Designing Interiors: Careers in Facilities Management
by Wendy Croix
Interior Design School Review Columnist
When you design your interiors, you like to think big. You prefer the long haul to the one-time design. Consider choosing a design school curriculum that will prepare you for a career in Facilities Management.
Where Does a Facilities Manager Work?
Facilities managers design and maintain interiors for industries and offices, for hospitals and retirement communities, for universities, for museums, or even for parks. Regardless of the venue, the facilities manager must have a company-wide vision steady enough to provide continuity yet flexible enough to adapt to the ever-changing demands of the time.
What Does a Facilities Manager Do?
Facilities managers are responsible for new facility design, for ongoing design maintenance and upgrades, and for renovation and expansion as well. If the office moves, the facilities manager plans and coordinates the move. Consequently, interior designers with their eyes on a facility management career would need to be flexible and adaptable, yet committed and cooperative.
What Training Does a Facilities Manager Have?
To prepare you to design facility interiors, your schooling should emphasize Computer- Aided Design, design for safety and health, and business management skills, since you'll surely be in charge of a design maintenance team. Seek out an internship in facilities management, and you'll be well on your way to a career guiding the design of a business or institution.
Exploring the Profession of Facilities Management
Check out the websites of the International Facility Management Association or their convention, World Workplace, and the Building Owners & Managers Association International. Online magazines like Practical Facilities Management will give you a taste for the career. Dezígnaré Interior Design Collective offers an extensive and helpful list of Facilities Management links.
About the Author
Wendy Croix, Ph.D. is a freelance writer, cultural critic and university professor. In her twenty years as a professional educator, Wendy has guided hundreds of students toward the careers of their dreams.
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