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Projects Updates for Maintain or Reduce Gross Square Footage

  2. Provost describes iCAP in space inventory letter

    Associated Project(s): 
    2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan (2015 iCAP)
    Building-Level Energy Efficiency
    Maintain or Reduce Gross Square Footage

    Provost Andreas Cangellaris included this statement about the iCAP in the April 2019 letter (attached) to colleges and instructional units about the Space Inventory:

    "I also want to take this opportunity to recap several campus initiatives regarding space stewardship. As you may be aware, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign established the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) in May 2010 and updated the document in 2015. The document outlines strategies, initiatives, and targets toward meeting the stated goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The targets and strategies detailed in the plan represent a series of commitments the University is making in order to achieve its sustainability goals, including the Net Zero Space Growth Policy as found in the CAM. I encourage you to review our commitments as outlined in the climate action plan and the Net Zero Space Growth Policy"

    Attached Files: 

  3. Jill Maxey meets with energy contacts regarding space policy

    Associated Project(s): 
    Maintain or Reduce Gross Square Footage
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam

    In September, Associate Director for Space Utilization Jill Maxey met with faculty and staff interested in the status of the Net Zero Growth Space Policy.  She explained the calculations involved in setting up the Space Bank, and the anticipated usage going forward in future years.

  4. Archive: previous project name and description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Maintain or Reduce Gross Square Footage

    "No Net Increase in Space" Policy

    According to plans set forth by the 2010 Illinois Climate Action Plan, the University will enact a “no net increase in space” policy for the entire campus by 2012, applicable to all space controlled by campus including auxiliary units and rental space. Continued growth of the campus has led to an increase in the University’s use of non-renewable energy sources. In order to decrease the projected increase in carbon emissions, steps must be taken to ensure that square footage is only added on necessary occasions.

    As part of the “no net increase in space” policy, the Non-Instructional and Instruction Space Taskforces were created. These taskforce provided advice on non-instructional and instructional space utilization on the Urbana campus.

    The goals of the Non-Instructional Space Taskforce are to develop and review policies governing the assignment of space to promote the most efficient use; prepare recommendations for policies to govern how space is assigned and used; propose an approval process for requesting new and additional space that considers the iCAP commitment; determine policies for space being used for storage of excess equipment, furniture and physical records; and review the policies of other institutions to identify practices that should be incorporated into the policy recommendations above. The committee is also looking into space management tools to allow for better transparency of space allocated to units.

    The goals of the Instructional Space Taskforce are to adopt guiding principles for use of instructional space and determine standards for equipment within the instructional spaces; determine the appropriate inventory mix of instructional space and what qualifies as "instructional space; create or update an inventory and assess the use and condition of all instructional space; and create and track space utilization metrics on an annual basis.

  5. 2015 iCAP potential strategies

    Associated Project(s): 
    Maintain or Reduce Gross Square Footage

    Maintain or reduce the campus gross square footage relative to the FY10 baseline.

    The 2010 iCAP committed the campus to enacting a 'no net increase in space' policy applicable to all space controlled by campus. Such a policy enables greenhouse gas emission reductions through restricting additional gross square feet of campus buildings, which is directly related to the peak energy demand for campus utilities. In addition to limiting future energy expenditures, there will also be a reduction in the use of resources for construction materials and processes, and a reduction of transportation emissions associated with urban sprawl.

    A net zero growth space policy has been approved by the Provost’s Non-Instructional Space Task Force.  The campus should target formal adoption of this policy and incorporation into the Campus Administrative Manual before the end of FY15. According to this policy, when buildings are demolished or leases are vacated (post-2010), their gross square footage would be added to a “square footage bank” held by the Provost’s office. The Provost may “retire” this square footage in order to effect a gradual reduction in campus gross square footage, or may make allocations of this square footage to offset individual projects that would otherwise increase gross square footage. Such an allocation from the bank would represent a negative square footage contribution to the project to enable it to result in no increase in gross square footage.

    Modern building standards typically require more square footage for accessibility and mechanical needs. Nevertheless, campus could prevent the need for increases in square footage by judiciously examining existing and new space requirements at a departmental level. Campus could also consider best practices from other campuses, such as a space marketplace that provides rewards for space reduction and enables efficient space swaps. The campus could develop a standardized reporting system that measures utilization of classrooms, classroom laboratories, conference rooms, and meeting rooms based on variables such as time and day of the week, average percent fill, facilities demand, etc. Campus administrators could then identify underutilized spaces and reassign them for other purposes. A comprehensive space audit of the campus could also be considered.

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