The All-Employee Expo, held at State Farm Center, a popular on-campus event was in full force. Thousands walked the halls of SFC and were able to learn about colleges, units, and efforts of the university, as well as other local vendors. F&S was well-attended, hosting eight tables of teams and shops that had giveaways, tokens of appreciation, information, examples, and stories of success. Machinists & … Continue reading F&S At the Expo
Campus Instructional Facility (CIF) has quickly become an on-campus hub, drawing tens of thousands of students per week through its doors. A wide array of classes are there, and public space areas are often populated as study areas. The building went up in 2021 and in these years since, F&S Retrocommissioning (RCx) experts figured it likely they would work on the building, with its high … Continue reading CIF Benefits from RCx
You see it every time you walk at night: pathway, bike lane, and street lighting is a trusted, safe way to journey campus. Big evening events for new students hit each fall, leading into sporting events, music acts and every outdoor activity… but at night. And with lighting installed in recent years, including at Illini Grove, along Kirby west of Gies Memorial Stadium, and in … Continue reading The Lit Path and the Dark Sky
The Urbana campus is home to more than 18,000 trees. For years, F&S has helped maintain a publicly-available online database of all trees on campus through “TreeKeeper,” seen here: https://go.fs.illinois.edu/trees. Now, imagine all those leaves… An afternoon with a rake, a few bags, and a rewarding warm apple cider won’t be enough to clear all those leaves. No, F&S Grounds workers use different, stronger tactics. … Continue reading Can you be-LEAF it?
By Austin KeatingOriginally posted to The ACHR News New research reveals growing acceptance of geothermal HVAC among commercial facility managers A comprehensive survey reveals the growing momentum of commercial geothermal HVAC, with one in four facility managers already adopting the technology and industry experts predicting continued expansion driven by tax incentives, energy efficiency, and technological advancements. Commercial contractors are seeing increased interest in geothermal HVAC … Continue reading Commercial Geothermal Gains Momentum
The Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP) is a vision for a greener, more resilient campus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Shaped by public input, it aims to create multi-functional outdoor spaces that not only foster collaboration, celebration, and gathering but are also welcoming, safe, and easy to maintain. The plan focuses on sustainability, preserving the university’s history, supporting biodiversity, and helping Illinois meet its … Continue reading A Greener University with the Campus Landscape Master Plan
The Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building (MEB) completed a major transformation in 2022, including over 40,000 square feet added to instructional and research capabilities. It even got a new piece of public and interactive art. Leaders from the building and those in the mechanical science & engineering (MechSE) department, along with help from F&S, invested even more to reach WELL Platinum Certification. To accomplish WELL, … Continue reading We’re Doing WELL
At the 2025 Chief Engineers & Facility Managers Conference, Mike Larson, director of utility operations at Abbott Power Plant, described part of why the Urbana campus is so remarkable in utility and energy production and distribution: chilled water. Cold water, taken down to 42 degrees Fahrenheit at five chillers in Champaign and Urbana, is pumped throughout the campus in 26 miles of underground pipes to … Continue reading 2025 Chief Engineers & Facility Managers Conference: What’s So Cool About Chilled Water
By Jalynn Bugaj, customer relations & communications intern With the construction of Steven S. Wymer Hall on the former site of parking Lot E12, nearly all parking spaces in that lot have been permanently removed as of May 8, 2023. To offset this change, a new parking structure was built at Lot E15, located at 404 E. Pennsylvania. Before construction, Lot E15 had 294 parking … Continue reading Future Ready Parking with EV Charging at Lot E15
F&S Utilities & Energy Services (UES) performs some of the most important work on campus, producing and distributing steam, water, and electricity across 24M gross square feet, more than 600 buildings, and to a ‘town’ of more than 50,000 students and 10,000 employees. So, when building experts and facility managers perform renovations, retrocommmissioning, or other work that reduces energy consumption, recognition is in order! The … Continue reading INSIDER Magazine: ECIP Awards
