis of public AAU institutions): Nearly 40% of these universities offer annual bonuses/incentives to presidents, with a median opportunity of ~30% of base salary. Incentives are increasingly tied to strategic goals, including fundraising, research growth, and student success—often encompassing capital projects and new facilities as part of institutional advancement. Deferred compensation (common at 80% of institutions) rewards long-term stability and growth initiatives like infrastructure.
Link: https://www.mercer.com/en-us/insights/total-rewards/executive-compensation/leading-in-turbulent-times-the-challenges-complexities-and-compensation-of-public-university-presidents
“Skin In The Game: Incentive pay and job performance in higher education” (2024 article/blog analyzing Big Ten peers): Discusses how some universities (e.g., Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana, Rutgers) include incentive pay in presidential performance reviews, tying portions of compensation to measurable goals. While not always explicit on facilities, it critiques the lack of such metrics at places like Penn State amid major projects (e.g., stadium renovations), implying fundraising and capital success should influence pay.
Link: https://barryfenchak.com/skin-in-the-game-incentive-pay-and-job-performance-in-higher-education
UCSD Guardian op-ed: “Exorbitant Campus Construction Projects, Administrative Compensation: It’s Time to Demand Accountability” (2023): Criticizes how university administrations are “rewarded” for launching expensive capital projects (e.g., new buildings costing billions), often at the expense of other priorities like faculty salaries or maintenance. It argues this ties executive rewards indirectly to prioritizing new facilities over core academic needs.
Link: https://ucsdguardian.org/2023/04/25/exorbitant-campus-construction-projects-administrative-compensation-its-time-to-demand-accountability
The Atlantic: “Tuition Increases as Universities Spend More On New Buildings as Old Facilities Fall Into Disrepair” (2016, still relevant context): Explores the “arms race” in campus construction, where presidents push for new amenities/facilities to attract students/faculty, often funded by tuition hikes or debt. It notes how this contributes to administrative bloat and high executive pay, though not always via explicit incentives.
Link: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/the-paradox-of-new-buildings-on-campus/492398
Inside Higher Ed: “Study: Investment in public university presidents doesn’t mean return in philanthropy or state funding” (2019): Finds no direct link between higher presidential pay and better fundraising/state appropriations outcomes, but notes boards often justify pay with macro goals like successful capital campaigns or enrollment/infrastructure improvements.
Link: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/29/study-investment-public-university-presidents-doesnt-mean-return-philanthropy-or

Overall, explicit ties to “building new facilities” are more common indirectly—through fundraising targets, capital campaign success, or strategic growth metrics—rather than line-item bonuses for specific construction projects. Critics argue this can incentivize flashy new builds over maintenance or academics, while proponents see it as aligning pay with institutional advancement. Compensation data often comes from sources like the Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual surveys or CUPA-HR reports.

Our coverage:

UNC-Chapel Hill announces plans to develop campus extension in Carolina North

The Vertical Density of Urban Apartments Is Catastrophic for Fertility

Could Bigger Apartments Reverse America’s Birth Decline?

Beauty in a World of Ugliness

Homophily Michigan

Higher Education Facilities Act of 1963

Integrated Planning Glossary

Ædificare & Utilization

Architectural Billings

Global Consistency in Presenting Construction & Life Cycle Costs

Carnegie Classifications

Occupancy Classification and Use

Gallery: School Bond Referenda

Ædificare & Utilization

New Construction Release Schedule: https://www.census.gov/construction/c30/release.html

The next report will be released February 27th; possibly the result of government shutdowns. Given that the regular monthly cadence has been interrupted we will continue placing it on our first day of the month custom.

There’s been a significant redesign of the look and feel of the monthly Census Bureau reports construction activity. Today we sort through the rather more granular statistics that inform our recommendations for facility spend.

Total #construction activity for October 2025 ($2,175.2 billion) was 0.5% above September 2025 ($2,164.3 billion).

Learn more: https://t.co/vO6ZkjBJMY #CensusEconData #ConstructionSpending pic.twitter.com/CYux8HXJ3W

— U.S. Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau) January 21, 2026

December 1, 2025

It has been 20 years since we began tracking educational settlement facility spend. Starting this month we will examine federal government data together with the best available data about space utilization to enlighten our response to the perfectly reasonable question: “Are we over-building or under-building or building ineffectively”. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

United States: Schools of Architecture

The Society for College and University Planning (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

National Center for Education Statistics

The Financial Impact of Architectural Design: Balancing Aesthetics and Budget in Modern Construction

Homeschooling

2022 International Existing Building Code

University College London
University of Toronto
43.0764° N | 87.8816° W
University of Waterloo Ontario
California Polytechnic University | San Luis Obispo County
Oulun yliopisto | Pohjois-Pohjanmaa
Tulane School of Architecture Louisiana
University of Michigan | Washtenaw County
Auburn University | Lee County Alabama
University of Kansas School of Architecture | Douglas County

As reported by the US Department of Commerce Census Bureau the value of construction put in place by August 2025 by the US education industry proceeded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $137.604 billion. This number does not include renovation for projects under 50,000 square feet and new construction in university-affiliated health care delivery enterprises. Reports are released two months after calendar month. The complete report is available at the link below:

MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION SPENDING August 2025 (released two months after calendar month)

Total construction activity for June 2025 ($2,136.2 billion) was 0.4 percent below the revised May 2025 estimate ($2,143.9 billion).

Learn more: https://t.co/ljpaYyKjuX #CensusEconData pic.twitter.com/TS6ewzZhc4

— U.S. Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau) August 1, 2025

This spend makes the US education facilities industry (which includes colleges, universities, technical/vocational and K-12 schools, most university-affiliated medical research and healthcare delivery enterprises, etc.) the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States after commercial property; and fairly close. For perspective consider total public + private construction ranked according to the tabulation most recently released:

$137.604 billion| Education Facilities

$155.728 billion | Power

$69.625 billion | Healthcare

Keep in mind that inflation figures into the elevated dollar figures. Overall — including construction, energy, custodial services, furnishings, security. etc., — the non-instructional spend plus the construction spend of the US education facilities is running at a rate of about $300 – $500 billion per year.

LIVE: A selection of construction cameras at US schools, colleges and universities

Architectural Billings

We typically pick through the new data set; looking for clues relevant to real asset spend decisions. Finally, we encourage the education facilities industry to contribute to the accuracy of these monthly reports by responding the US Census Bureau’s data gathering contractors.