In 1913, Henry Ford developed his assembly line for mass production, famed for its efficiency. In the 1930s, Toyota took it a step further, developing a manufacturing production method—often referred to as LEAN—which not only limited waste and overproduction, but made it possible to create more variety of cars. Since then, the LEAN process has […]
Case Studies Building for the Future
Rick Fox – Timberland Partners
When Rick Fox saw kids using a bike park recently, he couldn’t help but feel proud. As they raced around the colorful tracks, the kids showed Fox the impact of his work with their laughter and smiles. The director of facilities management for Timberland Partners likes knowing the features he adds to apartment complexes are […]
Rick Fechter – School District of Menomonee Falls
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the country shifted to remote and hybrid models of learning. While many districts invested in virtual infrastructure to help ease the transition (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, for example), others opted for a slightly different approach—investing in physical infrastructure in addition to the requisite tech upgrades. Case in […]
Richard Stone – UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital
Versatility may be just what the doctors ordered. Literally. So says the man in charge of support services and construction administration at an upstate New York hospital that’s immersed in an ambitious multiphase redesign and expansion. Planning for upgrades to UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital commenced in 2015, with the hammers finally ringing three years later. […]
Robert Tolomeo – Broken Arrow Public Schools
From farm animals and drones to striking architecture and on-site input from students, the new STEM facility at Broken Arrow Public Schools in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is designed to educate—for life. Built in the Oklahoma soil and surrounded by 80 acres of usable land, the main building is a split-level design constructed to make the […]
Rence Meredith – Grand Valley State University
For many colleges and universities, summer is when the hustle and bustle of student life give way to an almost eerie calm, where the loudest sound may be the wind in the trees. That is, until you take a walk across the Grand Valley State University campus in Allendale, Michigan. There you’ll see the dozens […]
Rick Fechter – School District of Menomonee Falls
You sound like a football coach, Rick Fechter is told during a midsummer interview with Blueprint. The approachable but demanding facilities director of the Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, school district takes it as a compliment. He concedes there’s no room for subpar performers on his NFL-sized team of around 45. Especially with the start of the […]
