As states across the nation begin to re-open during the pandemic, many news articles are asking, “Is it safe?” The CDC says the safest thing to do is stay home and isolate, but not every person or organization has that luxury. FSi, with decades of expertise in HVAC, can help you follow CDC and ASHRAE Read More
Community
Reopen with a Safer Building
As states across the nation begin to re-open during the pandemic, many news articles are asking, “Is it safe?” The CDC says the safest thing to do is stay home and isolate, but not every person or organization has that luxury. FSi, with decades of expertise in HVAC, can help you follow CDC and ASHRAE Read More
How COVID-19 is changing, and NOT changing, the way we work.
On March 6, 2020, FSi Engineers began an experiment in self, company, and community care; we all began working from home. We are striving to make sure we are the same company you’ve always known, with impeccable design and exemplary relationships with our clients. A vendor who provides COVID-19 training to HR Managers around the Read More
The Just™ label is not a certification or a goal, it is an on-going process of self-evaluation under the guidance of the International Living Future Institute. FSi has completed our first round of this process and we are happy to report that our performance is very much in alignment with our values. As we explored Read More
Raised in a religious environment, FSi’s Bill Boone was familiar with the idea of community service. But when asked to take part in FSi’s community service team, he joined reluctantly. While the team set a goal of serving 80,000 people, Bill set a personal goal of serving just 25 – he wasn’t comfortable committing to Read More
Fire Protection Engineers: What they are and why you should care.
Fire Protection Engineers: What they are and why you should care A short adventure into the world of Fire Codes. Fire Protection Engineers (FPEs) have a broad range of backgrounds, from building design and construction, to civil service and the insurance industry. The base knowledge for testing and practice consists of four broad legs: Fire protection Read More
A Place to Be: Building Community to End Homelessness with The BLOCK Project
My foot catches on an uneven bit of sidewalk, and I fly head-first towards the pavement. I hang flailing in the air for what seems like an eternity – then land hard on my hands and elbows and knees. Before I can even brush myself off, strangers appear out of nowhere, sincerely concerned, asking if Read More
Robert is a generous, smart, funny man who has worked all his life – and who has been homeless for more than a decade. He has lived primarily in a dormitory-style shelters, sleeping in rooms with more than 100 other men at close quarters. Last week, Robert moved into a home of his own. His Read More
LEED 2009 Energy Performance Update Effective 4/8/16
USGBC Approves LEED 2009 Energy Update USGBC members have voted to approve the LEED 2009 Energy Performance Update. With approval of this update, LEED 2009 will require higher minimum energy performance standards for all projects registering for LEED 2009 after April 8, 2016. If you have a project that you are thinking of registering soon, be sure to do it before Read More
WSU Wine Science Center featured in Practical Winery and Vineyard Magazine
Practical Winery and Vineyard magazine featured the Ste. Michelle Estates Wine Science Center (WSC) at Washington State University in its January issue. The new facility opened its doors last June to house WSU’s Viticulture and Enology program. FSi was the mechanical engineer and winery systems designer for the new, 39,000 sf facility, working with ALSC Architects as Read More
The USGBC has announced that the LEED 2009 rating system will be open for registration until October 31, 2016 (extended from June, 2015), to allow product manufacturers to release full material and environmental product declarations. This means projects may be registered under either the 2009 or v4 rating systems for the next two years. We Read More
LEED v4 Updates: New Regional Priority Credits, Building Product and Disclosure Calculators, and LEED 2009 Phase-Out
We’ve been following the development and roll out of LEED v4 (see our previous blog post, here), and have a few updates. Regional Priority Credits USGBC has just updated their Regional Priority Credit (RPC) tool for LEED v4, here. The new RPC are based on specific location (address or latitude and longitude) to allow for Read More
Washington State University (WSU) offers the state’s only four-year Viticulture and Enology degree, along with graduate studies based on the science and economics of the wine industry. In 2015, WSU will open a state-of-the-art research and teaching facility in Richland, Washington, to support these programs. The facility will house research laboratories, classrooms, and a fully Read More
Energy Assessments & Re-Commissioning in Existing Buildings
Are you looking for ways to reduce energy use, lower operating costs, and improve the comfort of occupants in your building? Consider an energy assessment or retro-commissioning. The US Department of Energy calls energy assessments and retro-commissioning “a powerful tool for uncovering operational and equipment improvements that will save energy, reduce energy costs, and lead Read More
LEED v4 is in effect now, and becomes mandatory in June 2015. Are you ready?
The newest version of LEED, LEED v4, went into effect in December 2013. Until June of 2015, you can choose to submit projects under LEED 2009 or LEED v4. LEED v4 offers significant changes in point allocations, and a few new points. Some projects may earn more points and a higher rating under the new Read More
New 2012 Washington State and Seattle Energy Code Now in Effect
The 2012 Washington Energy Code, based on the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code, went into effect July 1, 2013. It is up to individual jurisdictions to decide when to start using the new code, and some jurisdictions (including the City of Renton) adopted it as of July 1. Other jurisdictions we have talked to plan Read More
