Johnson Controls is taking healthy building strategies higher with its recent collaboration with over 894 universities and colleges in the U.S.
As part of its OpenBlue Healthy Buildings offering, Johnson Controls has helped administrators across the board formulate and implement strategies for safe and efficient re-openings on campus. These relationships will also transfer full lifecycle risk of the healthy building offerings over to Johnson Controls, allowing campus administrators to better deliver healthy environments that place wellness, productivity and safety first.
“We know healthy campus environments have a direct positive influence on student achievement and wellness,” said Jaime Paris Boisvert, director for the higher education market at Johnson Controls. “Now, campuses must also address short-term COVID-19 needs along with those long-term health goals. We’re honored to work on so many forward-looking projects that will optimize the campus experience for years to come. Because while infrastructure has always played a significant public health role, upgrades shouldn’t begin and end with COVID-19.”
Healthy and Optimized Campus Experiences
In one instance, East Central College in Union, MO partnered with Johnson Controls to deliver a safe, healthy and connected campus environment ahead of the fall 2021 semester. Leveraging federal relief and stimulus funding, the team was able to commission a comprehensive air quality solution consisting of high-efficiency MERV-13 filters, UV-C disinfection technologies, upgraded heat pumps and Metasys controls.
Through the combination of clean air solutions, touchless security and flexible facility control, the campus can now quickly and easily repurpose spaces as needed while maximizing classroom comfort and air quality to support improved learning outcomes. Additionally, through OpenBlue, the solutions provided can be automated for scalable, efficient and ongoing optimization of these environments.
Getting the Return to Campus Done Right
Despite the support given to schools in the form of stimulus packages and endowments, the pandemic has still caused budgets to tighten considerably over its prolonged stint. For many, the solution to fostering revenue recovery and positioning for future growth lies in instilling confidence in the safety of campuses, not just for students, but for staff, faculties and families as well. This, according to Johnson Controls, comes in the form of making clear commitments to their health.
“Schools that get their return to campus right will not only have a successful semester but will remain competitive to health-conscious applicants and donors in the future. How campuses welcome back students this fall can impact revenue for years to come,” said Paris Boisvert.
Johnson Controls also emphasizes that their solution can ultimately help administrators reconnect with their green initiatives. By safely bringing students back to campus, officials can free up capital that they can then reinvest in energy efficiency and green energy projects that were either postponed or canceled due to pandemic budgetary constraints.
