• Track LEED v3 Credits in Project Management Software – It can only be a matter of time before we see a BREEAM focused product like this? :"Tracking LEED credits is a document-intensive process. Just ask any experienced LEED Accredited Professional (AP). Submittal documentation includes drawings, receipts, product spec sheets, photos, commission plans and more. Adding to the clutter, numerous project members will access and edit these documents.
  Project management software, especially web-based systems, act as a repository for the storage and retrieval of critical project documents. Simply upload a document into the system, then attach it to the appropriate LEED-credit log. From there you can track the history of a document, see every change that has been made and who made it."
• Spillway: The Joy of Sprawl – Lovely blog post on SimCity which almost had me downloading the game straight away: "Realism and terrain constraints help ameliorate this problem, but generally the most beautiful cities are the ones that develop organically, at least in part, with some lack of planning thrown in."
• RICS survey finds some breathing space before the real storm hits (Brickonomics) – More doom from Brian: "So a less horrific picture than six months ago, but this can only realistically be seen as a breathing space before the nasty onslaught on public sector cuts takes effect.
  On my assessment the industry has about a year to reshape itself for levels of workload far below those to which it has grown accustomed. More importantly, it will need to learn how to live without turnover growth.
  Sadly the signs are that the industry is self-harming in the run up to its biggest challenge in a generation. Not the best preparation.
  Back to two of my big concerns of the moment: lunatic bidding (and it is not just our contracting brethren); and the madnes
• Why contractors can’t help suicidal bidding when the workload turns down (Brickonomics) – Excellent analysis from Brian (as always): "On the face of it contractors face the "Prisoner's dilemma", the classic game theory problem.
  In expressing the dilemma facing UK contractors in terms of the game we get something like:
  Contractors cannot discuss prices, but they know if they all take a "cooperative" stance and refuse to bid below cost then the industry remains competitive, but without being suicidal. If workloads are shrinking it probably means they each share the pain of reduced turnover, but at least the work they do win remains profitable or at cost. Their vanity may be damaged, but their sanity remains intact.
  But if some break rank, those that hold firm win no work and go out of business.
  So, as the theory suggests, they go for the option where they can best control the level of risk and which offers the least-worst option. This means they all take to bidding below cost.
  This creates a downward spiral where the exit point is collapse of firms who can no longer sustain t
• Asia Times Online :: China News, China Business News, Taiwan and Hong Kong News and Business. – Good to see hutongs being renovated rather than razed. I'm hoping they can manage to add in WC's to most buildings – last time I was there you still had to pop out of the bar/restaurant and leg it to the public loos on each street – intelligent addition of infrastructure is one of the main limiting factors to keeping areas like this useable: "I believe the next 10 years we will see far greater investment in the city's hutongs," Bechtle continues. "Places such as Nanluoguxiang are already showing how Beijing's alleyways and courtyards can be renovated intelligently. The quality of life is being raised there without sacrificing architectural aesthetics."
• Blog: Sustainability – the most interesting aspect of London 2012? – London 2012 – James Cracknell is Sustainability Ambassador for London 2012. After watching 'On Thin Ice', I'm in awe of this guy's (sometimes dangerous to himself) drive and grit: "Over the last few years, having rowed across the Atlantic and skied to the South Pole, my perception of the world we live in has changed. But it was the definition of sustainability on a human level – 'the potential for long-term improvements in wellbeing, which in turn depend on the wellbeing of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources' – which probably best conveys why this was an area I wanted to try and help LOCOG achieve the targets they've set themselves."
• Uneconomic Growth – I'm fascinated by this premise, but how to translate from theory to reality?: "At what point do we realize that growth can only take us so far? Initially growth did a lot for our progress, but now we are seeing the impacts of uneconomic growth worldwide. It is time we turned our focus away from growing – getting larger – and push for development – getting better. The steady state economy is the logical next step for a growth economy that has reached the end of economic growth."
• Real Life LEED: Deconstruction Costs Revealed (aka Sustainable Demolition) – Deconstruction vs. demolition (in addition to the costs, think about time), and the offset of waste 'charges' vs. salvage: "On a 6,800 sf office/warehouse building, deconstruction costs showed a 20.9% ($2,128) premium over standard demolition, but that was more than offset by the retail value of the salvaged material at $3,046."
• Trends lend support to need for AEC Web 2.0 adoption « pwcom 2.0 – Great post from Paul, but don't forget Gen X cohort will be the 33-54 demographic over the next 15 years, anecdotal evidence suggests Gen Y have more in common with baby boomers (i.e. their parents): "Smaller employment pools will cause skills shortages as the 33-54 cohort decreases by 6 per cent over the next 15 years, creating ongoing recruitment, retention, and reward challenges … Also, Kogan believes, future leaders will want constant communication through technology, which means they’re always in touch and able to work, blurring the line between work and life outside of work – in other words, the classic description of Generation Y (or even Generation Z) and its demand for Web 2.0 tools and techniques to support new ways of working."
• Design Activism – The 'trouble' with environmentalism. I would never describe myself as an activist, but this Ann picks up this point on the other side of the coin (personal small changes):
  "Protest and direct action are powerful, but also risky and potentially dangerous. By contrast, personal change–drive less, eat organic food–is relatively safe and “easy.” As Derrick Jensen argues, writing in Orion magazine, personal change doesn’t equal political change:
  “Would any sane person think dumpster diving would have stopped Hitler, or that composting would have ended slavery or brought about the eight-hour workday, or that chopping wood and carrying water would have gotten people out of Tsarist prisons, or that dancing naked around a fire would have helped put in place the Voting Rights Act of 1957 or the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Then why now, with all the world at stake, do so many people retreat into these entirely personal “solutions”?"
• Tories to take axe to Partnerships for Schools – Building – And so it begins: "The Conservatives are preparing to slash the budget of delivery body Partnerships for Schools under proposals to cut the cost of the UK’s school building programme.
  The plans are part of an overhaul of schools policy, including the £55bn Building Schools for the Future programme, being discussed by the shadow Treasury team and shadow schools department. It is likely to see funds diverted from new buildings and major refurbishments towards smaller improvements in areas such as IT and furnishings."

• Government rule changes baffle EPC firms – Building – "At present, assessors who are qualified to use the EPC software sign off data gathered by unqualified field workers, as the law does not explicitly forbid this. The communities department letter said that by the beginning of next month data collectors would have to be as qualified as the desk-bound staff who assessed the data and signed the certificates."
• One step at a time to saving the planet | Matthew Taylor’s blog – Another thought provoking piece from Matthew Taylor, asking us to pick one short term priority and sticking to it: "In contrast, on climate change there seem to be hundreds of different ideas and plans covering timescales ranging from the next few years to the middle of the century. Each of us has several opportunities a day to ‘do the green thing’ so we end up overwhelmed, confused and susceptible to lapsing into the fourth of CT’s paradigms: fatalism."

• New Infrastructure Levy will help communities thrive and give developers certainty – Housing and Planning minister Caroline Flint announced further details of the Government's plans for a groundbreaking Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) today, which will support local communities by raising funding for new schools, hospitals, transport schemes, libraries, parks and leisure centres.
• Carbon Trust Professional Services Partnerships | Carbon Trust – The Carbon Trust incubator scheme, which accelerates the commercialisation of promising low-carbon businesses, has announced partnerships with business advisory firm Grant Thornton and law firm Mills & Reeve LLP, to provide corporate finance and legal advisory support to its incubator companies.
• A Learning History of Low Carbon Innovation in Local Authorities – Looks like a fascinating blog: This Blog website charts a current history of how carbon reduction is coming about in Local Authorities in 2008. A handful of councils are known to have made great strides. Other councils are making changes too, but are less well known for it. What are their stories? And others are feeling blocked and disempowered from bringing about change. Why is this? What are the common themes and challenges?
• Slow Travel: Where do you begin? – Ed Gillespie (of Futerra and the blog Slow Travel) takes Micheal O'Leary to task over the recent Times article. Hilarious (although MO'L has clearly lost his marbles).
• How To Concentrate – via Brad Feld, a 1930 article on how to concentrate (or think, to put it another way). Good read, very GTD "When harassed by the three devils; hurry, worry, and fear, the mind never has a fair chance to center on anything"
• Building a Greener Britain – via Mark Brinkley, an FMB report on Greening the Existing UK housing stock – specically looking at policy changes.36 page pdf to download.
• Ethicability test – My love of online psychology tests grows. Are you a philosopher, judge, angel, teacher, enforcer or guardian? I'm a judge and my moral DNA type is PRS.
• How to Save the World – I dip in and out of Dave's blog but recently found this gem: Seven Steps to Business Sustainability model. It's very robust. I would argue that you can think you are at stage 6 without going through 4 and 5 – a detrimental occurrence overall.
• Government launches one-stop shop for adapting to climate change – Building – "We are already starting to see some visionary climate-resistant buildings around Britain. I want builders and designers to follow the lead of the innovators behind these buildings by factoring a changing climate into their plans."

• Low carbon refurbishment of buildings – Management guide – This guide is aimed at those who wish to ensure that a planned refurbishment delivers carbon savings, in addition to meeting its other objectives. It provides clear, practical guidance based on real world experience.
• Jones Lang LaSalle acquires ECD, original developer of green globes- 7/9/2008 8:35:00 AM – Building Design & Construction – Jones Lang LaSalle adds ECD to growing list of acquisitions, recently including Upstream.
• workinproperty: Link Executive Bonuses To Green Targets – The UK's biggest trade union, Unite, has suggested that company executives should have their pay and bonuses linked to meeting "green" targets.
• First international standard on whole-life cost analysis – Building – published by the Building Cost Information Service as “BS ISO15686-5 Buildings and Constructed Assets – Service Life Planning, Part 5: Life Cycle Costing”.
• The Art of Nonconformity » A Brief Guide to World Domination – Via my good friend Cathy. Yes, it's a self help guide, but a good one.

• 800-CEO-READ Blog: Thoughts on Seth Godin’s “How To Read a Business Book” – reading (business) books is an act of mediation. It is a mental refuge for you to explore your thoughts and feelings about work, but also life as a whole.
• Building physicists wanted – PI insurance for low carbon consultants is higher because insurance companies see providing advice on sustainability as high risk.
• Water regs to cut waste and scalding – Building – The main change is aimed at cutting water use to 125 litres per person per day in new dwellings, just below the limit set in the Code for Sustainable Homes for a level one and two home.
• That bubble, reputation – Building – Failure to comply with the law will always be unethical and damage reputations. But conduct may not be contrary to the law yet still damage your reputation.
• Go with your gut – intuition is more than just a hunch, says Leeds research | Press releases | Media | University of Leeds – Research from my alma mater reinforcing Malcolm Gladwell's Blink.
• To Fight Global Warming We Must Tax All Recreational Exercise – Freakonomics – Opinion – New York Times Blog – I'm sure Steve Levitt wrote this as a joke, but it misses the mark on so many levels. And his assumptions for calcs are miles off. Good comments from readers which are worth a look.
• Think debate: Are engineers the new architects? – Building Design – Had the pleasure of seeing this 'live' at Think08. Good points from both sides and if the questions is changed to which would you rather be, then both make a compelling case for engineering…
• eco town round up – Martin has gathered together an impressive list of articles on eco-towns from around the interweb.

Back in February last year Ben Casnocha had a summary of Herzberg’s concept of hygiene factors here. If you are not familiar with the concept, Wikipedia have a good explanation here.

It got me thinking of something which I have come across in a couple of instances. Namely, managers and directors being so far detached from hygiene factors coming into play that they are unable to comprehend why a potential graduate might be concerned about the availability of for instance, showers (no pun intended) in the office.

Whilst the almost sadistically mundane tasks assigned a graduate are (usually) necessary (someone has to do it), the apparent subconscious equating of task related “hardship” with actual physical discomfort is insane. I could whinge on about this for much longer but instead I’ll point you to John Ehrenfeld’s manifesto on sustainability: reducing unsustainability is not the same as creating sustainability.

It’s a similar concept. There is a disconnect between office environment and the task at hand. Taking care of one won’t necessarily mean you take care of the other, (a good office environment does not mean the work will be easier), but it will ensure there is less dissatisfaction.

I’ve blogged on this topic before here. And least we forget that there’s a financial benefit to this, remember that 1% absenteeism in an office can account for the same amount of money as running the office for a year.