Postsecondary 

Education Facilities 

Inventory and 

Classification 

Manual (FICM): 

2006 Edition 

U.S. Department of Education 

Institute of Education Sciences 

NCES 2006-160 

May 2006 

National Working Group on 

Postsecondary Facilities 

Kreon L. Cyros 

Chair 

Roslyn Korb 

Project Officer 

National Center for 

Education Statistics 
U.S. Department of Education 

Margaret Spellings

Secretary

Institute of Education Sciences 

Grover J. Whitehurst 

Director

National Center for Education Statistics 

Mark Schneider

Commissioner

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, 

and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional 

mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in 

the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance 

of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and 

review and report on education activities in foreign countries. 

NCES activities are designed to address high priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, 

complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high 

quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, 

practitioners, data users, and the general public. 

We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a 

variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating 

information effectively. If you have any comments or suggestions about this or any other NCES product or 

report, we would like to hear from you. Please direct your comments to: 

National Center for Education Statistics 

Institute of Education Sciences 

U.S. Department of Education 

1990 K Street NW 

Washington, DC 20006 

May 2006 

The NCES World Wide Web Home Page is http://nces.ed.gov.

The NCES World Wide Web Electronic Catalog is http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

Suggested Citation 

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). Postsecondary Education 

Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual (FICM): 2006 Edition (NCES 2006-160). U.S. Department 

of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

For ordering information on this manual, write to 

U.S. Department of Education 

 ED Pubs 

 P.O. Box 1398 

 Jessup, MD 20794-1398 

or call toll free 1-877-4ED-Pubs or order online at http://www.edpubs.org. 

Content Contact: 

Roslyn Korb 

Project Officer 

(202) 502-7378 

roslyn.korb@ed.gov
iii 

Foreword

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is pleased to publish an updated edition of 

the Postsecondary Education Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual (FICM). The FICM 

was first published in 1973 and was last revised in 1994. In the years between the publication of 

the 1994 FICM and the present time, postsecondary education has changed substantially in terms 

of the students it serves, the technologies that are available to it, and the innovations institutions 

have begun to embrace. All of these changes dictated the importance of examining the 1994 

FICM to determine what modifications, updates, and additions might be needed to provide a 

better, more useful industry-wide standard for facilities management and administration. 

To provide community input into the 2006 revisions of the FICM, NCES, with the assistance of 

Kreon Cyros of INSITE and Lander Medlin of the Association for Higher Education Facilities 

Officers, assembled a working group of facilities experts who represented various types of 

postsecondary institutions, postsecondary associations, state agencies, federal agencies, and 

private sector companies specializing in postsecondary institution facilities. This group guided 

the entire process of updating the FICM. 

This edition of the FICM differs from the previous editions more in its intent and organization 

than in its content. It is designed to be useful to both specialized staff and generalists and to be 

applicable to institutions with sophisticated information needs as well as to those with more basic 

facilities information needs. It reflects the perspective that along with human resources and 

financial assets, space is one of the primary resources of an educational institution. In fact, for 

some institutions, the dollar value (initial cost, replacement cost, and market value) of the 

institution’s buildings frequently exceeds the institution’s annual operating budget and 

endowment. 

The FICM is a tool that can help institutions initiate, conduct, report, and maintain an institutional 

space inventory that can provide answers to such basic questions as how much space is available, 

what kind of space is it, to whom is it assigned, and how efficiently is it being used and 

maintained. This information permits institutions to assess the adequacy of their current space 

and allows them to begin planning for future space needs. 

NCES has a continuing commitment to the education community to provide technical assistance 

and support that will facilitate the collection, reporting, and use of high quality education data. 

This third edition of the FICM is just one example of that commitment. The two previous editions 

of the FICM became standards for collecting and reporting data on postsecondary institution 

facilities. We are confident that this edition will have the same value and utility as its 

predecessors. 

C. Dennis Carroll 

Associate Commissioner 

Postsecondary Studies Division 

Roslyn A. Korb 

Director 

Postsecondary Cooperative Systems, Analysis 

and Dissemination Program 
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v 

Acknowledgments

This project reflects the voluntary cooperation and genuine collaboration among many 

individuals and organizations. 

First, every member of the National Working Group on Postsecondary Facilities for this edition 

of the FICM deserves an enormous thank-you. Their contributions and dedication made this 

project possible. At the outset, the group was given the choice of hiring a single consultant to do 

the revisions or undertaking the task themselves. The group chose the latter. Each member of the 

Working Group made unique and important original contributions to this edition of the manual 

and reviewed every revision that was suggested. 

Special acknowledgment and thanks must also be given to Kreon L. Cyros, who chaired the 

Working Group. Mr. Cyros not only expertly presided over the several meetings of the Working 

Group, but he organized the work so that revisions could be undertaken efficiently and 

effectively. He cajoled the members to complete their “assignments” in a timely manner, and he 

ensured that any changes made to the manual were necessary and improved it. He also responded 

to each of the comments that resulted from the extensive field review of the draft manual and 

worked on the organization and final structure of the manual. 

Lawrence W. Vanderburgh of the BOMI Institute became involved in the project because of his 

professional interest in facilities data and information. He assumed responsibility for assembling 

the materials provided by members of the Working Group, writing the introduction and other 

sections of the manual, and implementing the recommendations of the Working Group with 

regard to the final structure and layout. 

Additionally, many practitioners throughout the country reviewed the draft of this edition of the 

manual as part of the field review process. All of their comments, suggestions, and ideas were 

considered and discussed. We would like to thank everyone who made the effort to gain access 

to and review the draft manual. 

Finally, we would like to acknowledge the work of Baiming Liu of Westat and the other Westat 

staff who were involved in this project—Denise Glover, Carol Litman, and Sylvie Warren. Ms. 

Liu kept the whole project on as much of a schedule as possible, given the number of individuals 

involved. She served as the point person for the hundreds of e-mails that went back and forth 

among members of the Working Group and made sure that nothing was lost in transmission. Dr. 

Glover oversaw the project for Westat, Ms. Litman edited the final document, and Ms. Warren 

prepared the final document for publication. 
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vii 

National Working Group on Postsecondary Facilities

Kreon Cyros (Chair)

INSITE 

Peabody, MA 

William Bowes

Board of Regents, University System of 

Georgia 

Atlanta, GA 

Leslie Christovich 

National Science Foundation 

Arlington, VA 

Janet Cubar

Montgomery College 

Rockville, MD 

Henry DePerro

The Ford Foundation 

New York, NY 

David Kula

Yale University 

New Haven, CT 

J. Bruce Kunkel

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 

Troy, NY 

John Lyons

University of Alabama at Birmingham 

Birmingham, AL 

Lander Medlin

The Association for Higher Education 

Facilities Officers (APPA) 

Alexandria, VA 

J. Michael Mullen 

West Virginia Higher Education Policy 

Commission 

Charleston, WV 

Eric Ness

Suffolk University 

Boston, MA 

Richard Petrick 

Ohio Board of Regents 

Columbus, OH 

Joan Racki

Board of Regents, State of Iowa 

Urbandale, IA 

Michael Sofield 

National Museum of American History 

Washington, DC 

Lawrence Vanderburgh (Consultant) 

BOMI Institute 

Arnold, MD 

Carole Wharton 

McManis-Monsalve Associates 

Manassas, VA 
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ix 

Contents 

Page 

Foreword......................................................................................................................................... iii 

Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... v 

National Working Group on Postsecondary Facilities ............................................................... vii 

List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. xii 

List of Figures................................................................................................................................. xiii 

Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 1 

Chapter 1. Getting Started....................................................................................................... 5 

1.1 How This Manual Is Organized.................................................................. 5 

1.2 Designing the Database .............................................................................. 6 

1.3 Data Collection ........................................................................................... 7 

1.4 Practical Tips .............................................................................................. 9 

1.5 The Facilities Database and Institutional Management .............................. 10 

Chapter 2. Basic Database Principles and Applications........................................................ 11 

2.1 Basic Database Principles........................................................................... 11 

2.2 Database Applications ................................................................................ 12 

2.3 What to Include in a Building Inventory .................................................... 14 

2.4 Links to Other Systems............................................................................... 16 

Chapter 3. Building Area Measurement................................................................................. 17 

3.1 Overview of Building Measurement Terms ............................................... 17 

3.2 Definitions of Building Areas..................................................................... 19 

3.2.1 Gross Area (Gross Square Feet—GSF) ...................................... 20 

3.2.2 Net Assignable Area (Net Assignable Square Feet—NASF) ..... 22 

3.2.3 Nonassignable Area .................................................................... 24 

3.2.4 Building Service Area ................................................................. 24 

3.2.5 Circulation Area.......................................................................... 27 

3.2.6 Mechanical Area ......................................................................... 29 

3.2.7 Net Usable Area (Net Usable Square Feet—NUSF)................... 31 

3.2.8 Structural Area ............................................................................ 31 

3.2.9 Illustrative Cross-Section of a Building...................................... 33 

3.2.10 Parking Structures ....................................................................... 33 

3.3 Proration and Phantom Walls ..................................................................... 34 

3.4 Area Measurement Questions and Answers ............................................... 35 
x 

Page 

Chapter 4. Space Use Codes..................................................................................................... 37 

4.1 Space Use Category Structure .................................................................... 37 

4.2 Space Use Categories.................................................................................. 38 

4.2.1 Primary Use................................................................................. 40 

4.2.2 Proration and Phantom Walls...................................................... 40 

4.2.3 Service Codes.............................................................................. 41 

4.2.4 Room Name ................................................................................ 42 

4.2.5 Determining Actual Use Prior to Coding.................................... 42 

4.2.6 Local Options for Additional Codes ........................................... 43 

4.2.7 Some Space Use Characteristics Not to Be Used as Space 

Use Categories ............................................................................ 44 

4.3 Space Use Codes......................................................................................... 45 

4.3.1 Space Use Codes: Definitions, Descriptions, and 

Limitations .................................................................................. 47 

4.4 Space Use Codes Questions and Answers.................................................. 94 

Chapter 5. Data Analysis and Reporting ................................................................................ 101 

5.1 Comparison and Complexity ...................................................................... 101 

5.2 Required Data Elements ............................................................................. 102 

5.3 Optional Data Elements .............................................................................. 102 

5.4 Optional Building and Space Data Elements.............................................. 103 

5.5 Building and Space Optional Data Element Discussion............................. 107 

5.5.1 Building Ownership Status ......................................................... 107 

5.5.2 Estimated Replacement Cost....................................................... 108 

5.5.3 Disabled Access to Buildings...................................................... 108 

5.5.4 Building Condition...................................................................... 110 

5.5.5 Space Suitability.......................................................................... 111 

5.5.6 Room or Space Condition ........................................................... 113 

5.5.7 Room or Space Architectural Features........................................ 114 

5.5.8 Functional Categories.................................................................. 116 

5.5.9 Coding for Organizational Unit, Academic Discipline, or 

Academic Program...................................................................... 116 

5.6 Data Analysis and Reporting ...................................................................... 117 

5.7 Data Element Questions and Answers........................................................ 120 

Chapter 6. Emerging Issues ..................................................................................................... 123 

6.1 Infrastructure Reporting Under GASB 34/35............................................. 123 

6.1.1 Background ................................................................................. 123 

6.1.2 Implications for the FICM .......................................................... 124 

6.1.3 Recommendations....................................................................... 124 
xi 

Page 

6.2 Building Preservation ................................................................................. 126 

6.2.1 Process Concepts......................................................................... 127 

6.2.2 Implementation ........................................................................... 128 

6.2.3 Ongoing Capital Plan .................................................................. 128 

6.2.4 The Future ................................................................................... 129 

6.3 Maintenance of Buildings and Infrastructure ............................................. 129 

6.4 Capital Facilities Privatization.................................................................... 131 

6.4.1 Background ................................................................................. 131 

6.4.2 Implications for the FICM .......................................................... 132 

6.5 Space Measurement Systems Compared .................................................... 133 

6.5.1 Landlord-Oriented Systems ........................................................ 135 

6.5.2 Tenant-Oriented Systems ............................................................ 136 

6.5.3 Criteria Common to Most or All Six Systems ............................ 136 

6.5.4 Differences Between Commercial Measurement Systems, 

FICM, and Architectural/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) 

Practice........................................................................................ 137 

6.5.5 Summary ..................................................................................... 137 

Appendix A: Using Facilities Inventory Data for Reporting and Interinstitutional Data 

 Exchange................................................................................................................. A-1

Appendix B: Definitions of NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 Functional Categories....... B-1 

Appendix C: Coding for Academic Disciplines (Classification of Instructional 

 Programs) ............................................................................................................... C-1 

Appendix D: Suggested Infrastructure Classification Identifiers ............................................ D-1 

Appendix E: Maintenance Condition Matrix ............................................................................ E-1 

Appendix F: An Integrated Numeric Coding Structure for Assignable and Non- 

 assignable Space and Infrastructure.................................................................... F-1 

Appendix G: Glossary .................................................................................................................. G-1 
xii 

List of Tables 

Table Page 

4-1 Space use categories......................................................................................................... 39 

4-2 Outline of space use codes............................................................................................... 45 

5-1 Required data elements .................................................................................................... 102 

5-2 Optional building and space data elements...................................................................... 103 

5-3 Optional building data element descriptions.................................................................... 104 

5-4 Optional space data element descriptions ........................................................................ 106 

B-1 Comparison between NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 functional categories............ B-5 

F-1 Integrated space use and infrastructure numeric coding structure and crosswalk to 

1994 FICM coding structure............................................................................................ F-1 
xiii 

List of Figures 

Figure Page 

2-1 Example of facilities inventory data links with other systems......................................... 16 

3-1 Conceptual framework for analyzing building space....................................................... 18 

3-2 Gross Area of a building by floor .................................................................................... 21 

3-3 Net Assignable Area of a building by floor ..................................................................... 23 

3-4 Building Service Area of a building by floor................................................................... 26 

3-5 Circulation Area of a building by floor............................................................................ 28 

3-6 Mechanical Area of a building by floor ........................................................................... 30 

3-7 Structural Area of a building by floor.............................................................................. 32 

3-8 Illustrative cross-section of a building ............................................................................. 33 

5-1 Room or space coding for architectural features.............................................................. 115 

5-2 Sample campus summary, by space use category............................................................ 119 

6-1 Six commercial space measurement systems and the FICM on a scale from most 

landlord-oriented to most tenant-oriented........................................................................ 135 
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1 

Introduction

Along with its human resources, financial assets, and intellectual cache, space is a primary 

resource of an educational institution. Indeed, the dollar value (initial cost, replacement cost, or market 

value) of a postsecondary education institution’s buildings sometimes exceeds its annual operating budget 

and endowment. Without information on how much and what type of resources it has, an institution 

cannot assess whether sufficient resources are available to fulfill its mission. Answering some basic 

questions about space, including how much space is available, what kind of space it is, to whom is the 

space assigned, and how efficiently is the space is being used, requires gathering facilities’ inventory data 

and developing and maintaining a facilities’ inventory database. 

This manual describes standard practices for initiating, conducting, reporting, and 

maintaining an institutional facilities inventory. Once completed, a facilities inventory will enable an 

institution to measure the ability of its space to meet its current programs, assess the current operation 

costs of its facilities (maintenance, utilities, cleaning, etc.), and then begin to plan for future space needs. 

A facilities inventory database can serve an additional number of important specific 

functions: 

• Directory. The database can serve as a directory that identifies and inventories the 

location of space by building, room, and space number, by which department occupies 

the space, and by the size and type of each space. From these data, patterns in the overall 

occupancy of space can be tracked. 

• Space Utilization. The database can assist in the measurement and analysis of the use of 

space. This function allows an institution to minimize space operating costs by 

maximizing the use of existing space. For example, sophisticated research space is costly 

to construct and operate. Accordingly, use of such space for more mundane uses is not 

cost-effective. If laboratory space is being used for storage, and more instructional or 

research laboratories are needed, clearly it would be less costly to construct storage 

space and use the expensive laboratory space for its original purpose as long as other 

factors—such as proximity, access, and control of space—make it practical. Similarly, 

most other space could be evaluated for suitability of use and fit. 

• Future Planning. The database provides the capability for planning for future needs. 

Planning occurs on many levels. For example, developing facilities to support a specific 

educational program often entails long lead times and far-reaching effects beyond the 

scope of that program. Without the right information, planning may be flawed and the 

program may not be launched or supported appropriately. On another level, data on 
2 

existing space use and cost can provide an accurate basis for long-term projections and 

capital funding requests. 

• Decisionmaking. The database can provide vital support to decisionmaking. Effective 

action requires knowledge; knowledge requires information; and information requires 

data. Neither program nor facilities decisions are made in isolation. Facilities data are 

almost always used in conjunction with financial, academic, human resource, and 

program data. As a result, the linking of facilities data to other databases is increasing. 

Linkages might occur, for example, to operations and maintenance systems, a 

land/property inventory, an equipment inventory, financial systems, human resource 

systems, or a research accounting and indirect cost recovery system. 

• Reporting. The database can help an institution meet its reporting requirements. Many 

institutions receive substantial reimbursement for support costs (including those of 

facilities) incurred in the performance of programs and projects sponsored by federal or 

state agencies. Many of these agencies have made the Facilities Inventory and 

Classification Manual (FICM) the standard reference for reporting costs allocated on the 

basis of area measurement. Particularly when public funding is involved, extensive 

reporting is required to ensure accountability for the use of funds. A common task in this 

regard is providing documentation to support the recovery of indirect costs that would 

enable an institution to negotiate overhead rates. 

• Institutional Comparisons. A facilities inventory database based on the FICM can 

provide a set of standard terms and measurements that facilitate appropriate comparisons 

among postsecondary education institutions. Increased pressure on all resources, 

especially financial, has contributed to the need for extensive comparisons among 

similar institutions to identify best-in-class performers, best practices, and possible 

improvements and efficiencies. 

National projections call for significant growth in postsecondary enrollment over the next 10 

to 20 years. However, great variations in growth among states and even regions within a single state 

might be expected. Planning requirements also differ depending upon the perspective of the individual 

who is doing the planning and the organization or situation being studied. These differences are magnified 

when the focus is on a single institution or a building on a campus. This manual is designed to assist 

planners and analysts at both the state and institution levels. 

The perspective of planners and analysts at the state level may be especially helpful in 

understanding the importance of information about postsecondary institutional facilities and the 

availability of comparable information. State agencies, with both governing and coordinating functions, 

have the responsibility to recommend the most efficient and effective use of scarce state and institutional 

resources, as well as to minimize the cost burden on students and their parents. These seemingly 

conflicting roles can only be balanced with adequate information and appropriate analytic tools. 
3 

Student enrollment and institutional mission changes as well as technological advances bring 

new challenges and requirements to the design and use of facilities. The availability of standardized and 

commonly accepted data elements describing space usage and characteristics is critical to governing 

boards (both public and private), state-level postsecondary education administrators, and campus 

administrators. Understanding facilities needs, both for new construction and for renovation, through 

comparative analysis of internal institutional data and external data from peer institutions across the 

country helps establish baseline requirements for future capital funding. With standardized data, it 

becomes possible for the state-level postsecondary education administrator to know how institutions 

compare on a host of indicators and to set priorities for limited resources. It is also helpful to understand 

fully how a local situation differs from statewide, regional, or national conditions. 

Changes Since the Last Revision 

Following is a summary of significant changes made for this 2006 edition of the FICM since 

the last revision in 1994. 

 Organization 

• The entire document has been designed for greater use as a reference tool. Material 

concerning database design and organization, data collection, and reporting and analysis 

has been reorganized to make the manual easier for a first-time reader to understand. 

• The question-and-answer chapter has been broken into separate sets of questions placed 

with the chapter to which the questions pertain. While that has led to some redundancy 

in the questions, it does enable a reader to see how a standard is applied in practice 

without additional searching. 

• Some of the appendix material has been incorporated into the body of chapter text. For 

example, floor plans illustrating different area classifications are now included on the 

same pages as the textual definitions. 

 Area Measurement 

• Area definitions have been clarified. The minimum floor to ceiling height required to 

include any covered floor area in an institution’s space inventory was lowered from 6’6”

to 3’0”. This change was precipitated by the appearance of new building designs with 

vertically curved exterior walls and maximizing the use of sloped roof attic spaces as 

assignable areas through the use of 3’0” knee walls. Also, a detailed breakdown of the 

nonassignable major use category has been created. It contains three space use 

subcategories and their definitions: mechanical, building service, and circulation area. 
4 

• A crosswalk table showing the relationships between the National Association for 

College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and U.S. Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21 functional categories has been added in appendix B. 

 Data Elements 

• Data elements have been grouped into required and optional categories; descriptions for 

the data elements have been updated. 

• Some new categories, such as room condition, have been added. Existing categories, 

such as building condition, room suitability, ownership status, and architectural features, 

have been clarified and updated to reflect new market conditions, financing 

arrangements, and additional services now provided in many buildings. 

• The term space has been used to define the smallest discrete spatial unit (data element). 

The use of this term allows breaking a room with multiple functions into individual areas 

that can be classified separately for more accurate tracking and reporting. 

 Room/Space Use Codes 

• Room use codes are now described in chapter 4. The existing coding structure has been 

kept almost entirely intact. The only significant additions are for unit storage, hazardous 

materials storage, and hazardous waste storage. 

• Definitions for classroom, laboratory, study areas, clinics, animal facilities, and health 

care facilities have been refined and cross-referenced more closely with area definitions, 

especially nonassignable space. 

• References to computer hardware, software, and other technology in various room use 

codes have been updated to reflect current terminology. 

 Emerging Issues 

• A chapter on emerging issues (chapter 6) has been added to address significant changes 

in practice facing institutional planners, such as expanded reporting requirements and 

increased emphasis on maintenance. 

• Suggested categories for physical infrastructure assets have been added to provide 

guidance for tracking and managing physical assets, such as roads, storm and sanitary 

sewers, utility lines, and site features, which represent substantial capital investment but 

do not fall within a building and thus are not tracked in a space database. 
5 

Chapter 1. Getting Started

1.1 How This Manual Is Organized 

This manual is organized to serve two different audiences: 

• Newcomers who need a thorough introduction to the classification system, how it is 

built, how to use and apply it properly, and how to enhance an institution’s management 

of its facilities by using this system. 

• Experienced users who already know the facilities classification system and are 

interested in using this document primarily as a reference tool. 

Newcomers should read this document thoroughly before embarking on any efforts to 

classify their space inventories. Experienced users are likely to be most interested in the section 

describing changes since the last edition; chapter 4, Space Use Codes, the core of the system; and chapter 

6, Emerging Issues. For a quick start to this new edition, refer to the Changes Since the Last Revision 

section of the Introduction.

This document is organized as follows: chapter 1 covers getting started/orientation; chapter 

2, basic database principles; chapter 3, area measurement; chapter 4, room and space use codes; chapter 5, 

data analysis and reporting; and chapter 6, emerging issues. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 contain a set of questions 

and answers that relate to the content of the particular chapter. It should be noted that some of the 

questions and answers appear in more than one chapter. This was done deliberately if a question pertained 

to the content of more than one chapter so that all relevant questions and answers would be available in 

the appropriate chapters. 

The topic chapters are followed by several appendixes. The appendixes provide more detail 

than was warranted in the main body of the manual. In particular, appendix A provides guidance in using 

the FICM for data reporting and interinstitutional data exchange; appendix B provides additional detail on 

the NACUBO and OMB functional categories; appendix C provides additional detail on the Classification 

of Instructional Program codes for academic disciplines; appendix D provides a suggested method for 

classifying infrastructure; appendix E provides a detailed method for describing the maintenance level of 

facilities; appendix F provides an integrated number coding structure that encompasses assignable and 

nonassignable space and infrastructure classifications; and appendix G contains a glossary. 
6 

Many institutions already maintain sophisticated facilities inventories; others may not have 

collected facilities data or may find their inventories so out of date that they will wish to start over. 

Chapter 1 is provided primarily for those who are unfamiliar with facilities inventory methods or with the 

FICM system. 

1.2 Designing the Database 

According to the basic principles underlying the organization and use of the FICM 

classification system, some items of information are described as required (e.g., a unique space identifier, 

the square-foot area of the space, the organizational unit to which it is assigned, and the space use 

category), while others are optional (e.g., physical characteristics of the space, legal ownership, age, 

condition). In designing the facilities database, it is good practice to provide fields for both the required 

and the optional data elements, even though not all types of data may be collected at the outset. Even if 

some fields are ultimately not used, it is usually more cost-effective to program extra space than to add 

fields after the database is already in use. 

Individual Spaces Are the Building Blocks of the Facilities Inventory. The most basic 

discrete spatial unit to be measured, inventoried, and tracked is an individual space. While the terms 

room and space are commonly used interchangeably, they are individually defined for purposes of this 

manual. A space is an area bounded by walls and/or an imaginary boundary line (a “phantom wall”) that 

accommodates a single use. A room is defined as a contiguous area enclosed by walls on all sides; it may 

consist of one or more spaces. As discussed in chapter 3, where clear distinctions between the two terms 

are made, some rooms may be subdivided into several discrete spaces because they accommodate 

multiple uses. 

For purposes of this manual, the term space will be used wherever both terms could be used 

interchangeably, primarily regarding the use codes defined in chapter 4. 

Database Technology. Database software has become much more user-friendly, 

inexpensive, powerful, and customizable in recent years, making data storage, maintenance, analysis, and 

reporting of inventory data far more practical and cost-effective, even for the smallest institutions. 

Software to support inventories is available and can be modified for particular institutional uses. 

Decentralization of computing resources through departmental, campus, regional, and national networks 

has become a common and effective means of making inventory information widely available. 
7 

The facilities inventory information for virtually any institution can usually be stored in a 

desktop computer, using commercially available database software. Some software vendors have 

designed interfaces that enable exchange between computer-aided design (CAD) drawings and computeraided facilities management (CAFM) system databases. 

1.3 Data Collection 

Walking the Campus. An essential step in an inventory is to field check the configuration 

and use of each space. This task should be performed by a qualified individual, usually someone with the 

institution’s central administration, who thoroughly understands the FICM definitions and the importance 

of consistently applying them. As there may be discrepancies between the floor plans and the actual 

spaces, this step provides an opportunity to update the floor plan drawings. Furthermore, required and 

optional space data (e.g., the space use category, academic discipline category, number of stations, 

suitability for current use) should be ascertained or verified by inspection. 

Updating facilities inventory data is also essential. This task is especially important when 

organizational moves or space renovations take place. While overall building dimensions may not change 

frequently, space use, assignments, and geometry are more likely to do so with greater frequency. 

Working From Drawings. On most campuses, a department of facilities planning or 

management will have access to architectural drawings of most buildings, whether or not they have 

responsibility for maintaining those drawings. An initial set of building, floor, and space data can be 

compiled from these drawings as a basis for creating an initial space inventory or for maintaining an 

existing one. Four data elements are required for each space in a basic space inventory: unique identifiers 

for each building, floor, and space; organizational assignment(s); actual space use(s); and confirmed 

locations of walls to accurately determine the area and other basic building features such as door, 

window, and column locations within each space. 

Many institutions also use electronic technology to collect their facilities data. Options 

include developing and using machine-readable data collection forms, entering the data directly using 

hand-held devices while conducting the physical inventory, and recreating scaled floor plans. 

A growing number of institutions are setting up and maintaining building drawings in CAD 

systems and digitizing existing drawings to set up electronic space inventory files. In electronic form, 
8 

these drawings can be kept current with subsequent renovations. These electronic files can be linked with 

the inventory files so that both files can be updated simultaneously. 

Accuracy of Drawings and Measurements. Scaling of drawings is not recommended as a 

method for determining the area of a space or a building. Drawings are frequently out of scale; if they are 

drawn to a small scale (e.g., 1/16” = 1’0” or smaller), significant errors can result from manual 

measurements taken directly from drawings. A word of caution: If there is no alternative but to determine 

space areas from drawings (i.e., it is impossible to measure the actual space), remember that photocopies 

of drawings may alter their scale. A sample of actual spaces should be physically measured to ensure the 

drawings are accurate to scale. 

Computer-Generated Area Calculations. Computer-generated calculation of spaces or 

building areas from electronic “as-built” record plans of a building is the most accurate method for 

calculating area. This assumes, however, that the building was actually constructed as shown on the plan 

documents. Field verification of building and space dimensions is advisable, as very few organizations 

track all the minor alterations made to their buildings and many of these changes go unreported to the 

campus facilities department. 

Physical Measurements. Even if field dimensions are taken to verify building and space 

dimensions or to establish the base drawing data, there may be a difference between the field 

measurements and the actual drawing; however, such differences are typically marginal within an overall 

building inventory. 

Acceptable Margin of Error. When taking physical measurements to update or verify 

drawing data, a 2 percent margin of error is acceptable for the purposes of facilities data values. 

Partial Inventories. An incomplete building and space inventory is better than no 

inventory, provided it is accurate. Institutions beginning the inventory process may be wise to plan 

initially on collecting less information and increasing the scope of the inventory in subsequent updates to 

facilitate successful implementation. 

There are several logical approaches: 

1. Collect only the required data—space identifiers (building/floor/space number), space 

use categories, organizational assignments, and area in the first inventory—leaving 

other (optional) elements for a later survey. 
9 

2. Collect data by class of facility, perhaps starting with academic and research buildings, then administrative ones, then auxiliary and residential facilities. 

3. Plan an ongoing program that will inventory or update a portion of all facilities each 

year, especially the academic and research facilities, in which changes can have 

significant impacts on educational and research programs. 

Combining the Inventory With a Facilities Condition Audit. For some institutions, it 

may be cost-effective and advisable to combine the initial facilities inventory, and certainly any 

subsequent updates, with an audit of the condition of the facilities. The standard procedures for a 

facilities condition audit1 closely follow those suggested in this manual and are intended to collect related 

information. Many of the building condition codes and space suitability codes suggested in this manual 

relate closely to facilities condition audit information. 

1.4 Practical Tips 

1. Compile the building information first, even though some variables or elements (such as 

assignable area) will not be available until the space inventory is completed. 

2. Inventory all spaces in a particular building at one time. Interrupting the inventory 

process, even for short breaks, increases the chances of omitting spaces. 

3. Try to schedule the space inventory shortly after the beginning of the term or some other 

time when space uses have stabilized. 

4. In counting the number of stations in a space, remember that the intent is to count the 

appropriate number of occupants who can be accommodated in the space. 

• The number of stations in a laboratory is often determined by the fixed equipment in the 

space, such as sinks and counter space, or fume hoods. Where a station is designed to 

accommodate two or three students rather than just one, count the number of students 

who could be served. 

• For classrooms with movable seating, the number of stations is determined by the design 

intent, not by the number of chairs that happen to be in the space at the moment the 

inventory is taken. For instance, a space may be designed to hold 15 student stations but 

currently has only 12 chairs; the number of stations would be 15. Conversely, if current 

 

1

 See, for instance, H.H. Kaiser, Facilities Audit Workbook (Alexandria, VA: Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (APPA), 1987). 
10 

safety codes limit occupancy to 15 and there are 20 chairs, the station count should be 

15. 

5. In conducting and maintaining the facilities inventory, remember that the intent is to 

provide the best information possible with a reasonable expenditure of effort. A modest level of error is 

tolerable (indeed, inevitable) as uses and assignments change over time. A regular process for updating 

the inventory can keep its information current enough to be continuously useful. 

6. Wherever possible, use the building and space identifiers to link the facilities file to other 

data files, such as those for fixed and movable assets, classroom scheduling, financial accounting, 

insurance tracking, and maintenance scheduling. (For more information, please refer to section 2.4, Links 

to Other Systems.) 

1.5 The Facilities Database and Institutional Management 

Once a database has been designed and the building and space information has been 

collected, a variety of reports can be provided for institutional use and, where appropriate, for interinstitutional, systemwide, or national surveys. The database also can support a variety of ad hoc inquiries 

to support space management and facilities management activities. For many purposes, graphical 

presentations can convey the intended message more effectively than tabular arrays of data. (A detailed 

discussion of data analysis and reporting is provided in chapter 5.) 
11 

Chapter 2. Basic Database Principles and Applications

This chapter provides an overview of the central concepts and components of an inventory 

and facilities classification system for postsecondary education facilities. It is intended as an aid to 

understand how the key components fit together. Additional explanatory detail, technical definitions, and 

procedures are provided in subsequent chapters and the appendixes. 

The central concepts and components outlined in this chapter include 

• basic database principles underlying the intended uses of this manual; 

• external and internal database applications (reporting and analysis); and 

• what to include in a building inventory. 

This manual is designed primarily for institutional use. A comprehensive, reliable, and upto-date facilities inventory is an important tool for the planning and management at a postsecondary 

institution. Accordingly, the database model described below is designed primarily for use at the 

institution or campus level. 

2.1 Basic Database Principles 

Facilities Inventory Systems Contain Data About Buildings and About Spaces Within 

Buildings. A facilities inventory may incorporate data about many types of structures and physical 

assets, the most important of which are buildings and spaces. Building information includes such items 

as gross area, assignable area, and replacement cost. Space information includes such items as space area, 

space use, and number of stations. Required and optional data elements for both buildings and spaces are 

defined below and in chapter 5. 

Each Building and Space Needs a Unique Identifier. The initial step in a facilities 

inventory is to assign each building and space a unique code to identify a “record” or set of data fields 

within the inventory. These identifiers are then used to link spaces to buildings and to link the facilities 

inventory records to other institutional information such as plant asset records, the registrar’s course 

schedule, and equipment inventories. 
12 

Each Building and Space Record Has Several Fields of Data. Each building or space 

requires a separate data “field” for each type or element of information. For a given space, its unique 

space identification (building, floor, and space number), space use category, organizational assignment, 

and area are required types of data. (See chapter 5 for a full discussion of required and optional data.) 

Some examples of optional inventory items that may be important to an institution’s space management 

and utilization study needs are the number of occupants a space can accommodate, architectural features, 

suitability for specific uses, and the identification of the “disparate use” of a space (e.g., a space designed 

as a laboratory but used as an office must be recorded as an office). Each of these pieces of information is 

recorded in a separate field within the space record. Merging of different kinds of information into a 

single field should be avoided in all cases. For example, marrying the space use “office” with the rank of 

the occupant, “professor,” to create a space use of “professor’s office” makes analyzing office space of 

people other than professors difficult. Keeping “office” and “professor” separate enables greater analytic 

flexibility. 

This Manual Provides Basic Coding Structures to Which Institutions Can Add. The 

required data described in this manual constitute the lowest common denominator, i.e., a set of definitions 

and codes that is as simple as possible while still covering the range of building and space information 

essential to any facilities inventory database. 

2.2 Database Applications 

Facilities Inventory Data Should Be Capable of Uniform Aggregation. Facilities 

information is important for interinstitutional comparison, for planning and management of the institution 

or institutional systems, and perhaps for development of national policy. The information gathered in the 

inventory should be structured to make valid comparisons and summaries possible. (Please refer to 

chapter 5 for a full discussion of aggregating and reporting facilities inventory data.) 

External Applications. From the basic coding structure described above, most interinstitutional comparisons, system reports, and national surveys can be satisfactorily developed by adding 

additional fields (see section 5.3, Optional Data Elements). Institutions should build from this conceptual 

framework to enhance the inventory’s usefulness for individual campus management. Appendix A 

provides guidance in using the FICM for data reporting and interinstitutional data exchange. 

Use of Standard Functional Categories. In addition to space use categories and 

organizational unit assignment, facilities inventory systems commonly contain a set of categories or codes 
13 

to allocate space across functional categories (e.g., instruction, research, public service, academic 

support). The functional categories are used primarily to link space allocations to financial data for 

indirect cost accounting and to institutional missions (e.g., the proportion of space used for public service) 

or to analyze and compare space allocations across institutions according to commonly used functional 

categories. 

The functional categories recommended for this purpose are adapted from standard financial 

reporting categories. Appendix B provides the definitions for these categories as adapted from standard 

financial reporting guidelines of the National Association of College and University Business Officers 

(NACUBO) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21. Coding for function requires 

identification of the prorated functional use of each space. 

Internal Applications. The following are illustrative of internal database applications. 

• Institutions may wish to add additional detail to the space use coding structures for 

internal purposes. For example, a college or university might add subcodes to the space 

use code 255 of Research/Nonclass Laboratory Service to keep track of cold rooms, hot 

rooms, dark rooms, laboratory stock rooms, and similar spaces. 

• Some institutions may wish to differentiate between classrooms assigned to individual 

departments and those centrally controlled by the registrar or dean’s office by sorting 

classrooms by their organizational assignment.

• Institutions may wish to identify study rooms or labs with specialized equipment for 

moderated instruction or study by linking data from a movable or fixed equipment data 

file to the appropriate spaces in the inventory file. 

Some Kinds of Spaces Can Have Many Stations. The concept of “stations” is important 

for classrooms, laboratories, and other similar space, since it can help determine the number of occupants 

the space is designed to accommodate. This information is vital for comparing designed capacity to 

actual use, and in assigning or scheduling the space. 

Distinctive Architectural and Other Characteristics Can Be Noted. Optional data 

elements with specific codes may be used to identify unique architectural characteristics, special utility 

services, replacement cost, age, condition, suitability, or building ownership. This information is used for 

a variety of purposes, including scheduling and maintenance planning, financial analysis, and campus 

planning. These characteristics are also important for understanding cost differences in initial 

construction, renovations, repairs, and operations. 
14 

While this coding can sometimes be determined from up-to-date drawings or the general 

knowledge of the facilities planning or management staff, these characteristics may be difficult to identify 

from original designs or original as-built drawings and may require actual inspection of some facilities. 

Some Data Elements Are Important for Campus Use But Are of Limited Use in MultiInstitutional Summaries. The list of data elements includes some items that are important for campus 

use but lose their meaning in interinstitutional, state, or national summaries. For instance, identifiers such 

as names for particular buildings and spaces are essential for campus use but not in a state summary. 

Similarly, organizational unit identifiers (e.g., departments) are important on a particular campus but 

become less meaningful when summarized across institutions because of differences in organizational 

structures. 

2.3 What to Include in a Building Inventory 

Definition of Building. A building is defined as a roofed structure for permanent or 

temporary shelter of persons, animals, plants, materials, or equipment. The building inventory may 

encompass many different types of structures, including marine and space structures (whether staffed or 

not); research vessels; aquarium structures; and trailers that are not on wheels and are used for offices, 

residences, or storage (see technical definitions in chapter 3). 

Buildings to Be Included. The inventory should include buildings that are under the 

jurisdiction or control of the institution’s governing board, regardless of their location. Where the 

institution occupies space in buildings not owned by the institution or that is shared with other tenants, 

include in the inventory only that portion of the building leased or controlled by the institution and its pro 

rata share of gross area, assignable area, and nonassignable area (see definitions in chapter 3). 

Institutions will normally exclude various minor structures from their inventory based on 

various criteria. As a guideline, separate, minor structures should be included in the inventory if all of the 

following criteria are met: 

• They are attached to a foundation. 

• They are roofed. 

• They are serviced by a utility, exclusive of lighting. 
15 

• They require significant maintenance and repair activities as determined by the 

institution. 

Following these guidelines, an example of a minor structure to be included in a building 

inventory is a traffic control or information booth that is roofed, attached to a concrete pad, with lights 

and at least one other utility service such as a telephone, and on a regular maintenance schedule. An 

example of a separate structure not meeting the above criteria is a bus shelter, which is roofed and 

attached to the concrete sidewalk, but which has only lights as a utility service. 

Institutions may choose to include parking structures and field buildings that do not meet all 

of the above criteria in their inventories because of requirements to manage and maintain such facilities. 

The inclusion of such facilities permits the space to be assigned to specific functions, disciplines, and 

organizational units. Additional clarification and examples are provided in chapter 3. 

Buildings to Be Excluded. The following types of buildings may be excluded from the 

inventory if they do not house functions considered part of the institution’s academic mission: 

• Investment properties that are buildings used only for revenue generation and not for 

institutional purposes; 

• Hospitals not owned by the institution, except for any space in the hospital used, leased, 

or controlled by the institution; 

• Public schools not owned by the institution but used for practice teaching; and 

• Federal contract research centers identified by the Office of Management and Budget. 

Other Plant Assets. For management purposes, institutions are encouraged to inventory all 

other physical infrastructure elements (physical plant assets). Examples of such infrastructure elements 

(assets) not encompassed in the definition of a building include uncovered swimming pools, athletic 

tracks, bleachers, and additional playing fields that otherwise do not qualify as gross areas. Institutions 

are also encouraged to itemize the infrastructure components. Examples include utility distribution 

systems (heating, cooling, power, water, and waste disposal) and support facilities that provide access or 

safety-related services (roads, campus lighting, etc.). Additionally, institutions may wish to maintain 

inventory data on land holdings, capital equipment, and movable equipment. A suggested approach for 

tracking infrastructure assets is presented in chapter 6. 
16 

2.4 Links to Other Systems 

Neither program nor facilities decisions are made in isolation. Facilities data are almost 

always used in conjunction with financial, academic, human resource, and program data. As a result, 

linking facilities data to other databases is increasingly prevalent. The diagram below illustrates some of 

the more common systems to which facilities databases commonly link. 

Figure 2-1. Example of facilities inventory data links with other systems 

Facilities

Inventory

System

HR System

Student

Info. Sys.

Classroom

Scheduling

Classroom

Scheduling

Enterprise

Financial

System

Courtesy of INSITE

Bldg Controls

Key Shop

Floor Plans

Work Orders
17 

Chapter 3. Building Area Measurement

This chapter provides the technical definitions, measurement procedures, and coding 

structures for building area data elements. The interrelationships between the components of building 

area are illustrated by the conceptual framework in figure 3-1. Definitions of what constitutes a building 

are found in chapter 2. The technical definitions and codes for the space use categories are found in 

chapter 4. An understanding of the FICM system begins with an overview of measurement terms. 

3.1 Overview of Building Measurement Terms 

In a building inventory, it is important to be able to determine the amount of space that can 

be assigned to people or programs. However, buildings necessarily contain other types of space as well. 

Technical definitions and examples of types of space are provided in chapter 4. 

The amount of space that can be used for people or programs is known as the Net Assignable 

Area.

2

 The area of an Assignable space is the area measured within its interior walls. The Net Assignable 

Area of a building (or all buildings in an inventory) is the sum of the space allocated to the 10 major 

assignable space use categories: classrooms, laboratories, offices, study areas, special use space, general 

use areas, support rooms, health care, residential, and unclassified space. These categories are further 

described below. 

Net Assignable Area = Sum of the 10 Major Space Use Categories of Assignable Space 

The amount of space within a building that is essential to the operation of the building but 

not assigned directly to people or programs is known as the Nonassignable Area. The area of a 

Nonassignable space is the area measured within its interior walls. The Nonassignable Area of a building 

(or all buildings in an inventory) is the sum of the space allocated to the three major nonassignable space 

use categories: building service area, circulation area, and mechanical area. These categories are further 

described below. 

Nonassignable Area = Sum of the Three Major Space Use Categories of 

Nonassignable Space 

 

2

 This is also conventionally referred to as Net Assignable Square Feet (NASF). 
18 

Figure 3-1. Conceptual framework for analyzing building space 

Gross Area (chapter 3) 

Net Usable Area (chapter 3) 

Net Assignable Area (chapter 3)

NonassigArea conof: 1. BuildService A2. Circulation Ar3.MechaArea 

Classified By: 1. Space Use Category (chapter 4) 

Classroom Labora- tory Office Study Special Use General Use Support Health Care Residen- tial Unclas- sified 

2. Academic Discipline, Institutional Unit Assignment, or Program 

Categories Determined by Institution 

(For external data sharing and reporting, a crosswalk to the 

NCES Classification of Instructional Programs is recommended—chapter 5 and appendix C.) 

3. Standard Functional Categories (chapter 5 and appendix B) 

Instruction Research Public Service Academic Support Student Services Institu- tional Support Physical Plant O&M Auxiliary Enter- prises Indepen- dent Opera- tions Hospitals 

O&M = operations and maintenance.
19

The aggregate interior area of a building, known as the Net Usable Area,3 is the sum of 

Assignable Area and Nonassignable Area. 

Net Usable Area = Assignable Area + Nonassignable Area 

It is also important to know that the Gross Area4

 of a building is the floor area of a structure 

within the outside faces of the exterior walls. This value is either physically measured or scaled from asbuilt drawings. Figures illustrating all of these areas are provided later in the chapter. 

The difference between the exterior or Gross Area and the interior or Net Usable Area is the 

Structural Area, the floor area upon which the exterior and interior walls sit and the unusable areas in 

attics and excavated basements. Structural Area is calculated as the difference between the Gross Area of 

a building and the Net Usable Area of that building. 

Structural Area = Gross Area − Net Usable Area 

3.2 Definitions of Building Areas

The definitions5 and procedures provided in this chapter are intended to clarify and provide 

guidelines for the most commonly used types of data about buildings that would be collected and 

compiled. These guidelines are based on the definitions and standards established during the 1960s for 

the Federal Construction Council and published by the National Academy of Sciences. The Federal 

Construction Council standards were intended for use by federal agencies, but they have been widely 

adopted and used by postsecondary institutions. 

The definitions and guidelines in this chapter attempt to clarify and update some of the 

earlier standards by providing additional guidance on how to interpret and apply measurement 

procedures. The guidelines also are intended to establish a common standard for the minimum amount of 

data to be included in a building inventory to provide a database that is usable for both intrainstitutional 

and interinstitutional purposes. Institutions are not precluded by these guidelines from collecting 

additional building data or from including other types of structures in their facilities inventory.

 

3

 This is also conventionally referred to as Net Usable Square Feet (NUSF). 

4

 This is also conventionally referred to as Gross Square Feet (GSF). 

5

 The source is the National Academy of Sciences, Building Research Advisory Board, Classification of Building Areas, Federal Construction 

Council Technical Report No. 50 (Publication 1235) (Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences). 
20

3.2.1 Gross Area (Gross Square Feet—GSF) (see figure 3-2)

A. Definition. The sum of all areas on all floors of a building included within the outside 

faces of its exterior walls, including all vertical penetration areas, for circulation and 

shaft areas that connect one floor to another. 

B. Basis for Measurement. Gross Area is computed by physically measuring or scaling 

measurements from the outside faces of exterior walls, disregarding cornices, 

pilasters, buttresses, etc., that extend beyond the wall faces. Exclude areas having less 

than a 3-foot clear ceiling height unless the criteria of a separate structure are met. 

(See section 2.3, What to Include in a Building Inventory.) 

Measured in terms of Gross Square Feet (GSF), 

GSF = Net Usable Area + Structural Space 

C. Description. In addition to all the internal floored spaces obviously covered above, 

Gross Area should include the following: excavated basement areas; interstitial space 

(i.e., mechanical floor or walkways), mezzanines, penthouses, and attics; garages; 

covered porches, whether walled or not; inner or outer balconies to the extent of a drip 

line from a roof or balcony immediately above, whether walled or not, if they are 

utilized for operational functions; and corridors or walkways, whether walled or not, 

provided they are either within the outside face lines of the building to the extent of 

the roof drip line or, if covered, to the extent of their cover’s drip line. The footprints 

of stairways, elevator shafts, and vertical duct shafts are to be counted as gross area on 

each floor through which they pass. 

D. Limitations. Exclude open areas such as parking lots, playing fields, pools, courts, 

light wells, and portions of upper floors eliminated by spaces or lobbies that rise above 

single-floor ceiling height. Exclude unexcavated basement areas. 

E. Exception. Include top, unroofed floor of parking structures where parking is 

available. (See the section on Parking Structures after figure 3-8.) 
21

Figure 3-2. Gross Area of a building by floor 
22

3.2.2 Net Assignable Area (Net Assignable Square Feet—NASF) (see figure 3-3) 

A. Definition. The sum of all areas on all floors of a building assigned to, or available 

for assignment to, an occupant or specific use. 

B. Basis for Measurement. Net Assignable Area is computed by physically measuring 

or scaling measurements from the inside faces of surfaces that form the boundaries of 

the designated areas. Exclude areas having less than a 3-foot clear ceiling height 

unless the criteria of a separate structure are met. (See section 2.3, What to Include in 

a Building Inventory.) 

 Measured in terms of Net Assignable Square Feet (NASF), 

NASF = Sum of Areas Designated by the 10 Assignable Major Space Use Categories 

C. Description. Included should be space subdivisions of the 10 major space use categories for assignable space—classrooms, labs, offices, study facilities, special use, 

general use, support, health care, residential, and unclassified—that are used to 

accomplish the institution’s mission. 

D. Limitations. Deductions should not be made for necessary building columns and 

projections. These small areas are excluded as they represent an insignificant 

percentage of the total area of an average-sized space. Capturing their area would be 

unduly burdensome relative to the very small contribution they would make toward 

precision. Areas defined as building service, circulation, mechanical, and structural 

should not be included. 
23

Figure 3-3. Net Assignable Area of a building by floor 
24

3.2.3 Nonassignable Area 

A. Definition. The sum of all areas on all floors of a building not available for 

assignment to an occupant or for specific use, but necessary for the general operation 

of a building. 

B. Basis for Measurement. Nonassignable Area is computed by physically measuring 

or scaling measurements from the inside faces of surfaces that form the boundaries of 

the designated areas. Exclude areas having less than 3-foot clear ceiling height unless 

the criteria of a separate structure are met. 

 Measured in terms of Nonassignable Area, 

Nonassignable Area = Sum of the Areas Designated as the Three Non-assignable 

Space Use Categories 

C. Description. Included should be space subdivisions of the three nonassignable space 

use categories—building service, circulation, and mechanical—that are used to 

support the building’s general operation. 

D. Limitations. Deductions should not be made for necessary building columns and 

projections. These small areas are excluded as they represent an insignificant 

percentage of the total area of an average-sized space. Capturing their area would be 

unduly burdensome relative to the very small contribution they would make toward 

precision. Areas defined as assignable should not be included. 

3.2.4 Building Service Area (see figure 3-4) 

A. Definition. The sum of all areas on all floors of a building used for custodial supplies, 

janitorial sink rooms, janitorial closets, and public rest rooms. (Note: Building 

Service Area includes all areas previously classified as Custodial Area in the pre-1992 

FICM, and public rest rooms previously classified as Mechanical Area in the pre-1992 

FICM). 

B. Basis for Measurement. Building Service Area is computed by physically measuring 

or scaling measurements from the inside faces of surfaces that form boundaries of the 

designated areas. Exclude areas having less than a 3-foot clear ceiling height unless 

the criteria of a separate structure are met. 

C. Description. Included should be janitor closets or similarly small custodial spaces, 

maintenance material storage areas, trash rooms exclusively devoted to the storage of 

nonhazardous waste created by the building occupants as a whole, and public rest 

rooms. 

D. Limitations. Deductions should not be made for necessary building columns and 

minor projections. These small areas are excluded as they represent an insignificant 

percentage of the total area of an average-sized space. Capturing their area would be 

unduly burdensome relative to the very small contribution they would make toward 

precision. Assignable areas classified as Shop (720), Central Storage (730), Central 
25

Supplies (870), or special purpose storage or maintenance rooms such as linen closets 

and housekeeping rooms in residence halls should not be included. Do not include 

private rest rooms that should be classified as Office Service (315). 
26

Figure 3-4. Building Service Area of a building by floor 
27

3.2.5 Circulation Area (see figure 3-5) 

A. Definition. The sum of all areas on all floors of a building required for physical 

access to some subdivision of space, whether physically bounded by partitions or not. 

B. Basis for Measurement. Circulation Area is computed by physically measuring or 

scaling measurements from the inside faces of surfaces that form the boundaries of the 

designated areas. Exclude areas having less than a 3-foot clear ceiling height unless 

the criteria of a separate structure are met. 

C. Description. Included should be fire towers, elevator lobbies, tunnels, bridges, and 

each floor’s footprint of elevator shafts, escalators, and stairways. Also included are 

public corridors or walkways, whether walled or not, provided they are either within 

the outside face lines of the buildings to the extent of the roof drip line or, if covered, 

to the extent of their cover’s drip line. Receiving areas, such as loading docks, should 

be treated as circulation space. Any part of a loading dock that is not covered is to be 

excluded from both Circulation Area and Gross Area. 

D. Limitations. Deductions should not be made for necessary building columns and 

minor projections. These small areas are excluded as they represent an insignificant 

percentage of the total area of an average-sized space. Capturing their area would be 

unduly burdensome relative to the very small contribution they would make toward 

precision. When determining corridor areas, only spaces required for public access 

should be included. Restricted access private circulation aisles used only for 

circulation within an organizational unit’s suite of rooms, auditoria, or other working 

areas should not be included. A loading dock, or portions thereof, that is also used for 

central storage should be regarded as assignable area and coded as Central Storage 

(730). 
28

Figure 3-5. Circulation Area of a building by floor
29

3.2.6 Mechanical Area (see figure 3-6) 

A. Definition. The sum of all areas on all floors of a building designed to house 

mechanical equipment, utility services, and shaft areas. 

B. Basis for Measurement. Mechanical Area is computed by physically measuring or 

scaling measurements from the inside faces of surfaces that form the boundaries of the 

designated areas. Exclude areas having less than a 3-foot ceiling height unless the 

criteria of a separate structure are met. 

C. Description. Included should be mechanical areas such as central utility plants, boiler 

rooms, mechanical and electrical equipment rooms, fuel rooms, meter and 

telecommunications closets, and each floor’s footprint of air ducts, pipe shafts, 

mechanical service shafts, service chutes, and stacks. 

D. Limitations. Deductions should not be made for necessary building columns and 

projections. These small areas are excluded as they represent an insignificant 

percentage of the total area of an average-sized space. Capturing their area would be 

unduly burdensome relative to the very small contribution they would make toward 

precision. Areas designated as public toilets are not included in this category but are 

included under Building Service Area. 
30

Figure 3-6. Mechanical Area of a building by floor 
31

3.2.7 Net Usable Area (Net Usable Square Feet—NUSF) 

A. Definition. The sum of all areas on all floors of a building either assigned to, or 

available for assignment to, an occupant or specific use, or necessary for the general 

operation of a building. 

B. Basis for Measurement. Net Usable Area is computed by summing the Net 

Assignable Area and the Nonassignable Area. 

 Measured in terms of Net Usable Square Feet (NUSF), 

NUSF = Assignable Area + Nonassignable Area 

C. Description. Included should be space subdivisions of the 10 assignable major space 

use categories and the 3 nonassignable space categories. 

D. Limitations. Deductions should not be made for necessary building columns and 

projections. These small areas are excluded as they represent an insignificant 

percentage of the total area of an average-sized space. Capturing their area would be 

unduly burdensome relative to the very small contribution they would make toward 

precision. Areas defined as structural should not be included. 

3.2.8 Structural Area (see figure 3-7) 

A. Definition. The sum of all areas on all floors of a building that cannot be occupied or 

put to use because of structural building features. 

B. Basis for Measurement. Precise computation by direct measurement is not possible 

under this definition. It is determined by calculating the difference between the 

measured gross area and the measured net usable area. 

 Measured in terms of area, 

Structural Area = Gross Area − Net Usable Area 

C. Description. Examples of building features normally classified as structural areas 

include exterior walls, fire walls, permanent partitions, unusable areas in attics or 

basements, or comparable portions of a building with ceiling height restrictions. 
32

Figure 3-7. Structural Area of a building by floor 

NOTE: Structural areas are indicated in solid black. 
33

3.2.9 Illustrative Cross-Section of a Building 

• The diagrammatic cross-section of a building (figure 3-8) has been included to better 

illustrate the area measurement descriptions for less common situations such as exterior 

balconies, overhung egress areas and loading docks, and the new 3-foot ceiling height 

rule for including floor areas. 

Figure 3-8. Illustrative cross-section of a building 

3.2.10 Parking Structures 

Due to the absence of specific guidance in previous editions of this manual, parking 

structures or decks are classified differently by institutions across the country. Because these structures 

may represent a large portion of campus facilities space, the specific method for classifying these areas 

can have significant impacts on campus-level statistics. For internal accounting of the maintenance and 

operational activities such structures require, campus parking surveys, and interinstitutional comparisons, 

it is recommended that data on parking structures be maintained and reported as are the data for any other 

campus building. Two different methods of classifying parking structures are suggested. 
34

1. Classification With Assignable and Gross Square Footage (preferred method). 

This method determines statistics for the structure that are commensurate with all 

other major inventoried campus buildings (i.e., assignable space, gross square footage, 

estimated replacement cost, etc.). In this approach, parking space square footage, 

including upper level unroofed parking areas, is assigned the Vehicle Storage (740) 

use code. Standard nonassignable areas (Building Service, Circulation, and 

Mechanical) are appropriately classified. Other standard assignable areas (offices, 

etc.) are classified with the appropriate space use codes. Ramps and other driving 

areas are classified as nonassignable Circulation Area. 

2. Classification With Gross Square Footage Only (default method). Many 

institutions maintain only the Gross Area and other building-level data for parking 

structures and do not classify parking areas as assignable space. Standard assignable 

areas within the parking structure, such as offices, may be appropriately classified. 

Only the gross area recorded within the building file becomes a significant square 

footage statistic. Institutions may also maintain parking structure data separately from 

the formal building and space inventory files. 

3.3 Proration and Phantom Walls 

When a room serves several purposes or users, the institution may choose to prorate and 

allocate the square footage between two or more space uses, functions, or organizational units. For 

institutions with major sponsored research activities, proration of multiple functions is often necessary to 

identify accurately how each space is used. Other cases may require the recognition of two or more 

distinctly different architectural uses within a space (e.g., a departmental conference room housing a 

substantial reference library) or the sharing of an office by two or more departments. Proration can be 

done either on the basis of the relative time expended on each activity or on the basis of the proportion of 

the room area dedicated to each activity. 

There are two basic approaches to proration. One method is to prorate from floor plans by 

the insertion of “phantom walls,” indicated by dashed lines or other artificial boundaries on floor plans to 

separate adjacent uses or assignments. The use of phantom walls requires that each space (i.e., each part) 

of the room be given a unique space identifier, which can be accomplished by adding an additional digit 

or character to the existing room identifier. For example, Room 210, which is used as a storage room by 

both Biology and Chemistry, could be identified as Space 210A and Space 210B, and the pro rata 

organizational assignment and share of space can be identified with each. The other method is to apply 

percentage figures to each assignment, use, or function being prorated. Whatever method is used, the 

resulting information should be capable of being summarized into standard space use codes and related 

categories for external reports, utilization studies, and institutional planning. 
35

3.4 Area Measurement Questions and Answers 

1. Question: How should I report an area that is covered, but not enclosed, on all four sides? 

Answer: Areas that are permanently covered but not enclosed should be inventoried as 

assignable or nonassignable space depending upon the space use. Bounding the area 

with “phantom walls” along the drip line of the “cover” defines the area to be 

measured and added to the building’s gross area as well as to the assignable or 

nonassignable area, depending upon the use of the space. A space use, whether 

floored or not, that exists beyond the drip line of the covered area is not reported. 

Alternately, the area beneath a permanent cover that extends beyond a floored area is 

also not reported. 

2. Question: There is a permanent eating area, equipped with tables and chairs, which is 

located in a covered, unenclosed area of our Student Union Building. Is this 

space assignable even though the facility only has one wall? Should I count this 

space as part of the gross area? 

Answer: By creating “phantom walls,” you would classify this assignable area as Food Facility 

(630). This area should also be reported as part of the building’s gross area. 

3. Question: Should I inventory underground pedestrian tunnels and above-ground 

pedestrian bridges that connect buildings? 

Answer: They should be included as both gross area in your inventory and as nonassignable 

circulation area. 

4. Question: On our campus, we have “buildings” that are really contiguous structures built 

at different times to meet new needs. For example, a library wing was added to a 

classroom structure, and later a structure housing laboratories was added. 

However, they all share walls and are physically connected. Should these be 

inventoried as a single structure or several different buildings? 

Answer: It is preferable to treat each addition/wing as a separate structure, depending upon 

factors such as the source of the funds; the separation of each structure’s mechanical, 

electrical, or plumbing systems; the age differences of the two joined facilities, etc. If 

treated as separate structures, commonly shared walls would be prorated one-half with 

each of the respective facilities. 

5. Question: We have several houses that were converted into administrative offices. The 

uppermost usable floor has a vaulted ceiling. The floor to ceiling distance is 4’0”

around the perimeter of the exterior rooms. Should the area be calculated from 

the edge of the kneewall? The ceiling height in the attic is 5’0” and contains 

HVAC equipment. Should this space be considered a Building Service area? 

Answer: The area on the uppermost usable floor with a vaulted ceiling should be included in 

that floor’s gross area. Since assignable area includes any interior space having 3′0′′

or more of ceiling height, in your case, the assignable area would be measured from 

the smallest floor to ceiling distance—the 4’0” kneewall of the space. Attic space used 
36

for administrative offices should be categorized as Office (310). Attic space 

containing HVAC equipment should be designated as nonassignable 

Utility/Mechanical Space (Y04). 
37

Chapter 4. Space Use Codes

4.1 Space Use Category Structure 

This chapter provides the technical definitions and codes for the Space Use category 

structure (called the Room Use Category Structure in previous editions) recommended by this manual as 

a major component of a building and space inventory system. The 10 major space use categories of 

assignable space and the 3 major space use categories of nonassignable space defined in this chapter (and 

the coding structure for these categories) are intended to provide necessary flexibility in coding space use 

at the institutional level and to provide appropriate comparability in reporting space uses across 

institutions. 

For purposes of this manual, the term space will be used wherever the terms space and room

could be used interchangeably. For example, wherever use codes are mentioned, they are called “space 

use codes”; when a use could be housed in either a room or a space, the term space is used. However, the 

term room is retained in most examples of use classifications provided in the definitions, for example, 

(e.g., dark room, laundry room, operating room). Room is also used for functions that would be housed 

only in enclosed rooms, as defined in this manual. 

The basic categories and principles of this Space Use category structure are consistent with 

those earlier editions of the Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual. Specifically: 

• The categories encompass all types and uses of assignable and nonassignable area found 

in campus buildings. Although some uses of space may be of less interest than others, 

the omission of any space may lead to the inadvertent exclusion of important data. (The 

subcategory Other (590) under the major assignable use Special Use Facilities should be 

used only as a category of last resort.) 

• The coding system is intended to provide meaningful and comparable summary data. 

That is, the definitions of space uses are sufficiently specific to give reasonable 

assurance that all institutions will map or crosswalk comparable spaces to the same 

category. 

• The coding scheme is intended to be sufficiently flexible to allow for expanded (through 

subcategories) coding systems that track more specific areas of assignable and 

nonassignable space; these schemes may be developed and applied by various 

institutions according to choice. The coding system also is intended to be sufficiently 

definitive to support logical collapsing, translation, or crosswalking from these optional 

space use classifications. 
38

• The structure is intended to provide a significant degree of standardization and 

compatibility for comparisons across institutions and states. It also provides the data to 

develop the key building ratios to understand the efficiencies of one building design 

compared to another. Such ratios as Net Assignable Square Feet (NASF) to Gross 

Square Feet (GSF) and NASF to Net Usable Square Feet (NUSF) are examples of 

commonly used comparisons. 

• The entire focus of definitions is on the actual space use (primary or predominant) at the 

time of inventory (which may be different from the intended use at the time it was built). 

Space intent, original design, type, name, organizational unit assignment, or contained 

equipment does not, therefore, affect the coding classification at the time of the 

inventory unless it is compatible with actual use. These elements, however, may be 

included in other portions of a space inventory. 

• The coding structure is not intended to replace the traditional program or budget 

structure. Space use codes are combined with operating budget links to provide an 

accurate profile of space by other institutional information, such as major program or 

function. Refer to NACUBO for the appropriate structure or utilize the campus operating 

budget codes. Crossover tables should be maintained to allow for consistent reporting 

with the IPEDS Finance Survey categories. For example, an office is an office, but in 

combination with budget information, a research office can be separately identified from 

an auxiliary enterprise office or an instructional faculty office. 

For more information on NACUBO functional categories, see section 5.5.8, NACUBO and 

OMB Circular A-21 function codes, and appendix B. 

In following these principles, this 2006 edition of the Space Use classification structure 

represents an update or modernization of the April 1994 Revised and Reprinted structure. Definitions 

have been made clearer, descriptions expanded, and limitations made more specific to delineate more 

clearly the differences among room uses. Because the original definitions were very logically conceived, 

“new” uses still fit within the existing structure. As a result, few significant changes, additions, or 

deletions were necessary to keep the categories current. Every effort has been made to obviate the need 

for reclassifying spaces from the codes used in previous manuals including maintaining the three-digit 

alpha-numeric codes for nonassignable space that were used in the 1994 edition. 

Several of the basic concepts inherent in this classification structure require more detailed 

explanation, as provided below. 

4.2 Space Use Categories 

All assignable space should be classified into 1 of the 10 major assignable use categories, 

and all nonassignable space should be classified into 1 of the 3 major nonassignable use categories listed 
39

in table 4-1. Each of these 13 major categories encompasses several subcategories of more specialized 

uses (e.g., different types of laboratories or circulation areas). Coding of spaces is normally done at the 

level of subcategories and, as necessary, aggregated to the more general categories. The numerical codes 

along with the detailed uses are provided later in this chapter. 

Table 4-1. Space use categories 

Classrooms 

(100 series) 

General purpose classrooms, lecture halls, recitation rooms, seminar 

rooms, and other spaces used primarily for scheduled nonlaboratory 

instruction. 

Laboratory Facilities 

(200 series) 

Rooms or spaces characterized by special purpose equipment or a 

specific configuration that ties instructional or research activities to a 

particular discipline or a closely related group of disciplines. 

Office Facilities 

(300 series) 

Offices and conference rooms specifically assigned to each of the 

various academic, administrative, and service functions. 

Study Facilities 

(400 series) 

Study rooms, stacks, open-stack reading rooms, and library processing 

spaces. 

Special Use Facilities 

(500 series) 

Military training rooms, athletic and physical education spaces, media 

production rooms, clinics, demonstration areas, field buildings, animal 

quarters, greenhouses, and other room categories that are sufficiently 

specialized in their primary activity or function to merit a unique room 

code. 

General Use Facilities 

(600 series) 

Assembly rooms, exhibition space, food facilities, lounges, 

merchandising facilities, recreational facilities, meeting rooms, child and 

adult care rooms, and other facilities that are characterized by a broader 

availability to faculty, students, staff, or the public than are special use 

areas. 

Support Facilities 

(700 series) 

Computing facilities, shops, central storage areas, vehicle storage areas, 

and central service space that provide centralized support for the 

activities of a campus. 

Health Care Facilities 

(800 series) 

Facilities used to provide patient care (human and animal). 

Residential Facilities 

(900 series) 

Housing facilities for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the campus. 

Unclassified Facilities 

(000 series) 

Inactive or unfinished areas, or areas in the process of conversion. 

Circulation Area 

(WWW series) 

Nonassignable spaces required for physical access to floors or 

subdivisions of space within the building, whether directly bounded by 

partitions or not. 

Building Service Area 

(XXX series) 

Nonassignable spaces used to support its cleaning and public hygiene 

functions. 

Mechanical Area 

(YYY series) 

Nonassignable spaces of a building designed to house mechanical 

equipment and utility services, and shaft areas. 
40

4.2.1 Primary Use 

Space use codes are assigned based on primary use. Most rooms and spaces in an 

institution fall readily into one space use code. In some cases, however, individual rooms or groups of 

rooms have multiple uses (e.g., office and art studio). If a space inventory system uses only a single code 

to indicate the use, the coding should be based on the primary use of the space. Thus, a space that is a 

laboratory by appearance or design but is currently being used primarily as a classroom is coded as a 

classroom rather than as a laboratory. As another example, a space that is used as both an Office (310) 

and a Research/Nonclass Laboratory (250) equipped and used principally for research, but which also 

includes some space used occasionally as an office, should be coded as a laboratory facility. 

It is recommended that primary use be evaluated in terms of time, the human activity 

element that focuses on use rather than space. In the event that time of use is not readily available, the 

amount of space allocated to each activity or function should be the determining factor. Where multiple 

room use codes are accommodated in a system, prorations may be used. Where multiple space use codes 

can be accommodated in the database, a system to prorate space may be used (see below). Primary use or 

proration also applies to the assignment of spaces to organizational units, functional categories, or 

academic discipline, as discussed below. 

4.2.2 Proration and Phantom Walls 

Where a room serves several purposes or users, the institution may choose to prorate and 

allocate the square footage between two or more space uses, functions, organizational units, etc. For 

institutions with major sponsored research activities, proration of multiple use rooms may be necessary to 

identify accurately how each room is used. Proration can be done either on the basis of relative time 

expended on each activity or on the basis of the proportion of the area in the room dedicated to each 

activity. 

There are two basic approaches to proration. One is to prorate by the insertion of “phantom 

walls” on floor plans, indicated by dashed lines as artificial boundaries to separate adjacent uses or 

assignments. The use of phantom walls requires that each space (i.e., each part of the room) be given a 

unique space identifier, which can be accomplished by adding an additional digit or character to the 

existing space identifier, and individual space use categories and organizational assignments. For 

example, Room 210, which is used as a Unit Storage (780) room by both Biology and Chemistry, could 

be identified as Space 210A, Unit Storage, Biology, and Space 210B, Unit Storage, Chemistry. This 
41

approach will prorate Room 210’s area correctly for each department, yet the space will be increased by 

one as we now have Spaces 210A and 210B replacing the former Room 210. Another method is to apply 

percentage figures to each use, function, etc., being prorated. This approach, requiring a more 

sophisticated database design, provides both an accurate proration of area and an accurate count of 

spaces. Whatever method is used, the resulting information should be capable of being summarized into 

standard space use codes and related categories for external reports, utilization studies, and institutional 

planning. 

4.2.3 Service Codes 

Service codes are used for associated support spaces. Many major use categories have minor 

supporting uses associated with them. For example, an office may have a supply room or a laboratory 

may have a stock room. These supporting rooms are coded as service spaces, and their space use will 

follow the coding of the major spaces to which they provide service. 

Support or service codes are used to reduce the hundreds of support use categories to a small 

set of service codes. The use of a code ending in “5” to represent support space for a primary activity 

area, with a corresponding code ending in “0” (e.g., 315 serves 310), enhances both the analytic 

usefulness and flexibility of the space use coding structure. 

Distinguishing primary activity areas from service areas may occasionally become difficult. 

Because it is impossible to describe comprehensively each code in the description section with examples 

of primary and service areas, a few gray areas for decisionmaking will inevitably emerge with unlisted or 

“new” room names, designs, and uses. Two paths to decision are suggested: 

• A close reading of the definition, description, and limitations for both the primary (e.g., 

710) and service (e.g., 715) codes. A thorough study of any examples listed could be 

especially helpful by revealing room relationships and function or use similarities. 

• Determining whether the existence of a particular space, with its specific functions and 

uses, is dependent upon, or justified by, another (usually nearby) space and its specific 

use. If this is not the case (the space is nondependent), the primary activity code is 

logically appropriate (e.g., a space containing a mainframe computer or computer 

servers would be coded 710). If a significant degree of dependency exists (i.e., the space 

is largely justified only by the existence of another space), the service code is 

appropriate (e.g., a printout or tape storage room should be coded 715). In all such cases, 

a focus on space relationships can help clarify space use definitions, descriptions, and 

codes. 
42

Changes in the cost and portability of technology have blurred the distinction between 

program and service space. In many laboratory environments and multimedia classrooms, support 

instrumentation and equipment are now located inside the lab or lecture room. Primary use should be the 

determinant in classifying such spaces rather than the existence of specialized equipment. This is also true 

of offices and administrative service units. 

4.2.4 Room Name 

Room name, whether colloquial or part of a formally applied syntax, can be useful to 

institutional users of the facilities space inventory. Reliance on local room names, however, can cause 

problems in applying correct space use categories. Depending on the space it serves, a “balance room,” 

for example, can take any of three laboratory service codes; likewise, “storage” areas can fall into almost 

any service code category (including unit storage) for the same reason and are only occasionally limited 

to the Central Storage (730) category. 

The space’s actual use must match the stated definition for an accurate coding to be made. A 

space that is called the “old physics lab” should be coded as a laboratory only if it is used as a laboratory; 

if it is used, however, as an office file area, then the space use should be coded Office Service (315). 

Determination of the actual and current use of a space is necessary for accurate coding. 

Local or colloquial room names do, nonetheless, provide useful information for identifying 

many spaces and their locations, especially for the casual user of a space inventory listing or summary 

report. Institutions are encouraged to maintain the formal space use code names in this manual as a 

separate data element or, using supporting software in automated systems, generate the formal names 

based on the numerical codes (e.g., code 210 automatically generates the use code name Class 

Laboratory). 

4.2.5 Determining Actual Use Prior to Coding 

An accurate determination of the actual use of a space and its contained equipment should be 

made prior to coding. A space’s actual use must meet the stated definition before an accurate coding can 

be made. For example, a “learning laboratory” may be either an Open Laboratory (220) or a Study Room 

(410), depending on whether the space contains discipline-restrictive equipment or configuration, as 

stated in the introduction to the Laboratory Facilities (200) series. If the learning laboratory contains 
43

computer stations, for example, the machines must be restricted by installed software or accessory devices 

to a particular discipline or discipline group before the space can qualify as a laboratory. If the machines 

are configured for general use by students in a variety of course subjects, the computers become 

synonymous with books as basic study tools and the Study Room (410) code is more appropriate. 

4.2.6 Local Options for Additional Codes 

The room use codes do not attempt to meet the varied local institutional needs for tracking or 

defining space by physical design or characteristics, contained special equipment, specific person or 

organizational unit assignment, control authority, or discipline orientation. For example, no distinctions 

are made between the following: 

• Centrally controlled versus departmentally controlled classrooms. (This could be 

handled via a report on classrooms sorted by their organizational assignment.) 

• Offices for research staff versus offices for instructors. (This could be handled via a 

report on offices sorted by the rank of the person(s) assigned to the offices.) 

• Study rooms with special study equipment or tools versus study rooms containing only 

tables and chairs. (This could be handled via a report on study rooms sorted by the type 

of equipment assigned to those rooms.) 

• Locker rooms serving a gym versus locker rooms serving a shop. (This could be handled 

by creating an expanded subcategory Locker Room under Athletic or Physical Education 

Service (525) and under Shop Service (725).) 

• Private Rest Rooms serving an office or Storage Rooms serving the same office. (Private 

Rest Rooms could be coded either under Office Service (315) or tracked separately by 

creating an expanded subcategory Private Rest Room under Office Service (315). 

Storage Rooms could be coded also under Office Service (315) or tracked separately by 

creating another subcategory Private Storage under Office Service (315).) 

• Specialized rooms associated with clinics, for example, waiting areas, laboratories, 

observation booth/rooms, surgery (nonhospital), special equipment (e.g., x-ray). (These 

could be handled as expanded subcategories of support space for the appropriate primary 

activity area.) 

In general, institutions should consider making such distinctions by “extending” the support 

space coding structure with interval or suffixed codes (e.g., modify Study Room (410) by adding a code 

413 or 410M to track study rooms equipped with computers that are used as study tools). These additional 

codes can be easily aggregated into the 410 code as needed. For institutions without an equipment 

inventory, a globally assigned suffix (e.g., “M”) may even be used to flag every room containing one or 
44

more microcomputers. As noted in the fourth and fifth examples above, locker rooms and private rest 

rooms, which are service areas with special physical characteristics, may just as easily be earmarked by 

selected, additional codes according to particular needs. (See section 5.3, Optional Data Elements.) 

The space use coding structure is intended to identify only the specific architectural use of an 

individual space at the time of the inventory (e.g., Office, Laboratory, Classroom, etc., as described in this 

chapter.) Space use coding is not to be used to track other conditions or circumstances about a space. 

Such other data should be recorded as optional data about a space. (See section 5.3, Optional Data 

Elements.) Calling upon separately stored required and optional space data in any report assures the 

accessibility of any combination of data needed for reporting and analyses. 

For those institutions that have developed space use codes that tie to or include meanings 

within any of these separate classification systems, it is recommended that they develop and maintain a 

method of mapping or crosswalking to the core space use codes presented in table 4-2. This 

recommendation, in the interest of standardization for interinstitutional comparisons and surveys, applies 

also to those institutions that have implemented coding extensions or completely alternate coding systems 

for classification by space use. 

4.2.7 Some Space Use Characteristics Not to Be Used as Space Use Categories 

Some space use characteristics that should not be used as space use categories are as 

follows: 

• The designed architectural use of a space (e.g., a space designed as a laboratory but used 

as an office must be given the space use code of Office (310)). 

• The identification of a campus organizational unit or division that either controls or is 

assigned a space (e.g., a “Physics” Laboratory, or a “Registrar” Classroom). 

Organizational identification concerning space assignment is recorded in another of the 

four required data elements about space. 

• The rank of the space’s occupants (e.g., a “Professor’s” office or a “Secretary’s” Office). 

Again, occupant information may be recorded as optional data in a separate data 

structure. 

• The function, academic discipline, special physical characteristics, degrees of space 

suitability, and other such data that do not specifically address the space use codes in this 

chapter. 
45

4.3 Space Use Codes 

Space use codes represent the recommended central or core concepts for classifying the 

assignable space, by use, within campus facilities (see section 5.2, Required Data Elements). A detailed 

outline of room use codes is available in table 4-2. 

Table 4-2. Outline of space use codes 

ASSIGNABLE AREA 

100 Classroom Facilities 540 Clinic 

110 Classroom 545 Clinic Service 

115 Classroom Service 550 Demonstration 

 555 Demonstration Service 

200 Laboratory Facilities 560 Field Building 

210 Class Laboratory 570 Animal Facilities 

215 Class Laboratory Service 575 Animal Facilities Service 

220 Open Laboratory 580 Greenhouse 

225 Open Laboratory Service 585 Greenhouse Service 

250 Research/Nonclass Laboratory 590 Other (All Purpose) 

255 Research/Nonclass Laboratory Service 

600 General Use Facilities

300 Office Facilities 610 Assembly 

310 Office 615 Assembly Service 

315 Office Service 620 Exhibition 

350 Conference Room 625 Exhibition Service 

355 Conference Room Service 630 Food Facility 

 635 Food Facility Service 

400 Study Facilities 640 Day Care 

410 Study Room 645 Day Care Service 

420 Stack 650 Lounge 

430 Open-Stack Study Room 655 Lounge Service 

440 Processing Room 660 Merchandising 

455 Study Service 665 Merchandising Service 

 670 Recreation 

500 Special Use Facilities 675 Recreation Service 

510 Armory 680 Meeting Room 

515 Armory Service 685 Meeting Room Service 

520 Athletic or Physical Education 

523 Athletic Facilities Spectator Seating 

525 Athletic or Physical Education Service 

530 Media Production 

535 Media Production Service 

 
46

Table 4-2. Outline of space use codes—Continued 

700 Support Facilities 900 Residential Facilities 

710 Central Computer or Telecommunications 910 Sleep/Study Without Toilet or Bath 

715 Central Computer or Telecommunications 919 Toilet or Bath 

Service 920 Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath 

720 Shop 935 Sleep/Study Service 

725 Shop Service 950 Apartment 

730 Central Storage 955 Apartment Service 

735 Central Storage Service 970 House 

740 Vehicle Storage 

745 Vehicle Storage Service 000 Unclassified FacilitieS

750 Central Service 050 Inactive Area 

755 Central Service Support 060 Alteration or Conversion Area 

760 Hazardous Materials Storage 070 Unfinished Area 

770 Hazardous Waste Storage 

775 Hazardous Waste Service NONASSIGNABLE AREA 

780 Unit Storage 

 WWW Circulation Area 

800 Health Care Facilities W01 Bridge/Tunnel 

810 Patient Bedroom W02 Elevator 

815 Patient Bedroom Service W03 Escalator 

820 Patient Bath W04 Loading Dock 

830 Nurse Station W05 Lobby 

835 Nurse Station Service W06 Public Corridor 

840 Surgery W07 Stairway 

845 Surgery Service 

850 Treatment/Examination Clinic XXX Building Service Area 

855 Treatment/Examination Clinic Service X01 Custodial Supply Closet 

860 Diagnostic Service Laboratory X02 Janitor Room 

865 Diagnostic Service Laboratory Support X03 Public Rest Room 

870 Central Supplies X04 Trash Room 

880 Public Waiting 

890 Staff On-Call Facility YYY Mechanical Area 

895 Staff On-Call Facility Service Y01 Central Utility Plant 

 Y02 Fuel Room 

 Y03 Shaft 

 Y04 Utility/Mechanical Space 
47

4.3.1 Space Use Codes: Definitions, Descriptions, and Limitations 

ASSIGNABLE AREA 

100 Classroom Facilities 

General 

This category aggregates classroom facilities as an institution-wide resource, even though these areas may 

fall under different levels of organizational control. The term “classroom” includes not only general 

purpose classrooms, but also lecture halls, recitation rooms, seminar rooms, and other spaces used 

primarily for scheduled nonlaboratory instruction. Total classroom facilities include any support rooms 

that serve the classroom activity (e.g., Codes 110 and 115 as defined below). A classroom may contain 

various types of instructional aids or equipment (e.g., multimedia or telecommunications equipment) as 

long as they do not tie the room to instruction in a specific subject or discipline. For treatment of such 

space, see Laboratory Facilities (Code 200 series). 

Institutions may use extension codes to distinguish control over classroom areas, discipline use, type of 

instruction, contained equipment, or other classroom variables (e.g., Codes 120 and 125, Departmental 

Classroom and Departmental Classroom Service). These extension codes should be capable of 

aggregation to total Classroom Facilities (100) as needed. 

110 Classroom 

• Definition: A room or space used primarily for instruction classes and that is not tied to a 

specific subject or discipline by equipment in the room or the configuration of the space. 

• Description: Includes rooms or spaces generally used for scheduled instruction that 

require no special, restrictive equipment or configuration. These spaces may be called 

lecture rooms, lecture-demonstration rooms, seminar rooms, and general purpose 

classrooms. A classroom may be equipped with tablet armchairs (fixed to the floor, 

joined in groups, or flexible in arrangement), tables and chairs (as in a seminar room), or 

similar types of seating. These spaces may contain multimedia or telecommunications 

equipment. A classroom may be furnished with special equipment (e.g., globes, pianos, 

maps, computers, network connections) appropriate to a specific area of study, if this 

equipment does not render the space unsuitable for use by classes in other areas of study. 

• Limitations: This category does not include Conference Rooms (350), Meeting Rooms 

(680), Auditoria (610), or Class Laboratories (210). Conference spaces and meeting 

spaces are distinguished from seminar spaces according to primary use; spaces with 

chairs and tables that are used primarily for meetings (as opposed to classes) are 

conference spaces or meeting rooms (see Codes 350 and 680 for distinction). Auditoria 

are distinguished from lecture rooms based on primary use. A large room with seating 

oriented toward some focal point, and which is used for dramatic or musical productions, 

is an Assembly (610) facility (e.g., an auditorium normally used for purposes other than 

scheduled classes). A class laboratory is distinguished from a classroom based on 

equipment in the space and by its restrictive use. If a space is restricted to a single or 

closely related group of disciplines by special equipment or its configuration, it may be 

logically considered as a laboratory (see Code 200 series). The evolution of computers 
48

and instrumentation altered the restrictive nature of some equipment to a specific 

discipline or application. 

115 Classroom Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves one or more classrooms as an extension of the 

activities in that space. 

• Description: Includes projection rooms, telecommunications control booths, preparation 

rooms, coat rooms, closets, storage areas, etc., if they serve classrooms. 

• Limitations: Does not include projection rooms, coat rooms, preparation rooms, closets, 

or storage areas if such spaces serve laboratories, conference rooms, meeting rooms, 

assembly facilities, etc. A projection booth in an auditorium (not used primarily for 

scheduled classes) is classified as Assembly Service (615). 
49

200 Laboratory Facilities 

General

A laboratory is a facility characterized by special purpose equipment or a specific space configuration that 

limits instructional or research activities to a particular discipline or a closely related group of disciplines. 

These activities may be individual or group in nature, with or without supervision. Laboratories may be 

found in all fields of study including letters, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, vocational and 

technical disciplines, etc. 

The nature of laboratory experiences has changed in many disciplines with the introduction of computer 

simulation in combination with, or as replacement of, the old “wet lab” experience in both natural and 

social sciences. Curricular intent should be considered as well as the physical structure of the space. 

Laboratory facilities can be subdivided into three categories: class, open, and research/nonclass 

laboratory. A class laboratory is used for scheduled instruction. An open laboratory supports instruction 

but is not formally scheduled. A research/nonclass laboratory is used for research, experimentation, 

observation, research training, or structured creative activity that supports extension of a field of 

knowledge. Institutions may wish to further distinguish various types of class, open, and 

research/nonclass laboratories through the use of extension or special codes. 

Note: Within comprehensive research universities, it is difficult to draw precise lines between instruction 

and research activities. At institutions with medical and health science programs, it is even more 

complicated because of the difficulty in distinguishing between patient care and instruction or research 

activities. The problem of joint activities makes the classification of space more difficult. 

The complexity of “research” and how it may affect space use classification decisions needs discussion at 

the institutional level. In general, there are four categories of research/nonclass activities: externally 

budgeted or funded projects or centers; separately organized centers or projects that are funded from 

institutional resources; departmental research activities that are neither separately budgeted or organized; 

and creative and intellectual activities of faculty in some disciplines that are the equivalent of 

departmental research (e.g., visual and performing arts are common examples). 

When this complexity exists, institutions may elect to use standard space use codes for laboratories, office 

space, etc., and rely upon the actual activities of the faculty and staff housed within the space to determine 

the distinction between instruction and research. The space inventory data elements include a designation 

of function as a separate code for each space. If combined with financial and activity information, the 

combination of function and space use code can accurately represent allocations of space for research 

more effectively and accurately than reliance upon only the space use code. 

210 Class Laboratory 

• Definition: A space used primarily for formally or regularly scheduled instruction 

(including associated mandatory, but non-credit-earning laboratories) that require special 

purpose equipment or a specific space configuration for student participation, 

experimentation, observation, or practice in an academic discipline. A space is 

considered to be scheduled if the activities generate weekly student contact hours 
50

(WSCHs), the activities fulfill course requirements, and/or there is a formal convener 

present. 

• Description: A class laboratory is designed for or furnished with equipment to serve the 

needs of a particular discipline for group instruction in formally or regularly scheduled 

classes. This special equipment normally limits or precludes the space’s use by other 

disciplines. Included in this category are spaces generally called teaching laboratories, 

instructional shops, computer laboratories, drafting rooms, band rooms, choral rooms, 

(group) music practice rooms, language laboratories, (group) studios, theater stage areas 

used primarily for instruction, instructional health laboratories, and similar specially 

designed or equipped rooms, if they are used primarily for group instruction in formally 

or regularly scheduled classes. Computer rooms used primarily to instruct students in the 

use of computers are classified as class laboratories if that instruction is conducted 

primarily in formally or regularly scheduled classes. 

• Limitations: Does not include Classrooms (110). Does not include informally scheduled 

or unscheduled laboratories (see Open Laboratory-220). This category does not include 

spaces generally defined as Research/Nonclass Laboratories (250). It does not include 

gymnasia, pools, drill halls, laboratory schools, demonstration houses, and similar 

facilities that are included under Special Use Facilities (Code 500 series). Computer 

rooms in libraries or used primarily for study should be classified as Study Rooms (410). 

215 Class Laboratory Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves one or more class laboratories as an extension of 

the activities in those spaces. 

• Description: Includes any space that directly serves a class laboratory. Included are 

projection rooms, telecommunications control booths, coat rooms, preparation rooms, 

closets, material storage (including temporary hazardous materials storage), balance 

rooms, cold rooms, stock rooms, dark rooms, equipment issue rooms, etc., if they serve 

class laboratories. 

• Limitations: Does not include service spaces that support a Classroom (see 115), Open 

Laboratory (see 225), or a Research/Nonclass Laboratory (see 255). Animal Facilities 

(570), Greenhouse (580), and Central Service (750) facilities are categorized separately. 

220 Open Laboratory 

• Definition: A laboratory used primarily for individual or group instruction that is 

informally scheduled, unscheduled, or open. 

• Description: An open laboratory is designed for or furnished with equipment that serves 

the needs of a particular discipline or discipline group for individual or group instruction 

where 1) use of the space is not formally or regularly scheduled, or 2) access is limited 

to specific groups of students. Included in this category are spaces generally called 

music practice rooms, language laboratories used for individualized instruction, studios 

for individualized instruction, special laboratories or learning laboratories (e.g., speech, 

hearing, law, psychology, and health-related professions) if discipline restricted, 
51

individual laboratories, and computer laboratories involving specialized restrictive 

software or where access is limited to specific categories of students. For example, a 

computer laboratory with only engineering or CAD software or a computer-based 

writing laboratory available only to English Composition students would be classified as 

an open laboratory because of the restricted usage of the space for a particular discipline 

or discipline group. Spaces containing computer equipment that is not restricted to a 

specific discipline or discipline group are classified as Study Rooms (410) unless the 

primary intent is to function as a site for structured learning or group activities rather 

than individual knowledge acquisition.

• Limitations: Laboratories with formally or regularly scheduled classes are classified as a 

Class Laboratory (210). This category also does not include spaces defined as 

Research/Nonclass Laboratory (250). A space that contains equipment (e.g., 

microcomputers), which does not restrict use to a specific discipline or discipline group 

and which is typically used at a student’s convenience, should be classified as a Study 

Room (410). 

225 Open Laboratory Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves one or more open laboratories as an extension of 

the activities in those spaces. 

• Description: Includes only those spaces that directly serve an open laboratory. Included 

are projection rooms, telecommunications control booths, coat rooms, preparation 

rooms, closets, material storage (including temporary hazardous materials storage), 

balance rooms, cold rooms, stock rooms, dark rooms, equipment issue rooms, and 

similar facilities, if they serve open laboratories. 

• Limitations: Does not include service spaces that support a Classroom (see 115), Class 

Laboratory (see 215), or Research/Nonclass Laboratory (see 255). Animal Facilities 

(570), Greenhouse (580), and Central Service (750) facilities are categorized separately.

250 Research/Nonclass Laboratory 

• Definition: A space used for laboratory experimentation, research, or training in research 

methods; professional research and observation; or structured creative activity within a 

specific program or for sponsored research (whether sponsored with federal, state, 

private, or institutional funds). 

• Description: A research/nonclass laboratory is designed or equipped for faculty, staff, 

and students for the conduct of research and controlled or structured creative activities. 

These activities are generally confined to faculty, staff, and assigned graduate students 

and are applicable to any academic discipline. Activities may include experimentation, 

application, observation, composition, or research training in a structured environment 

directed by one or more faculty or principal investigators. These activities do not include 

practice or independent study projects and activities that, although delivering “new 

knowledge” to a student, are not intended for a broader academic (or sponsoring) 

community (e.g., a presentation or publication). This category includes laboratories that 

are used for experiments, testing, or “dry runs” in support of instructional, research, or 
52

public service activities. Nonclass public service laboratories that promote new 

knowledge in academic fields (e.g., animal diagnostic laboratories, cooperative 

extension laboratories) are included in this category. 

• Limitations: Student practice activity rooms should be classified under Open Laboratory 

(220). A combination office/music or art studio or combination office/research 

laboratory should be coded according to its primary use if only a single space use code 

can be applied. Determination also should be made whether the “studio” or “research 

lab” component involves developing new knowledge (or extending the application or 

distribution of existing knowledge) for a broader academic or sponsoring community 

(and not merely for the practitioner), or the activity is merely practice or learning within 

the applied instructional process. Primary use should be the determining criterion in 

either case. Does not include testing or monitoring facilities (e.g., seed sampling, water 

or environmental testing rooms) that are part of an institution’s Central Service (750) 

system. Also does not include the often unstructured, spontaneous or improvisational 

creative activities of learning and practice within the performing arts that take place in 

(scheduled) Class Laboratories (210) or, if not specifically scheduled, (practice) Open 

Laboratories (220). Such performing arts (and other science and nonscience) activities, 

which are controlled or structured to the extent that they are intended to produce a 

specific research or experimental outcome (e.g., a new or advanced technique), are 

included in the Research/Nonclass Laboratory (250) category. 

255 Research/Nonclass Laboratory Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves one or more research/nonclass laboratories as an 

extension of the activities in those spaces. 

• Description: Includes only those spaces that directly serve a research/nonclass 

laboratory. Included are projection rooms, telecommunications control booths, coat 

rooms, preparation rooms, closets, material storage, balance rooms, cold rooms, stock 

rooms, dark rooms, equipment issue rooms, temporary hazardous materials storage 

areas, and similar facilities, if they serve research/nonclass laboratories. 

• Limitations: Does not include service spaces that support a Classrooms (see 115), Class 

Laboratory (see 215), or Open Laboratory (see 225). Animal Facilities (570), 

Greenhouse (580), and Central Service (750) facilities are categorized separately. 
53

300 Office Facilities 

General 

Office facilities are individual, multiperson, or workstation spaces specifically assigned to academic, 

administrative, and service functions of a college or university. While some institutions may wish to 

classify all office space as Office (310), others may wish to differentiate academic, administrative, staff, 

secretarial, clerical, or student assistant offices, etc., by applying additional codes. 

310 Office 

• Definition: A space housing faculty, staff, or students working at one or more desks, 

tables, or workstations. 

• Description: An office is typically assigned to one or more persons as a station or work 

area. It may be equipped with desks, chairs, tables, bookcases, filing cabinets, computer 

workstations, microcomputers, or other office equipment. Included are faculty, 

administrative, clerical, graduate and teaching assistant, and student offices. 

• Limitations: Any other spaces, such as glass shops, printing shops, study rooms, 

classrooms, research/nonclass laboratories, etc., that incidentally contain desk space for 

a technician or staff member are classified according to the primary use of the space, 

rather than as an office. Office areas do not need to have clearly visible physical 

boundaries; examples include open reception areas and library staff areas that would not 

otherwise be classified as Processing Rooms (440). In such cases, logical physical 

boundaries (phantom walls) may be assigned to calculate square footage. An office is 

differentiated from Office Service (315) by the latter’s use as a casual or intermittent 

workstation or service room. For example, a space with a computer intermittently used 

by one or more people having a separately assigned office should be coded as Office 

Service (315). A combination office, studio, or research/nonclass laboratory should be 

coded according to its primary use if multiple space use codes with prorations are not 

used. A receptionist room that includes a waiting area should be coded as Office (310). 

315 Office Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves an office or group of offices as an extension of 

the activities in those spaces. 

• Description: Includes file rooms, break rooms, kitchenettes serving office areas, copy 

and fax rooms, vaults, closets, private rest rooms not available to the public, records 

rooms, office supply rooms, first aid rooms serving office areas, student counseling 

rooms and testing (assessment, nonhealth, non-discipline-related) rooms, and open and 

private (restricted/nonpublic) circulation areas. 

• Limitations: Waiting, interview, and testing spaces are included as Office Service if they 

serve a specific office or office area and not a classroom laboratory or clinic. A student 

counseling (nonhealth) testing room should be coded as Office Service (315). A 
54

receptionist room that includes a waiting area should be coded as Office (310). Lounges 

that serve specific office areas and that are not generally available to the public should 

be coded as Office Service (315). Centralized mail rooms, shipping or receiving areas, 

and duplicating or printing shops that serve more than one building (or department or 

school, etc.) or that are campus-wide in scope should be classified Central Service (750). 

Does not include Unit Storage (780). 

350 Conference Room 

• Definition: A space serving an office complex and used primarily for staff meetings and 

departmental activities. 

• Description: A conference space is typically equipped with tables and chairs. Normally 

it is used by a specific organizational unit or office area, whereas Meeting Rooms (680) 

are used for general purposes such as community or campus group meetings not 

associated with a particular department. If a space is used for both conference and 

meeting space functions, then the space should be classified according to its principal 

use. A conference space is distinguished from facilities such as seminar rooms, lecture 

rooms, and Classrooms (110) because it is used primarily for activities other than 

scheduled classes. A conference space is intended primarily for formal gatherings, 

whereas a lounge is intended for relaxation and casual interaction. This category 

includes teleconference spaces. 

• Limitations: Does not include classrooms, seminar rooms, lecture rooms (see 

Classrooms-110), auditoria (see Assembly-610), departmental lounges (see Office 

Service-315), open lounges (see Lounge-650), and Meeting Rooms (680). 

355 Conference Room Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves one or more conference spaces as an extension of 

the activities in those spaces. 

• Description: Includes kitchenettes, storage spaces, telecommunications control booths, 

projection rooms, sound equipment rooms, etc., if they serve conference spaces. 

• Limitations: Excluded are service spaces that support meeting spaces (see Meeting 

Room Service-685) or offices (see Office Service-315). 
55

400 Study Facilities 

General

Study space is classified into five categories: study room, stack, open-stack study room, processing room, 

and study service. Offices used for library activities are coded as office facilities. A study space may 

contain equipment or materials that aid the study or learning process (e.g., computers, multimedia carrels, 

CD and DVD players, typewriters, records and tapes) and that do not restrict the space to a particular 

academic discipline or discipline group. Whereas a Study Room (410) may appear in almost any type of 

building on campus (e.g., academic, residential, student service), Stacks (420), Open-Stack Study Rooms 

(430), and Processing Rooms (440) are typically located in central, branch, and departmental libraries. 

Identification of library space should be made through the use of functional categories, and departmental 

space through the combined use of academic discipline and functional categories. 

410 Study Space 

• Definition: A room or area used by individuals to study at their convenience, the space 

not being restricted to a particular subject or discipline by contained equipment. 

• Description: Includes study or reading rooms located in libraries, residential facilities, 

academic or student service facilities, study carrel and booth areas, and similar spaces 

that are intended for general study purposes. Study stations may be grouped, as in a 

library reading room, or individualized, as in a carrel. Study stations may include 

computers, typewriters, microform readers, CD and DVD players, or other multimedia 

equipment. The category Study Space includes spaces commonly termed “learning labs” 

or “computer labs” if they are not restricted to specific disciplines by contained 

equipment or software. Study spaces are primarily used by students or staff for learning 

at their convenience, although access may be restricted by a controlling unit (e.g., 

departmental study room). 

• Limitations: Does not include Open Laboratories (220) that are restricted to a particular 

discipline or discipline group. This category also does not include Lounges (650) that are 

intended for relaxation and casual interaction. 

420 Stack 

• Definition: A space used to house arranged collections of educational materials for use 

as a study resource. 

• Description: Stacks typically appear in central, branch, or departmental libraries and are 

characterized by accessible, arranged, and managed collections. Collections can include 

books, periodicals, journals, monographs, micromaterials, electronic storage media (e.g., 

tapes, disks, slides, etc.), musical scores, maps, and other educational materials. 

• Limitations: Does not include general storage areas for such materials that serve a 

particular room or area; such spaces would take the appropriate service code. Examples 

of these service spaces include tape storage rooms for language laboratories (see Open 
56

Laboratory Service-225), book storage rooms for classrooms (see Classroom Service115), and music for general listening enjoyment (see Recreation Service-675). Also does 

not include collections of educational materials, regardless of form or type (i.e., from 

books to soils collections), that are for Exhibition (620) use rather than for study or 

reference. 

430 Open-Stack Study Room 

• Definition: A combination study space and stack, generally without physical boundaries 

between the stack and study areas. 

• Description: Seating areas include those types of station and seating arrangements 

described under Study Room (410). The stack areas of these spaces may include any of 

the educational material collections described under Stack (420). 

• Limitations: Does not include Study Rooms (410) that have no stack areas. Those stack 

areas that have only a few incidental chairs or other seating, without a formally arranged 

study seating area, should be coded Stack (420). Institutions may wish to separate and 

code the seating or study areas (see Study Room-410) and Stack areas (see Stack-420) 

into separate space records. As with Stack (420) and Processing Rooms (440), OpenStack Study Rooms (430) appear primarily in central, branch, and departmental libraries. 

440 Processing Room 

• Definition: A room or area devoted to processes and operations in support of library 

functions. 

• Description: A processing room is intended for specific library operations that support 

the overall library mission. Included are card and microfiche areas, reference desk and 

circulation desk areas, bookbinding rooms, multimedia materials processing areas, 

interlibrary loan processing areas, and other areas with a specific process or operation in 

support of library functions. 

• Limitations: Areas that serve both as office stations and processing rooms should be 

coded according to primary use. Small incidental processing areas in larger stack or 

study areas should be included within the larger primary activity category (see Codes 

410, 420, and 430). Does not include typical support spaces that serve study and other 

primary activity areas, such as storage rooms, copy rooms, closets, and other servicetype spaces (see Code 455). Acquisitions work areas with a primary office use should be 

classified as Office (310). 

455 Study Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves study spaces, stacks, open-stack study spaces, or 

processing rooms as a direct extension of the activities in those spaces. 

• Description: Includes storage spaces, copy rooms, closets, locker rooms, coat rooms, 

and other typical service areas that support a primary study facilities room (see Codes 
57

410, 420, 430, and 440). With the increasing implementation of wireless technology, 

service areas are migrating into the primary study space and stacks. Campuses need to 

adopt a consistent approach to using either predominate use or “phantom walls” to allow 

for the separation of service space. An example would be space occupied by routers, 

servers, or battery-charging equipment on the open floor of a library or student center. 

• Limitations: Does not include Processing Rooms (440) that house specific library 

support processes and operations (e.g., bookbinding rooms, multimedia processing 

rooms). 
58

500 Special Use Facilities 

General

This category includes several space use categories that are sufficiently specialized in their primary 

activity or function to merit a unique space code. Areas and rooms for military training, athletic activity, 

media production, clinical activities (outside of separately organized health care facilities), demonstration, 

agricultural field activities, and animal and plant shelters are included here. Although many of these 

special use facilities provide service to other areas, their special use or configuration dictates that these 

areas not be coded as service spaces. 

510 Armory (Military Support) 

• Definition: A room or area used by Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and 

ancillary units for military training and/or instructional activities. 

• Description: Spaces that are obviously designed or equipped for use in a military 

training or instructional program, such as indoor drill areas, indoor rifle ranges, and 

specially designed or equipped military science rooms, are included in this category. 

Ancillary units may include special rifle and drill teams. 

• Limitations: Conventional space use types such as Classrooms (110), Class Laboratories 

(210), Offices (310), and Study Rooms (410) are designated as such, even though they 

are located in an armory building. Military supply and weapons rooms are coded 

Armory Service (515). 

515 Armory Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves an armory facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: This category includes supply rooms, weapons rooms, and military 

equipment storage rooms. 

• Limitations: Spaces directly serving conventional primary activity areas are classified 

with the appropriate corresponding service code, e.g., Classroom Service (115), Class 

Laboratory Service (215), Office Service (315), and Study Service (455). 

520 Athletic or Physical Education 

• Definition: A room or area used by students, staff, or the public for athletic or physical 

education activities. 

• Description: Includes gymnasia, basketball courts, handball courts, squash courts, 

wrestling rooms, weight or exercise rooms, racquetball courts, indoor swimming pools, 
59

indoor putting areas, indoor ice rinks, indoor tracks, indoor stadium fields, and field 

houses. This category includes spaces used for dancing and bowling. 

• Limitations: This space use code does not distinguish instructional from intercollegiate, 

intramural, or recreational use of these areas. 

• Classroom Facilities (Code 100 series), Laboratory Facilities (Code 200 series), Office 

Facilities (Code 300 series), and other primary space use categories are coded as such, 

even though these areas may be located in an athletic or physical education building. 

Permanent covered spectator seating areas associated with athletic facilities are coded 

Athletic Facilities Spectator Seating (523). Outdoor athletic areas, such as outdoor tennis 

and basketball courts, archery ranges, golf courses, and other outdoor fields, do not meet 

the definition of buildings and, therefore, are not assignable areas. Recreational or 

amusement areas such as billiards rooms, game or arcade rooms, table tennis rooms, 

chess and card playing rooms, and hobby and music listening areas are classified 

Recreation (670). 

523 Athletic Facilities Spectator Seating 

• Definition: The covered seating area used by students, staff, or the public to watch 

athletic events. 

• Description: Includes covered permanent or fixed seating areas in gymnasia, field 

houses, ice arenas, covered stadia, natatoria, and cycling arenas. 

• Limitations: Does not include temporary or movable seating areas (e.g., movable 

bleachers). Uncovered permanent seating is not assignable space although space below it 

may contain assignable areas (e.g., locker rooms, offices, etc.). 

525 Athletic or Physical Education Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves an athletic or physical education facility as an 

extension of the activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes locker rooms; shower rooms; nonoffice coaches’ rooms; ticket 

booths; and spaces for dressing, equipment, supply, storage, first aid, skate-sharpening, 

towels, etc. 

• Limitations: Does not include public rest rooms, which should be classified as 

nonassignable building service space. Spaces that directly serve offices, classrooms, 

laboratories, etc., are classified with the appropriate corresponding service code. 

Cashiers’ desks serving recreation facilities (see Recreation-670) are classified 

Recreation Service (675). Central ticket outlets serving multiple facilities or services are 

classified as Merchandising (660). 
60

530 Media Production 

• Definition: A space used for the production or distribution of multimedia materials or 

signals. 

• Description: Includes spaces generally called TV studios, radio studios, sound studios, 

photo studios, video or audio cassette and software production or distribution rooms, and 

media centers. These spaces have a clearly defined production or distribution function 

that serves a broader area (e.g., department, entire campus) than would a typical service 

room. Include electronic visualization studios or facilities in this category if the primary 

use is the production of media rather than a student-focused learning experience.

• Limitations: Does not include spaces that merely store media materials and equipment. 

Such spaces would be coded as Media Production Service (535) spaces if serving the 

primary production or distribution room, or the appropriate service category for space(s) 

they serve. Radio or TV broadcasting areas, simulation laboratories, and other media 

spaces used for teaching broadcasting to students should be coded as laboratories (see 

Class Laboratory-210, or Open Laboratory-220). This classification also does not 

include centralized computer-based data processing and telecommunications equipment 

facilities (see Central Computer or Telecommunications-710). 

535 Media Production Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a media production or distribution space as an 

extension of the activities in that facility. 

• Description: The primary criterion here is that the space should serve a media 

production or distribution space and not another primary activity space. Examples 

include film, tape, or cassette libraries or storage areas; media equipment storage rooms; 

recording rooms; engineering maintenance rooms; dark rooms; preparation rooms; 

studio control booths; and other support areas that specifically serve a media production 

or distribution room (see Media Production-530). 

• Limitations: Those spaces containing media materials, equipment, or operations that 

serve other than a Media Production (530) primary activity space should be assigned the 

appropriate corresponding service code. 

540 Clinic 

• Definition: A space used for providing diagnosis, consultation, treatment, or other 

services to patients or clients or subjects with a primary purpose of instruction, research, 

or public service. 

• Description: Included are examination rooms, testing rooms, consultation rooms, and 

holding areas. Such spaces and their related uses are typically associated with 

educational programs such as psychology, law, speech, and hearing. 
61

• Limitations: Does not include spaces used for remedial instruction that should be 

classified as classrooms or laboratories (see Codes 100 and 200 series), testing or 

counseling rooms in nonhealth or non-discipline-related programs (see Office Service315), or Health Care Facilities (see Code 800 series).

545 Clinic Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a clinic as an extension of the activities in that 

space. 

• Description: Included are waiting rooms, observation rooms, control rooms, records 

rooms, diagnostic laboratories, and similar supporting spaces. 

• Limitations: Does not include spaces that serve health care facilities (see Code 800 

series). Also does not include first aid treatment rooms that serve other primary activity 

areas, e.g., Athletic or Physical Education Service (525), Day Care Service (645). 

550 Demonstration 

• Definition: A room or group of spaces used to practice, within an instructional program, 

the principles of certain disciplines such as teaching, child care or development, and 

family and consumer science. 

• Description: The key criterion here is practice activity within an instructional program 

that closely simulates a real-world or occupational setting. Includes demonstration day 

care and development centers, laboratory schools, and family and consumer science 

houses when these facilities are used for practice as a part of postsecondary training or 

instruction. 

• Limitations: Does not include day care and development centers that are not used as part 

of an instructional program (see Day Care-640). This category also does not include 

laboratories (see Code 200 series) that are used for direct delivery of instruction as 

opposed to practice. Demonstration schools, laboratory schools, day care centers, and 

family and consumer science houses in which students serve as the subjects for a 

research study are classified as Research/Nonclass Laboratories (250). 

555 Demonstration Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a demonstration facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes facilities generally called storerooms, pantries, etc., in a family 

and consumer science facility; and kitchens, lockers, shower rooms, etc., in a laboratory 

school. Similar support spaces that directly serve primary care and training areas in a 

demonstration day care center (see Demonstration-550) are included in this category. 

• Limitations: Generally, the primary activity areas—such as kitchen, dining room, living 

room (in a family and consumer science house), or classrooms, laboratories, gymnasia 
62

that serve nursery, elementary, or secondary school students (in a laboratory school)—

should be designated as Demonstration (550). Primary care and training areas in a 

(practice) day care center are also Demonstration (550) spaces. Kitchen and food 

preparation spaces in a demonstration day care facility are classified as service areas. 

Eating or break rooms for staff in demonstration day care centers are classified as 

service areas other than Demonstration Service (555); eating or training spaces for 

children are classified as primary activity areas, Demonstration (550). 

560 Field Building 

• Definition: A barn or similar agricultural structure used for animal shelters or for the 

handling, storage, or protection of farm products, supplies, vehicles, or implements. 

• Description: Includes barns, animal and poultry shelters, sheds, silos, feed units, and hay 

storage. Structures are typically of light-frame construction with unfinished interiors and 

are frequently located outside the central campus area. Also includes storage space for 

farm vehicles and implements. Service areas that support field buildings are classified 

within this category. 

• Limitations: Animal facilities directly supporting research or instructional laboratories 

should be coded Animal Facilities (570). Location of a building, on or off the main 

campus, is not sufficient justification for classification as a field building. Finished 

spaces with other uses (e.g., laboratories, classrooms, etc.) should be coded as 

appropriate. Does not include buildings that house nonagricultural or non-farm-related 

vehicles (see Vehicle Storage-740). 

570 Animal Facilities 

• Definition: A space that houses laboratory animals used for research and/or instructional 

purposes. 

• Description: Includes animal rooms; cage rooms; stalls; wards; and procedure, 

operating, recovery, isolation, quarantine, and similar spaces for instruction and 

research. 

• Limitations: Animal Facilities are typically subject to the rules and regulations of 

agencies regarding the care and use of laboratory animals (e.g., requirements of the 

American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)). Does 

not include agricultural field buildings sheltering animals that do not directly support 

instruction or research (see Field Building-560). Does not include areas that directly 

serve facilities used for the treatment of animals (see Treatment/Examination Clinic–

850). 

575 Animal Facilities Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves an animal quarters facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 
63

• Description: Includes feed storage rooms, feed mixing rooms, cage washing rooms, cage 

storage rooms, casting rooms, instrument rooms, and internal (nonpublic) circulation 

space. 

• Limitations: Does not include areas that directly serve facilities used for the treatment of 

animals (see Treatment/Examination Clinic-850). 

580 Greenhouse 

• Definition: A building or space, usually composed chiefly of glass, plastic, or other 

light-transmitting material, that is used for the cultivation or protection of plants or 

seedlings for research, instruction, or campus physical maintenance or improvement 

purposes. 

• Description: The primary criterion here is the combination of structural design as a 

greenhouse and the use for cultivation or protection. An example would be a greenhouse 

that serves as a laboratory or service area for a botany or other (e.g., horticulture) 

educational program. This category includes any facility serving the greenhouse function 

(e.g., warehouse facilities equipped with special lighting controls for the cultivation or 

protection of plants). 

• Limitations: Greenhouses that are not used for plant cultivation or protection should be 

classified according to specific use (e.g., a greenhouse used for central storage should be 

coded Central Storage-730). 

585 Greenhouse Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a greenhouse facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes equipment or materials storage areas and rooms generally called 

headhouses. 

• Limitations: Excludes storage areas that do not directly serve greenhouses. 

590 Other (All Purpose) 

• Definition: A category of last resort. 

• Description: Included as a category of last resort to be used only for those spaces or 

facilities that cannot be described, even approximately, with other codes and definitions. 

• Limitations: Should have very limited use, if used at all. 
64

600 General Use Facilities 

General 

General use facilities are characterized by a broader availability to faculty, students, staff, or the public 

than are Special Use Facilities (500 series), which are typically limited to a small group or special 

population. General use facilities comprise a campus general service or functional support system (e.g., 

assembly, exhibition, dining, relaxation, merchandising, recreation, general meetings, day care) for the 

institutional and participant community populations. 

610 Assembly 

• Definition: A space designed and equipped for the assembly of many persons for such 

events as dramatic, musical, devotional, livestock judging, or commencement activities. 

• Description: Includes theaters, auditoria, concert halls, arenas, chapels, and livestock 

judging pavilions that are used primarily for general presentations (speakers), 

performances (dramatic, musical, dance), and devotional services. Seating areas, 

orchestra pits, chancels, aisles, and stages (if not used primarily for instruction) are 

included in and usually aggregated into the assembly space. This category also includes 

chapels located in health care, residential, or other facilities. Institutions may wish to 

separate the seating area from the stage and other specially configured areas through the 

use of additional codes. 

• Limitations: Stage areas used primarily for instruction or practice (dance, music, 

drama) are typically coded separately as laboratory space (see Codes 210, 220). 

Assembly facilities that are used primarily as instructional lecture halls are classified as 

Classroom (110) space. 

615 Assembly Service 

• Definition: A room or area that directly serves an assembly facility as an extension of 

the activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes check rooms, coat rooms, ticket booths, dressing rooms, 

projection booths, property storage, make-up rooms, costume and scenery shops and 

storage, green rooms, multimedia and telecommunications control rooms, etc. 

• Limitations: Entrance lobbies and other circulation areas outside of the primary 

assembly room are classified as nonassignable Lobby (W05). A concession stand in an 

assembly facility is classified as Merchandising (660). Lounge areas that are remote 

from the assembly area within an assembly facility are classified by the appropriate 

service code or the Lounge (650) code. 
65

620 Exhibition 

• Definition: A room or area used for exhibition of materials, works of art, artifacts, etc., 

and intended for general use by faculty, students, staff, and the public. 

• Description: Includes both departmental and institution-wide museums, galleries, and 

similar exhibition areas that are used to display materials and items for viewing by the 

institutional population and the public. Planetariums used primarily for exhibition are 

also included in this category. Planetariums used primarily for research should be 

classified in the Laboratory Facilities (Code 200) series. 

• Limitations: Displays that are intended only for instructional purposes and not for 

general exhibitions (e.g., departmental instructional displays of anthropological, 

botanical, or geological specimens) should be classified as laboratory or laboratory 

service (see Laboratory Facilities-200 series). Does not include bulletin boards and 

similar temporary or incidental displays in hallways, student centers, etc. Also does not 

include collections of educational materials, regardless of form or type (e.g., books, 

tapes, soils collections), that are study resources (see Stack-420) as opposed to 

exhibition use. 

625 Exhibition Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves an exhibition facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes preparation workrooms, storage rooms, vaults, etc., that serve 

general exhibition areas (see Exhibition-620). 

• Limitations: Research areas in museums are classified as Research/Nonclass Laboratory 

(250) or Research/Nonclass Laboratory Service (255). Service areas for displays that are 

part of an instructional program are classified as Classroom Service (115) or Laboratory 

Facilities service areas (see Code 200 series). 

630 Food Facility 

• Definition: A space used for eating. 

• Description: Includes dining halls, cafeterias, snack bars, restaurants, and similar eating 

areas, including such areas in residence halls, faculty clubs, etc. This category includes 

facilities open to students, faculty, staff, or the public at large. The primary distinction of 

a Food Facility (630) area is the availability of some form of accommodation (seating, 

counters, tables) for eating or drinking. This is, therefore, an area intended for the actual 

consumption of food and drink. Vending areas with seating, counters, or tables and sitdown lunch or vending spaces that serve a shop facility are included in this category. 

• Limitations: Vending areas not provided with seating, counters, or tables are classified 

as Merchandising (660) or with the appropriate service code if the vending directly 
66

supports or is adjacent to a specific space for consuming the products (e.g., a Code 635 

vending space serving a Code 630 dining hall). 

• Limitations: Lounges (650) with vending machines that are incidental to the primary use 

of the space (i.e., relaxation) are coded as part of the lounge, if within the space, or as 

Lounge Service (655) if separate from and directly supporting the main lounge facility 

(see Lounge-650). Break rooms serving specific office areas are classified as Office 

Service (315). Eating areas for children in demonstration or day care facilities are 

classified as primary activity categories within these respective areas (see 

Demonstration-550 and Day Care-640); staff-only eating or break rooms in these 

facilities are classified as service areas (see Demonstration Service-555 and Day Care 

Service-645). 

635 Food Facility Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a food facility as an extension of the activities in 

that facility. 

• Description: Includes kitchens and other preparation areas, cold storage and freezer 

refrigeration rooms, dishwashing rooms, food serving areas, cleaning areas, etc. Includes 

first aid and vending areas directly serving food facilities, or adjacent to an eating area. 

• Limitations: Does not include any type of food preparation space that does not serve a 

food facility or eating area (see Food Facility-630). Kitchenettes in residence facilities 

that do not serve a dining area are classified as Sleep/Study Service (935). Service areas 

for vending spaces are classified as Merchandising Service (665). Kitchens and food 

preparation areas in demonstration or day care facilities are classified as service areas for 

those facilities (see Demonstration Service-555 and Day Care Service-645). 

640 Day Care 

• Definition: A space used to provide day or night, child or elderly adult care as a 

nonmedical service to members of the institutional community. 

• Description: Includes all primary activity spaces that provide oversight, supervision, 

developmental training, and general personal care for assigned children or adults (e.g., 

play areas, nonstaff eating areas, and child training spaces). This type of facility serves 

as a central service center for faculty, staff, and students, with members of the 

community being served as needed. This is not a medical care facility (i.e., medical 

attention is strictly limited to maintaining prescribed medication schedules and providing 

first aid). 

• Limitations: Does not include those support spaces (e.g., storage rooms, closets, and 

pantries) typically used as service spaces (see Day Care Service-645). This category also 

does not include demonstration houses, laboratory schools, or other facilities with a 

primary function of providing practice for postsecondary students as part of the 

instructional process (see Demonstration-550). Also excluded from this category are 

those service areas classified as Central Service (750), and Laboratory Facilities (Code 
67

200 series) that directly support instruction (e.g., vocational training programs for parent 

education and early childhood education). 

645 Day Care Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a primary activity space in a day care facility as 

an extension of the activities in that space. 

• Description: Includes storage rooms, closets, kitchens or food preparation areas, 

pantries, private or staff-only eating areas and rest rooms, and other typical service 

spaces that support a primary activity area. 

• Limitations: Does not include those spaces (e.g., child training spaces, playrooms—see 

Day Care-640) where primary day care activities are conducted. Rest rooms designed for 

child training should be coded Day Care (640). Eating or training areas for children are 

classified as primary Day Care (640) activity space. Staff office areas should be coded as 

Office (310). 

650 Lounge 

• Definition: A space used for rest and relaxation that is not restricted to a specific group 

of people, unit, or area. 

• Description: A lounge facility is typically equipped with upholstered furniture, 

draperies, and carpeting, and may include vending machines. This general use lounge 

differs from an office area or break room lounge (see Office Service-315) by virtue of its 

public availability. If a space is equipped with more than one or two seats for a seating 

area and intended for use by people visiting or passing through a building or area, it is 

coded as a Lounge (650). Such a space may have vending machines even though the 

primary use of the space is rest, relaxation, or informal socializing, not eating. 

• Limitations: A lounge facility is distinguished from a Conference Room (350) and a 

Meeting Room (680), both of which are intended for formal meetings, by its more 

informal function of rest, relaxation, or casual interaction and its public availability. A 

lounge area associated with a public rest room is included with the rest room as 

nonassignable (building service area) space. A space devoted to vending machines 

without accommodation (seating, counters, or tables) for local food or drink 

consumption is classified as Merchandising (660). A lounge that directly serves a 

specific or restricted area is classified by the appropriate corresponding service code 

(e.g., a lounge serving an assembly facility is classified Assembly Service-615). A 

lounge differs from a nonassignable lobby in placement, use, and intent. A Lobby (W05) 

is generally located at a major entrance with openings to either hallways on more than 

one side or in front of elevator banks; and although it may have seating furniture, it is 

designed more for passing through (or having standing conversations) than for sitting 

and relaxing. Separate waiting rooms in other than health care facilities are classified 

with the appropriate service code according to the room or area they serve. A 

receptionist room that includes a waiting area should be classified as Office (310). 

Public waiting areas in health care facilities are coded as Public Waiting (880). 
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655 Lounge Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a general use lounge facility. 

• Description: Includes kitchenettes, storage areas, and vending spaces that directly serve 

a general use Lounge (650). 

• Limitations: This category does not include kitchenettes, storage rooms, and small 

vending areas that directly serve other space use types (e.g., a small vending area serving 

a dining hall eating area should be classified as Food Facility Service-635). 

660 Merchandising 

• Definition: A space used to sell products or services. 

• Description: Includes product and service sales areas such as bookstores, student supply 

stores, barber or beauty shops, post offices, campus food stores, walk-away vending 

machine spaces, and central ticket outlets servicing multiple facilities or activities. 

• Limitations: Does not include dining rooms, restaurants, snack bars, and similar Food 

Facilities (630). A vending machine space that directly serves a dining, lounge, or other 

primary activity area is classified with the appropriate service code; a vending machine 

area within a general use lounge is included in the Lounge (650) space. Vending areas 

that include accommodations (seating, counters, or tables) for consuming the products 

are classified as Food Facility (630). Meeting and conference rooms in hotels or motels 

are classified as Meeting Rooms (680). Sleeping rooms in hotels or motels are classified 

in the appropriate category of Residential Facilities (Code 900 series). Cashiers’ desks 

that serve a specific recreational facility or area are classified as service space for that 

area (see Codes 670 and 675). Day care centers used for practice within an instructional 

program are classified as Demonstration (550). Day care centers that are not part of such 

a program are classified under Day Care (640). 

665 Merchandising Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a merchandising facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes storage rooms and closets, sorting rooms, private rest rooms, and 

other support spaces if they directly serve a Merchandising (660) facility. 

• Limitations: Storage rooms, sorting rooms, and private rest rooms that do not serve a 

merchandising area should be classified using the appropriate service code for the 

corresponding space use type. 

670 Recreation 

• Definition: A space used by students, staff, or the public for recreational purposes. 
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• Description: Includes exercise and general fitness rooms, billiards rooms, game and 

arcade rooms, table tennis rooms, chess rooms, card playing rooms, hobby rooms, TV 

rooms, reading (nonstudy) rooms, and music listening rooms that are used for recreation 

and amusement and not for instructional purposes. Recreation rooms and areas are used 

for relaxation, amusement-type activities, whereas athletic facilities are typically used 

for the more vigorous pursuits within physical education, intercollegiate athletics, and 

intramural programs that typically require specialized configuration. 

• Limitations: Does not include gymnasia, basketball courts, weight rooms, racquetball 

courts, handball courts, squash courts, wrestling rooms, indoor swimming pools, indoor 

ice rinks, indoor tracks, indoor stadium fields, indoor golf and other areas primarily used 

for physical education, and intramural or intercollegiate athletic activities (see Code 

520). Outdoor athletic and physical education fields, courts, and other nonenclosed areas 

are also excluded because they are not building space. This category also does not 

include bowling alleys, dance rooms, or any other activity areas that are primarily used 

for instruction. Reading or media use rooms that are designed and intended as study 

spaces are also excluded from this category (see Code 410). 

675 Recreation Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a recreation facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes storage rooms, closets, equipment issue rooms, cashiers’ desks, 

first aid, and other support areas that directly serve a Recreation (670) facility. 

• Limitations: Does not include kitchens, snack bars, or other Food Facilities (630) and 

Food Facility Service (635) areas. Locker rooms, shower rooms, ticket booths, dressing 

rooms, equipment rooms, and other areas directly serving Athletic or Physical Education 

(520) facilities are classified as Athletic or Physical Education Service (525) rooms. 

Central ticket outlets serving multiple facilities or services are classified as 

Merchandising (660). 

680 Meeting Room 

• Definition: A room that is used by the institution or the public for a variety of nonclass 

meetings. 

• Description: The key concept here is public availability. Conference Rooms (350) are 

often confused with meeting spaces because they are both primarily used for nonclass 

meetings. However, conference spaces are restricted service components of an office 

complex or used by office occupants of a specific area and are generally limited to staff 

meetings or other departmental nonclass activities. Although it may be assigned to a 

specific organizational unit, a meeting space is more available and open to study groups, 

boards, governing groups, community groups, various student groups, nonemployees of 

the institution, and various combinations of institutional and community members. 

Meeting spaces in institutional hotels or motels and other for-fee meeting spaces are 

included in this category. 
70

• Meeting spaces may be configured like classrooms (i.e., with participant focus to the 

front of the room), or may be equipped with a variety of furniture types (e.g., tables and 

chairs, lounge-type furniture, tablet armchairs, or a large table) in various combinations 

and arrangements. 

• Limitations: Spaces serving an office complex and used primarily for staff meetings are 

classified as Conference Room (350). Seminar and lecture rooms used primarily for 

scheduled classes are classified as Classroom (110). Spaces designed and equipped for 

the assembly of many persons for such events as dramatic, musical or devotional 

activities, etc., should be classified as Assembly (610). 

685 Meeting Room Service 

• Definition: A space that serves a meeting space as an extension of the activities in that 

space. 

• Description: Includes kitchenettes, multimedia storage and control rooms, furniture 

storage rooms, and other support spaces that directly serve a meeting space. 

• Limitations: Does not include kitchenettes, storage rooms, and other support areas that 

serve a Conference Room (350) or an Assembly (610) facility. 
71

700 Support Facilities 

General 

Support facilities, which provide centralized space for various auxiliary support systems and services of a 

campus, help keep all institutional programs and activities operational. While not as directly accessible to 

institutional and community members as General Use Facilities (Code 600 series), these areas provide a 

continuous, indirect support system to faculty, staff, students, and the public. Support facilities are 

centralized in that they typically serve an area ranging from an entire building or organizational unit to the 

entire campus. Included are centralized areas for computer-based data processing and 

telecommunications, shop services, general storage and supply, vehicle storage, central services (e.g., 

printing and duplicating, mail, shipping and receiving, environmental testing or monitoring, laundry, or 

food stores), and hazardous materials areas. 

710 Central Computer or Telecommunications 

• Definition: A space used as a data or telecommunications center with applications that 

are broad enough to serve the overall administrative or academic primary equipment 

needs of a central group of users, department, college, school, or entire institution. 

• Description: A Central Computer or Telecommunications room or a Secured 

Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) may be one of a group of spaces that 

constitute a center for delivering data processing or telecommunications services to 

various levels of user groups. Although the ongoing primary activity of this category is 

tied more closely to equipment than human activity, these areas require technical support 

staff, and physical access may be restricted to these personnel. These central equipment 

spaces appear most frequently at the campus-wide and large organizational unit levels 

and are generally subject to environmental and security controls and procedures limiting 

users to remote access. Includes central rooms housing a computer or computers (e.g., 

large mainframe, server farms, etc.), peripheral input (e.g., data entry terminals, tape or 

disk drives, data reading equipment, monitors, etc.), and output devices (e.g., printers, 

output tape or disk drives, etc.). This category also includes spaces in a central computer 

complex that are primarily or exclusively dedicated to data or program code entry or job 

submissions through one or more terminals. 

Computer-based telecommunications equipment rooms, ranging from micro-driven LAN 

(local area) to the larger PBX (private branch) network centers and hubs, including 

central spaces housing satellite signal reception or transmission equipment, should be 

assigned the 710 code. This equipment may be dedicated to data, audio or telephone, 

video, or any combination of these electronic transmissions. 

• Limitations: Does not include Office (310) space assigned to programmers, analysts, 

engineers, data entry personnel, and other technical staff, even though these spaces 

usually contain an access terminal. Also does not include instructional laboratories and 

study spaces equipped with personal computers or terminals (see Class Laboratory-210, 

Open Laboratory-220, Study Room-410), or Offices (310) with data processing 

equipment used as office tools. Personal computer or terminal work spaces and printer 

rooms that serve an office area should be coded Office Service (315). Small closet areas 
72

housing telecommunications equipment and wiring that are not used by technical or 

support staff on a regular basis (i.e., repair or modification only) should be classified as 

nonassignable mechanical space (see Utility/Mechanical Space-Y04). 

715 Central Computer or Telecommunications Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a central computer or telecommunications 

facility as an extension of the activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes paper and forms storage, off-line tape and disk storage, separate 

control or console rooms or booths, tool and parts rooms, bursting and decollating 

rooms, areas used to store only inactive support equipment (e.g., multiplexers, modems, 

spoolers, etc.), and separate areas used for delivering tapes or picking up printouts. Also 

includes the repair and assembly rooms that directly serve the central computer or 

telecommunications facility. 

• Limitations: Does not include Office (310) areas for personnel (technicians, engineers, 

analysts, programmers) assigned to the central computer facility, primary equipment 

(computer, I/O device) rooms (see Central Computer or Telecommunications-710), and 

office areas containing data processing or networking office service equipment or 

materials (see Office-310, Office Service-315). Also does not include spaces directly 

supporting study spaces (see Study Service-455) or laboratories (see Code 200 series) 

that contain special computer equipment used for study, instruction, or research. A 

nonoffice workroom containing a remote printer or data/job entry terminal that is part of 

an office area, and not the central computer facility, should be coded Office Service 

(315). A printer room serving a general purpose terminal room in a dormitory should be 

classified as Study Service (455). 

720 Shop 

• Definition: A space used for the manufacture, repair, or maintenance of products or 

equipment. 

• Description: Includes carpenter, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and painting shops, and 

similar physical plant maintenance facilities. This category also includes centralized 

shops for construction or repair of research or instructional equipment, and repair and 

maintenance of multimedia equipment and devices. Special purpose shops (e.g., glass 

blowing, machining) supporting multiple spaces for scientific instruction and research 

are included in this category. 

• Limitations: Does not include instructional shops (i.e., industrial arts or vocationaltechnical shops used for instruction), which should be classified as Laboratory Facilities 

(200 series). Facilities used for producing and distributing multimedia materials and 

signals are classified as Media Production (530). Architectural and engineering drafting 

rooms serving the facilities management operation are classified as Office (310). 

Blueprint storage rooms are classified as Office Service (315). Small, incidental 

equipment repair, assembly, or cleaning rooms that directly serve an adjacent or nearby 

primary activity room should be classified according to the appropriate corresponding 

service code. This category also does not include areas used for the repair and 
73

maintenance of institution-owned vehicles (see Vehicle Storage Service-745) or spaces 

directly serving media production or distribution areas (see Media Production Service535). Also excludes costume and scene shops serving theater areas (see Assembly 

Service-615). Greenhouses used for campus physical maintenance or improvements 

should be coded 580. 

725 Shop Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a shop facility as an extension of the activities in 

that facility. 

• Description: Includes tool storage rooms, materials storage rooms, and similar 

equipment or material supply or storage rooms. Locker, shower, first aid, and similar 

nonpublic areas that serve the shop facility should be included. 

• Limitations: Does not include service areas for Class Laboratories (210) or 

Research/Nonclass Laboratories (250). Also does not include vehicular repair facilities 

(i.e., garages) classified as Vehicle Storage Service (745). Blueprint storage rooms 

should be classified as Office Service (315). Spaces directly serving media production or 

distribution facilities are coded Media Production Service (535). Sit-down lunch or 

vending spaces that serve a shop facility are classified Food Facility (630). 

730 Central Storage 

• Definition: A space or building that is used to store equipment or materials and that 

serves multiple space use categories, organizational units, or buildings. 

• Description: The concept of central or general is key to applying this code correctly. 

The vast majority of storage spaces on a campus are service rooms that directly support 

a primary activity room or room group; for example, a paper storage room (see Office 

Service-315) can serve several Offices (310) in an area. Service storage rooms are 

somewhat closer to the areas they serve and are used more than occasionally. Central 

storage areas include areas commonly called warehouses, surplus storage, central 

campus supply or storage, and inactive storage. A storage space used to store bulk 

janitorial supplies would be included in this category. It also includes storage rooms in a 

building or building area that serve multiple space use categories and that are used for 

general or surplus (e.g., furniture, equipment) collection or storage. The 730 code can 

usually be used for all assignable storage areas that do not qualify as service spaces. 

• Limitations: Does not include a storage space directly serving a primary space use 

category or group of such spaces (i.e., a space that is clearly a service space). Also, this 

category does not include the nonassignable Custodial Supply Closet (X01) used to store 

small quantities of janitorial supplies, or any other category codes within the 

nonassignable Circulation Areas (WWW), Building Service Areas (XXX), or 

Mechanical Areas (YYY). Offices within warehouses or other central storage buildings 

are coded as Office (310). Centralized food stores and laundries are classified Central 

Service (750). Compact storage facilities for library materials are excluded from this 

category unless they are incorporated into a larger central storage facility serving 

multiple units and functions. 
74

735 Central Storage Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a central storage facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: Central storage service spaces are typically limited to support rooms 

associated with the transporting of materials in and out of large central storage facilities 

and warehouses. Storage spaces for hand trucks and other moving equipment, shelving 

storage, and other spaces supporting the central storage function are included. 

• Limitations: Only those spaces directly supporting the (usually) larger Central Storage 

(730) area should be classified with this code. 

740 Vehicle Storage 

• Definition: A space or structure that is used to house or store vehicles. 

• Description: Includes structures, buildings, and spaces generally called parking decks, 

garages, boathouses, and airplane hangars. The definition of “vehicle” is broadly 

interpreted here to include forklifts, moving equipment, lawn equipment, and other 

powered transport devices or equipment, as well as automobiles and trucks. 

• Limitations: This category does not include unroofed surface parking lots. It also does 

not include structures that house or store farm vehicles and implements (see Code 560). 

(See Parking Structure, section 3.2.10, for suggested classification of parking structures.) 

745 Vehicle Storage Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a vehicle storage facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes any areas or rooms directly serving a vehicle storage facility, such 

as storage rooms and areas used for maintenance and repair of automotive equipment, 

boats, airplanes, and other vehicles as defined in Vehicle Storage (740). 

• Limitations: Does not include shops as defined in Shop (720) (e.g., carpenter, plumbing, 

electrical, painting, etc.). Offices within a Vehicle Storage facility should be classified as 

Office (310). 

750 Central Service 

• Definition: A room or area that is used for the processing, preparation, testing, or 

delivery of a complex-central or campus-wide support service. 

• Description: The central service delivery may be provided by special equipment, human 

activity, the special availability of space, or any combination of these elements. Includes 
75

centralized food stores and laundries that typically serve the occupants or activities of 

more than one building. Also includes central facilities for printing and duplicating 

services, central mail facilities, central shipping and receiving areas, and central 

environmental testing or monitoring facilities, if they serve the occupants and activities 

of more than one building. Institutions may wish to differentiate individual central 

services through the use of additional codes in this series. Most of these centralized areas 

have a campus-wide service scope. 

• Limitations: Does not include those spaces providing the above listed functions if they 

support other primary activity spaces in the same building. For example, a food storage 

area in a cafeteria should be coded as Food Facility Service (635); a laundry room in a 

residence hall should be coded as Sleep/Study Service (935); a copy room or mail room 

in an office area is coded Office Service (315). Media production or distribution 

facilities are coded separately as Media Production (530); and computer-based data 

processing and telecommunications equipment centers are coded separately as Central 

Computer or Telecommunications (710). Facilities used for the manufacture, repair, or 

maintenance of products or equipment should be coded Shop (720). Central Storage 

(730) and Vehicle Storage (740) facilities also have separate codes. 

755 Central Service Support 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a central service facility as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: Central Service Support spaces are typically limited to extension storage 

rooms for supplies, parts, and moving or nonactive equipment, and adjacent, directly 

supporting repair and maintenance areas. 

• Limitations: Offices within a central service area or complex should be coded Office 

(310). Centralized physical plant repair and maintenance facilities that do not directly 

support a Central Service (750) facility should be coded Shop (720). 

760 Hazardous Materials Storage

• Definition: A centralized facility used for the storage of materials planned for future use 

or distribution that are considered hazardous by the physical, chemical, biological, or 

radioactive nature of the materials. 

• Description: Hazardous materials include those materials that are flammable, chemically 

aggressive (e.g., acids or bases), chemically unstable, biologically toxic, or radioactive. 

These materials are “new” in nature, in that they had been acquired for specific planned 

use and are not remnants or “leftovers” from other work activities. This category of 

space is separate from hazardous waste storage (770). 

• Limitations: Does not include centralized storage of hazardous waste materials (see 

Hazardous Waste Storage-770); small satellite storage areas located around the 

institution; satellite accumulation areas located near or adjacent to instructional, 

research, or process facilities; or a dedicated Unit Storage (see Codes 215, 225, 255, 

770, 775, 780). 
76

770 Hazardous Waste Storage 

• Definition: A centralized storage facility used for the treatment and/or disposal of 

hazardous or toxic waste materials as defined, classified, and controlled under 

government environmental regulations. 

• Description: This includes facilities specifically devoted to the storage, treatment, and/or 

disposal of toxic or hazardous waste. Hazardous or toxic waste materials are those 

materials remaining in excess from any particular process or procedure and so represent 

waste, the disposal of which is regulated by government environmental regulations. 

• Limitations: Does not include centralized storage of hazardous materials (see Hazardous 

Materials Storage-760); small area satellite storage areas located around the institution; 

satellite accumulation areas located near or adjacent to instructional, research, or process 

facilities; or dedicated Unit Storage (see Codes 215, 225, 255, 760, 775, 780). 

775 Hazardous Waste Service 

• Definition: Small storage areas distributed throughout the institution used for temporary 

storage of hazardous or toxic waste materials as defined, classified, and controlled under 

government environmental regulations. 

• Description: Hazardous waste materials services provides for distributed collection areas 

located in (close) proximity to hazardous waste generators for the temporary storage of 

hazardous waste materials until relocated to the central hazardous waste storage location, 

or until collected for final disposal. This includes satellite accumulation areas located 

near or adjacent to instructional, research, or process facilities. 

• Limitations: Does not include centralized storage of hazardous materials (see Hazardous 

Materials Storage-760); centralized storage of hazardous waste materials (see Hazardous 

Waste Storage-770); or dedicated Unit Storage (780) (see Codes 215, 225, 255, 760, 

770, 780). 

780 Unit Storage

• Definition: A dedicated storage area or location under the direct control and 

management of a specific institutional division, department, office, business unit, or 

similar organizational unit. 

• Description: A dedicated storage unit or location typically remote from the controlling 

unit’s work space and under its direct control and management for the purpose of storing 

materials and equipment related to and in support of the unit’s particular program and 

activities. This category of space is different from hazardous materials storage (760) or 

hazardous waste storage (770). 
77

• Limitations: Does not include centralized storage of hazardous materials (see Hazardous 

Materials Storage-760); centralized storage of hazardous waste materials (see Hazardous 

Waste Storage-770); small area satellite storage areas located around the institution; or 

satellite accumulation areas located near or adjacent to instructional, research, or process 

facilities (see Codes 215, 225, 255, 760, 770, 775). 
78

800 Health Care Facilities 

General 

This series provides space use classifications for patient care areas that are located in separately organized 

and budgeted health care facilities: student infirmaries and centers, teaching hospitals, stand-alone clinics 

run by these hospitals, and veterinary and medical schools. Space codes and definitions apply to both 

human and animal health care areas; excluded are clinic facilities located outside of separately organized 

and budgeted health care facilities (see Clinic-540). Although the codes in this series are confined to the 

settings listed, these facilities may also house areas that are classified using applicable codes from other 

classification series (e.g., classroom, laboratory, office, special use, general use, supporting facilities, 

etc.). 

810 Patient Bedroom 

• Definition: A room equipped with one or more beds and used for patient care. 

• Description: This category includes general nursing care, acute care, semiconvalescent 

and rehabilitative adult or pediatric bedrooms, intensive care units, progressive coronary 

care units, emergency bed care units, observation units, infant care nurseries, incubator 

units, wards, etc. Connected clothes closets may be aggregated with Patient Bedroom 

(810) space or classified separately as Patient Bedroom Service (815).

Stalls or cage rooms for animal patients are also included, although specific bedding 

areas may not be provided. Veterinary facility areas commonly called veterinary 

quarters, small or large animal ward, equine stall, bovine stall, etc., are included in this 

category.

• Limitations: Student residence quarters should be classified with the Residential 

Facilities (Code 900 series) codes. Staff on-call spaces for resting and sleeping are coded 

as Staff On-Call Facility (890). 

Does not include nonpatient animal shelters used for farm animals (see Field Building560) or nonveterinary school laboratory animals (see Animal Facilities-570). 

815 Patient Bedroom Service 

• Definition: A room that directly serves one or more patient bedrooms as an extension of 

the activities in those spaces. 

• Description: Included are linen closets, patient lounges, children’s play rooms, and any 

other service areas that are used primarily by patients rather than staff. Also includes 

small anterooms and closets connected to the patient bedrooms if these areas are not 

aggregated with the Patient Bedroom (810) space. 

Veterinary facility areas commonly called ward storage and groom spaces should be 

classified within this category. 
79

• Limitations: Excludes the small, connected clothes closets in patient bedrooms, which 

are included in the Patient Bedroom (810) space. Support areas that do not directly serve 

a patient bedroom or patient bedroom ward should be classified with the service code 

corresponding to the primary activity area being served. Also not included are the utility, 

storage, medication preparation, and other work rooms that serve a nurse station (see 

Nurse Station Service-835). 

Does not include feed storage or mixing rooms, cage washing areas, surgery, casting, or 

instrument rooms that serve a laboratory animal quarters facility (see Animal Facilities 

Service-575). Veterinary institution feed storage and food preparation rooms are 

classified as Nurse Station Service (835). 

820 Patient Bath 

• Definition: A room containing patient bath and toilet facilities. 

• Description: Included in this category are toilet and bath facilities adjoining or in 

proximity to patient bedrooms. These rooms may contain various configurations of 

toilet, tub, shower, or commode facilities; individual types of Patient Bath (820) may be 

distinguished through the application of extension codes. 

Animal cleaning rooms in veterinary schools are included in this classification unless the 

cleaning rooms are specifically used for surgery preparation (see Surgery Service-845). 

• Limitations: Public rest rooms and private rest rooms serving areas other than patient 

bedrooms (e.g., Office Service-315, Nurse Station Service-835) are excluded. Special 

tub rooms used by nursing staff for cleaning patients are classified Nurse Station Service 

(835). 

Animal groom rooms should be coded 815. 

830 Nurse Station 

• Definition: A room or area used by nurses or other patient care staff who are supervising 

or administering health care services. 

• Description. This is the primary workstation area used by nurses and other patient care 

staff; these personnel are typically assigned to a specific ward of the facility. Includes 

ward reception and admissions desks and records or charting work areas. 

• Limitations: Spaces that are used as Offices (310) should be so classified. 

835 Nurse Station Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves one or more nurse station spaces as an extension 

of the activities in those spaces. 
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• Description: Includes nurse lounges or break rooms, locker rooms, private staff rest 

rooms, utility rooms, storage (e.g., medications, supplies, etc.), formula and medication 

preparation areas, equipment sterilization, and other work rooms directly serving the 

nurse station. Also includes special tub rooms, nourishment rooms, and separate storage 

rooms for records and charts. 

Animal or poultry maintenance service rooms in veterinary institutions, including tack 

rooms, horseshoeing rooms, food preparation, and feed storage rooms, are also included 

in this category. 

• Limitations: Spaces used as Offices (310) should be so classified. Pharmacy and other 

central supply areas are classified as Central Supplies (870). Areas directly serving 

patient bedrooms are coded Patient Bedroom Service (815). Additional codes may be 

used to distinguish clean and soiled utility rooms, medication and nourishment rooms, 

etc., as needed. 

840 Surgery 

• Definition: A room used for surgery. 

• Description: Included in this category are major and minor surgery rooms, delivery 

rooms, and special procedures operating rooms (e.g., OB-GYN, ophthalmic operating 

rooms). These spaces are typically equipped with operating room tables, sterile lights, 

anesthesia machines, and various types of monitoring equipment. Institutions may wish 

to distinguish specific types of surgery or operating rooms through extension coding. 

Also includes rooms in veterinary facilities typically referred to as large animal surgery, 

small animal (includes poultry) surgery, bovine surgery, bull surgery, etc. 

• Limitations: Does not include the various surgery support spaces that are used as a direct 

extension of surgery activities (see Surgery Service-845). Also does not include spaces 

used for the minor invasive procedures (e.g., blood withdrawal, cardiac catheterization) 

of the diagnostic examination process (see Treatment/Examination Clinic-850). 

845 Surgery Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a surgery room as an extension of the activities 

in that facility. 

• Description: Included are recovery rooms, labor rooms, special support equipment 

rooms (e.g., anesthesia, heart, lung, x-ray, etc.), dictation booths, scrub-up rooms, gown 

rooms, locker rooms, instrument cleanup and storage rooms, sterile supply storage 

rooms, patient (surgery preparation) cleaning rooms, monitor rooms, gas and gurney 

storage areas, postoperative and operating room repair rooms, and clean and dirty utility 

areas, if these spaces directly serve the surgery facility. 

Animal holding rooms are also included here if they directly serve a veterinary surgery 

room. 
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• Limitations: Storage and other support spaces that do not directly serve a Surgery (840) 

facility should be classified with the appropriate service space category. Rooms used for 

the direct implementation of surgical procedures are classified Surgery (840). 

850 Treatment/Examination Clinic 

• Definition: A space used for examinations, diagnosis, consultation, or treatment. 

• Description: Included are rooms used for radiology, fluoroscopy, angiography, physical 

and occupational therapy, dialysis, body (e.g., CAT, MRI, ultrasound) scanning, cardiac 

catheterization, pulmonary function and vascular testing, EEG, ECG, EMC, EMR, linear 

acceleration, dental examination, treatment, speech, hearing, and other similar activities. 

Also includes combined doctor’s office and treatment/examination clinic rooms. 

In veterinary institutions, rooms commonly called isolation treatment, small or large 

animal treatment, small or large animal x-ray, etc., are included. 

• Limitations: Does not include rooms used for the more radically invasive treatment 

procedures of surgery (see Surgery-840). Treatment/Examination Clinic (850) diagnosis 

differs from Diagnostic Service Laboratory (860) testing and diagnosis in that the former 

requires the presence of the patient. 

855 Treatment/Examination Clinic Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a Treatment/Examination Clinic room as an 

extension of the activities in those spaces. 

• Description: Included are dressing rooms, x-ray and film reading or viewing rooms, film 

processing rooms, dark rooms, work preparation areas, equipment and supply storage 

areas, soundproof rooms, patient dressing rooms, and clean and dirty utility rooms if 

these areas directly serve the primary activity treatment/examination clinic facility. 

Also includes spaces in veterinary institutions commonly called animal holding pens, or 

other similar services if these areas serve a treatment/examination clinic area. 

• Limitations: Does not include service areas for diagnostic service laboratories (see 

Diagnostic Service Laboratory-860, Diagnostic Service Laboratory Support-865), which 

typically support the entire health care facility. Primary activity rooms that are used to 

deliver therapeutic and diagnostic treatment should be coded Treatment/Examination 

Clinic (850). Treatment, examination, or clinic waiting rooms are classified as Public 

Waiting (880) facilities. 

860 Diagnostic Service Laboratory 

• Definition: A space used to provide diagnostic support services to an entire health care 

facility. 
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• Description: Includes pathology, pharmacy, autopsy, isotope rooms or labs, etc., 

providing such services as hematology, chemistry tissue, bacteriology, serology, blood 

bank, and basal metabolism. 

Also includes areas commonly termed “animal necropsy rooms” in veterinary 

institutions. 

• Limitations: Laboratories used primarily for instructional purposes should be classified 

with the Laboratory Facilities (Code 200 series). Rooms used for diagnostic and 

therapeutic examination or treatment of patients should be classified as 

Treatment/Examination Clinic (850) facilities. 

865 Diagnostic Service Laboratory Support 

• Definition: A space that directly serves a diagnostic service laboratory as an extension of 

the activities in that facility. 

• Description: Included are cadaver storage rooms, morgues, autoclave and centrifuge 

rooms, warm and cold rooms, lockers, scrub-up and gown rooms, special processing 

rooms, and supply and storage areas that directly serve one or more diagnostic service 

laboratories. 

Also includes carcass refrigerators and other areas with the above service functions in 

veterinary institutions. 

• Limitations: Does not include storage areas, dressing rooms, work preparation rooms, 

and other areas that support a patient Treatment/Examination Clinic (850) room. 

870 Central Supplies 

• Definition: A room used centrally to store health care supplies in a health care facility. 

• Description: This classification, which serves a central storage or supply function 

similar to the Central Storage (730) classification, applies only to health care materials 

and supplies in a health care facility. Storage is relatively inactive in comparison to 

(usually smaller) standard service rooms. Included are pharmacy supply and storage 

rooms, dispensary areas, and central linen storage rooms. Additional codes may be used 

by institutions that wish to differentiate among the specific materials being stored. 

• Limitations: Does not include central storage areas for materials or equipment that are 

not directly health care related (e.g., furniture, office equipment); such areas should be 

classified as Central Storage (730). Linen closets that serve nurse stations and other 

limited scope service areas should be classified with the appropriate service code. Also 

excluded are multipurpose supply or storage facilities that serve more campus units than 

just the health care facility. 
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880 Public Waiting 

• Definition: A space used by the public to await admission, treatment, or information 

within a health care facility. 

• Description: Included are lobby areas that are specifically configured and furnished for 

public waiting; physical or phantom boundaries should be assigned, as needed, to define 

nonassignable areas of entrance lobbies that simply serve a circulation function. Also 

includes patient waiting rooms, visiting areas, viewing rooms, and ward day rooms. 

• Limitations: Open lounges (see Lounge-650) and other service room lounges (e.g., 

patient lounge—see Patient Bedroom Service-815) should be classified appropriately. 

Only areas specifically assigned to public waiting for admission, treatment, or 

information should be classified with this code. 

890 Staff On-Call Facility 

• Definition: A room or quarters used by health care staff to rest or sleep while on call to 

assigned duties within a health care facility. 

• Description: Includes areas or rooms used by doctors, nurses, emergency medical 

technicians, night care crews, etc., to rest or sleep while on call to specific duties within 

the facility. 

• Limitations: Staff on-call rooms or quarters differ from open and service area lounges 

(see Lounge-650) in that specific provisions are made for sleeping, and use is restricted 

to staff who typically work a long shift. Bedrooms for patients should be coded as 

Patient Bedroom (810); student residence quarters should be classified with the 

Residential Facilities (900 series) codes. 

895 Staff On-Call Facility Service 

• Definition: A space that directly serves as a staff on-call room as an extension of the 

activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes kitchens, baths, laundry rooms, lounges, closets, storage rooms, 

and other service areas that directly serve the on-call quarters. 

• Limitations: Does not include storage and other support spaces that serve Patient 

Bedrooms (815). Also excluded are Central Supply areas (870). 
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900 Residential Facilities 

General 

Residential facilities include housing for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the institution. Hotel or 

motel and other guest facilities are included in this series if they are owned or controlled by the institution 

and used for purposes associated with defined institutional missions (i.e., excluding commercial 

investment). 

Note: Not all space in residential facilities is coded using the 900 series. Conventional primary activity 

and service codes, as with libraries, apply to specific areas. Included are Offices (310), Lounges (650), 

Study Rooms (410), dining areas (see Food Facility-630), Recreation (670) rooms, and their 

corresponding service codes. Service rooms that typically appear in residential facilities are specified in 

the Sleep/Study Service (935) or Apartment Service (955) descriptions. 

910 Sleep/Study Without Toilet or Bath 

• Definition: A residential room for one or more individuals typically furnished with 

bed(s), wardrobe(s), closet(s), desk(s), and chair(s), without an internally connected 

bath or toilet. 

• Description: Includes single or multiple sleep/study rooms. A sleep/study facility may 

be a room for combined sleep/study, a room exclusively for sleeping, or a room for 

living and study. Connected closets are considered part of the room. 

• Limitations: Study rooms for general use, available and open to the dormitory residents 

at large, and not part of bedroom or sleeping room suites, should be classified as Study 

Space (410). Residential quarters equipped with internal cooking facilities are coded 

Apartment (950). Separate food preparation rooms serving sleep/study areas, including 

small kitchens used by the occupants, are coded Sleep/Study Service (935) unless there 

is an accompanying eating area (see Food Facility-630) that the food preparation area 

directly serves. The appropriate service code of Food Facility Service (635) would then 

be applied. 

919 Toilet or Bath 

• Definition: A toilet or bathroom intended only for the occupants of the residential 

facilities, rather than for the public. 

• Description: Includes common or shared bathroom facilities that may consist of full or 

half bath, shower, or toilet and shower combinations, used by the residents and 

accessible from a corridor or other general circulation area. 

• Limitations: Does not include public rest rooms. Bathrooms internal to a Sleep/Study 

With Toilet or Bath (920), Apartment (950), or House (970) are included in those 

respective categories. Private rest room areas that serve offices are Office Service (315). 
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920 Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath 

• Definition: A residential room for one or more individuals typically furnished with 

bed(s), wardrobe(s), closet(s), desk(s), and chair(s), with an internally connected bath or 

toilet. 

• Description: Includes single or multiple sleep/study rooms with bath facilities internal to 

the suite and not separately classified Toilet or Bath (919). A sleep/study facility with 

toilet or bath may be a room for combined sleep/study, a room exclusively for sleeping, 

or a room for living and study, and includes connected closets. A sleep/study with toilet 

or bath facility, by definition, has a private toilet or bath that is accessible without 

having to go out to a hallway or other general circulation area. Suites may have a study 

and living room that is private to the residents of the suite area. These areas are included 

as part of the Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath (920) space. 

• Limitations: Study spaces for general use, available and open to the dormitory residents 

at large, and not part of bedroom or sleeping room suites, should be classified as Study 

Rooms (410). Residential quarters equipped with cooking facilities are coded as 

Apartment (950). Sleep/Study Rooms Without Toilet or Bath (910) and their 

corresponding external Toilet or Bath (919) rooms are coded separately. 

935 Sleep/Study Service 

• Definition: A room that directly serves the occupants of sleep/study rooms. 

• Description: This is the service code for the Sleep/Study Rooms Without Toilet or Bath 

(910) and Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath (920) residential facility categories. Includes 

mail rooms, laundry and pressing rooms, linen closets, housekeeping rooms, serving 

rooms, trunk storage rooms, and telephone rooms that serve the occupants of sleep/study 

facilities. Kitchen or food preparation spaces that serve sleeping areas and do not serve 

an accompanying eating or dining area (see Food Facility-630) are also classified as 

Sleep/Study Service (935). 

• Limitations: Does not include Offices (310), Lounges (650), Study Rooms (410), eating 

or dining areas (see Food Facility-630), toilet/bath areas for occupants of Sleep/Study 

rooms (see Toilet or Bath-919), Recreation (670) areas, or Meeting Rooms (680) in any 

residential facility, including institutionally controlled hotels or motels. 

950 Apartment 

• Definition: A complete living unit, with private cooking facilities, that is not a separate 

structure. 

• Description: This is the basic module or group of rooms designed as a complete 

housekeeping unit (i.e., it contains bedroom(s), living room(s), kitchen, and rest room 

facilities). It is not intended that individual rooms be specifically identified within the 

apartment, but only that the total interior space be included. Includes apartments 

provided for faculty, staff, students, or visiting guests. Apartments need not be located in 
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a residential building. Duplex units or townhouses should be classified as Apartments 

(950) because they are not separate, freestanding structures. 

• Limitations: Does not include single, freestanding structures (see House-970) or any 

residential units that do not contain private cooking facilities such as Sleep/Study Rooms 

Without Toilet or Bath (910) and Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath (920). 

955 Apartment Service 

• Definition: A room or area that directly serves an apartment or group of apartments as an 

extension of the activities in that facility. 

• Description: Includes laundry rooms, mail rooms, linen closets, maintenance, 

housekeeping or security rooms, trunk storage rooms, telephone rooms, and weight or 

exercise rooms that serve apartment facilities. Apartment service facilities may be 

located in a separate building that serves an apartment complex. Service rooms (laundry, 

storage, etc.) that are internal to an apartment unit are included in the Apartment (950) 

space. 

• Limitations: Does not include service rooms (laundry, mail, trunk, etc.) that directly 

serve residential facilities that have no internal cooking facilities such as Sleep/Study 

Rooms Without Toilet or Bath (910) or Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath (920). This 

category also excludes service rooms within a separate, freestanding residential unit (see 

House-970). 

970 House 

• Definition: A complete living unit, with private cooking facilities, that is a separate 

structure. Should include fraternity and sorority houses only if owned or controlled by 

the institution. 

• Description: This is the basic module or group of rooms designed as a complete 

housekeeping unit (i.e., it contains bedroom(s), living room(s), kitchen, and toilet 

facilities). It is not intended that individual rooms be specifically identified within the 

structure, but only that the total interior area be accounted for. Includes houses provided 

for faculty, staff, or students. Should include fraternity and sorority houses only if owned 

by the institution. 

• Limitations: Houses and other residential properties that are owned or controlled by an 

institution as commercial investments, and that do not serve the institution’s primary 

missions, are often excluded from the formally coded facilities inventory. Does not 

include complete living units that are part of a larger structure (see Apartment-950). 

Houses used as office areas should be classified with the Office Facilities (300 series) 

codes. 
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000 Unclassified 

General 

Unclassified facilities include those assignable areas that are inactive or unassigned; in the process of 

being altered, renovated, or converted; or in an unfinished state. 

050 Inactive Area 

• Definition: Rooms available for assignment to an organizational unit or activity but 

unassigned at the time of the inventory. 

• Limitations: Rooms being modified or not completed at the time of the inventory are 

classified as Alteration or Conversion Area (060) or Unfinished Area (070). 

060 Alteration or Conversion Area 

• Definition: Spaces temporarily out of use because they are being altered, remodeled, or 

rehabilitated at the time of the inventory. 

• Limitations: Spaces inactive or not completed at the time of the inventory are classified 

as Inactive Area (050) and Unfinished Area (070), respectively. 

070 Unfinished Area 

• Definition: All potentially assignable areas in new buildings, shell space, or additions to 

existing buildings not completely finished at the time of the inventory. 

• Limitations: Intended only for the unfinished part or shell area of a building or addition; 

the parts that are in use should be appropriately classified. 
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NONASSIGNABLE AREA 

General 

The following nonassignable categories are included to complete the list of space use categories. When 

the total area of the assignable space use categories is added to the total area of the nonassignable space 

use categories, they provide the net usable area of a building as per the formula in section 3.1, Overview 

of Building Measurement Terms. 

Net Usable Area = Assignable Area + Nonassignable Area

It is recommended that institutions include these areas in their space inventories for the several important 

purposes outlined earlier in section 4.1, under Space Use Category Structure. Definitions of the three 

categories of nonassignable space are provided in chapter 3. As with all other space use classifications, 

institutions also may wish to track nonassignable areas with special physical characteristics, functions, or 

equipment (e.g., elevators for freight, passengers, and dumb waiters; public rest rooms for female, male, 

or unisex use, as well as handicapped accessibility, etc.) through the development and application of 

additional subcategory codes. 

Physical assets (e.g., site improvements, major site utility distribution, etc.) that do not fall within the 

limits of a building are considered infrastructure. Suggested categories for infrastructure assets are 

provided in chapter 6 and appendix D. 

 
89

WWW Circulation Area 

General 

Nonassignable spaces required for physical access to floors or subdivisions of space within the building, 

whether directly bounded by partitions or not. 

W01 Bridge/Tunnel 

• Definition: A covered and walled connecting passageway for people to pass over or 

under the ground to gain access to another facility. 

• Limitations: Ground-level covered passageways, walled or not, are coded as Public 

Corridors (W06). Any portion of the floor area of covered and walled bridges or tunnels 

used exclusively for housing utility services such as gas, steam, or water lines, should 

not be included in a space inventory as they are considered infrastructure and should be 

dealt with accordingly. 

 

W02 Elevator 

• Definition: The structural shaft built to accommodate one or more elevator cabs. The 

entire cross-sectional shaft area is to be inventoried at each floor level through which it 

passes. 

• Limitations: Individual elevator cabs are considered as fixed equipment within the shaft 

space; thus, their area is not added to the space inventory. 

 

W03 Escalator 

• Definition: A moving passageway that carries passengers from one floor level to 

another, or along a level path over some distance. For a ramped escalator, the floor area 

taken by the entire length of each escalator at the lowest level is recorded at that floor 

level. The area of each floor penetrated by that escalator is inventoried on each of those 

floors. 

• Limitations: The escalator equipment itself is considered as fixed equipment and may be 

inventoried as a fixed asset. The overall dimensions of that equipment may be smaller 

than the floor area penetration inventoried for a space inventory. 

W04 Loading Dock 

• Definition: A covered area of a platform used to load or off-load goods or materials that 

are to be transported elsewhere within a reasonable amount of time such that the 

platform is not considered as a storage location. Only the length and width of the 

platform’s covered area is to be included in the inventory. If the platform is internal to 

the building line, that area of the platform covered by the floor immediately above is to 

be included in the inventory. 
90

• Limitations: Any part of the platform area not covered is excluded from the building’s 

gross, assignable, and nonassignable areas. Any area of a loading dock that is used for 

central storage of nonhazardous materials should be regarded as assignable area and 

coded as Central Storage (730). 

W05 Lobby 

• Definition: A circulation area used to transition from the floor’s external entrance to 

internal circulation space, to pass from one corridor to another, or to move to a different 

level such as a lobby area outside an elevator bank. Although a Lobby may have some 

limited seating furniture, it is designed more for passing through (or having standing 

conversations) than for sitting and relaxing. 

• Limitations: A Lobby differs from an assignable Lounge (650) in furniture placement, 

use, and intent.

W06 Public Corridor 

• Definition: A covered passageway or ramped area available to the general public, 

whether walled or not, to transport people or things from one location to another. The 

use of phantom walls is recommended to identify portions of passageways on the same 

floor level that may represent differing purposes, e.g., a main corridor versus a side 

corridor, or differing maintenance needs, e.g., terrazzo flooring versus carpeted flooring. 

• Limitations: Restricted access private circulation aisles or ramped areas used only for 

circulation within an organizational unit’s suite of rooms, auditoria, or other working 

areas should not be included. In these cases, they may fall within the service 

subcategories of those space use categories, or earn a separate service subcategory of 

“Private Circulation,” for example (see Description under 315 Office Service, p. 53). 

W07 Stairway 

• Definition: The covered internal or external space dedicated to provide nonmechanically 

assisted passage from one floor level to another. In an enclosed stairway, the crosssectional area of the stairwell is inventoried at each floor through which it passes. In an 

unenclosed stairway, only that area beneath the stairway structure that is not accessible 

or has less than a 3-foot ceiling height is included. 

• Limitations: In stairways that pass through floor openings larger than themselves, the 

open area around the stairway’s floor penetration is not counted as either gross area or 

usable area. In an unenclosed stairway, that area beneath the stairway structure that is 

accessible and has a 3-foot ceiling height or greater should be included as both gross 

area and usable area in the inventory. 
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XXX Building Service Area 

General 

Nonassignable spaces used to support a building’s cleaning and public hygiene functions. 

X01 Custodial Supply Closet 

• Definition: A small area or closet that houses limited quantities of custodial supplies for 

daily use by custodial staff. 

• Limitations: Similar areas in health care facilities should be coded as Treatment/ 

Examination Clinic Service (855). 

X02 Janitor Room 

• Definition: A space dedicated for use by janitorial staff. It may include a clothes 

changing area, clothes lockers, shower facility, a small eating and relaxing space, a desk 

for completing paperwork, a sink room for wet mop activities, or a temporary trash 

collection area for nonhazardous waste materials. 

• Limitations: Similar areas in health care facilities should be coded as Treatment/ 

Examination Clinic Service (855). 

X03 Public Rest Room 

• Definition: Includes all toilet facilities, whether locked or not, that are made available 

for general public use. Accompanying rest areas that are contiguous to a public rest 

room are also included as part of the toilet facility’s area. For planning purposes, some 

may wish to provide subcategories of this space use that identifies gender- or nongender-specific rest rooms, handicapped accessibility, etc. 

• Limitations: Similar areas that by nature of their location or their door locks are reserved 

for certain staff within the building should be coded as Office Service (315). The use of 

the subcategory Private Rest Room within the Office Service code is an option to further 

delineate these types of spaces. 

X04 Trash Room 

• Definition: A space for the temporary storage of nonhazardous waste awaiting disposal 

or removal. 

• Limitations: Rooms or spaces that house hazardous waste should be coded as either 

Hazardous Waste Storage (770) or Hazardous Waste Services (775). 
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YYY Mechanical Area 

General 

Nonassignable spaces of a building designed to house mechanical equipment and utility services, and 

shaft areas. 

Y01 Central Utility Plant 

• Definition: A facility that primarily houses central utility production and/or distribution 

to more than one facility on campus. These include such facilities as steam plants, cogeneration facilities, and electrical distribution facilities. 

• Limitations: Conventional space use types such as Offices (310), Office Service (315), 

Conference Rooms (350), and the like are designated as such, even though they are 

located in a central utility plant. 

Y02 Fuel Room 

• Definition: A room or area within a building in which fuel for the heating/cooling of the 

building is stored. 

• Limitations: Underground tanks adjacent to the building that do not fulfill the definition 

of a building should be treated as infrastructure. 

Y03 Shaft 

• Definition: Included are accessible or nonaccessible shaft spaces available to house 

utility pipes and cables, or to distribute air within or to the exterior of a building. The 

cross-sectional area of every shaft is to be inventoried at each floor level through which 

it passes. 

• Limitations: Shafts that house elevator cabs are to be coded as Elevator (W02). 

Y04 Utility/Mechanical Space 

• Definition: Included are covered and walled areas that house one or more utility and/or 

mechanical functions for the building. These areas range from large rooms co-located on 

a “mechanical” floor or basement area to small closet spaces distributed throughout the 

building. Such areas, while generally located within the exterior walls of a building or 

as an accessible roof structure, may be separately housed adjacent to the structure that 

they serve. They include such areas sometimes referred to as electrical, meter, network, 

or telecommunication spaces. Some may prefer to identify these specific spaces 

separately and may do so by adding them as subcategories of this space use. 

• Limitations: Air inflow or outflow shafts within or immediately adjacent to the building, 

with a minimum ceiling height of 3 feet, fall under the nonassignable space use Shaft 

(Y03) and must be included in both gross area and nonassignable area calculations. 
93

ZZZ Structural Area 

General 

The remaining area within the gross square footage of a building is structural or “construction” area, 

which cannot be occupied or put to use. (See section 3.2, Definitions of Building Areas.) Institutions may 

wish to include this area using the ZZZ code to have a complete inventory for all the building areas that 

add to the Gross Area total for a floor and for a building. 

• Definition: The sum of all areas on all floors of a building that cannot be occupied or put 

to use because of structural building features. This area is the algebraic difference 

between Gross Area and Net Usable Area. Examples of building features normally 

classified as structural areas include exterior walls, fire walls, permanent partitions, 

unusable areas in attics or basements, or comparable portions of a building with ceiling 

height restrictions, as well as unexcavated basement areas 

• Limitations: This area is not measurable but can be calculated by the formula: 

Structural Area = Gross Area − Net Usable Area 
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4.4 Space Use Codes Questions and Answers 

Many questions arise in applying the definitions and coding structures contained in this 

manual to the particular circumstances and needs of individual institutions. The following are examples of 

common questions and dilemmas, with answers based on common practices in applying this manual. 

1. Question: In the many years between publication of the Facilities Inventory and 

Classification Manual, 1973 and 1992 revision, and now this revision, space 

use codes have been changed and others added. Should we incorporate these 

changes and additions? 

Answer: It is recommended that campuses incorporate these changes and additions to 

retain the ability to easily respond to federal and state surveys that will likely 

incorporate these changes into their next surveys, or to easily participate in 

benchmarking data activities, both within and external to a specific campus. As 

noted throughout this revised manual, campuses may choose to develop and use 

their own special space use subcodes as long as these codes can be aggregated 

upward to the 10 major space use categories of assignable space and the 3 major 

space use categories of nonassignable space defined in this chapter. 

2. Question: How does the coding structure account for such spaces as offices in auxiliary 

enterprise or hospital facilities? How are office assignments among 

academic departments differentiated? 

Answer: All offices are coded Office (310). While some institutions have expanded this 

code to include faculty office, administrative office, clerical office, etc., this 

practice is discouraged as it mixes two distinct data types—space use and 

occupant rank. Greater flexibility for planning and utilization studies is achieved 

by storing the space occupant’s rank in a separate field of data associated with 

the space’s space use. The ability to report on all office space is easier; and the 

ability to study space utilization only of faculty offices, for example, is also 

easily done by reporting on only spaces coded Office (310) and housing an 

occupant of the rank Faculty. Similarly, the space use categories have been kept 

free from activity connotations. The use of the functional category structure 

allows offices used by auxiliary enterprises to be differentiated from offices 

assigned to instruction. An office with the functional category of general 

academic instruction could be further classified by academic discipline. 

3. Question: Classrooms may be scheduled by a central campus office such as the 

Registrar or may be assigned to a specific department, which then schedules 

the classes. How does the coding scheme allow me to differentiate among 

these rooms to compare the utilization of classrooms scheduled by the 

Registrar with the utilization of classrooms scheduled by specific 

departments? 

Answer: Under this manual’s classification system, all classrooms are coded 110. By 

using the organizational assignment of each classroom, a required field of space 

data that is different from the space use category, institutions can easily 
95

differentiate among classrooms assigned by a Registrar and those assigned by a 

specific college or department. The organizational assignment for a room 

scheduled by a central campus office might be Registrar. The assignment for a 

room scheduled by a specific department or college would be that department or 

college. 

4. Question: How should laboratories used for “departmental research” be coded? 

Answer: If the primary use of the space is as a research/nonclass laboratory, the space use 

code is Research/Nonclass Laboratory (250). 

 (According to the conventions and definitions in NACUBO’s Management 

Reporting and Accounting for College, departmental research and public service 

that are not separately budgeted should be included as instruction. The functional 

category in this case should be instruction. Research/Nonclass Laboratories (250) 

can have a functional category of either 1.0 (instruction) or 2.0 (research), 

depending upon whether the laboratory is used for departmental (1.0) or 

separately budgeted (2.0) research.) 

5. Question: How are “departmental libraries” coded?

Answer: The use of the term departmental libraries is highly discouraged. It creates 

significant conflict with official (formal) central and branch libraries. Most of 

the spaces will have the use code Study Room (410). 

 These libraries, if they contain catalogued materials, can be optionally classified 

as a library function within the functional category of academic support. (See 

appendix B for definitions of functional categories.) 

6. Question: How are fraternity and sorority houses classified? 

Answer: Fraternity and sorority houses and rooms that are part of university facilities and 

not separately organized and controlled are classified as House (970), with the 

appropriate organizational unit assignment, and can optionally have an auxiliary 

enterprise functional classification. However, if the fraternities or sororities are 

not owned or controlled by the university, they should not be included in the 

inventory. 

7. Question: How are heating plants coded? 

Answer: Most of the space in a heating plant is nonassignable and should be classified as 

Central Utility Plant (Y01) under Mechanical Area (YYY). Conventional 

assignable space use types, such as Office (310), Office Service (315), 

Conference Room (350), and the like, are designated as such even though they 

are located in a central utility plant. All such spaces that are part of heating plant 

operations should be within the functional category of operation and maintenance 

of plant. 
96

8. Question: How should receiving areas be classified? 

Answer: Receiving areas, such as Loading Docks (W04), should be treated as circulation 

space. A receiving area that is also used for central storage should be regarded as 

assignable area and coded as Central Storage (730). A central or campus-wide 

shipping and receiving area would be coded Central Service (750). 

9. Question: How is spectator seating in an uncovered stadium coded? How is the space 

underneath the seats classified? 

Answer: An uncovered stadium is, by definition, not a building. Therefore, its permanent 

seating is not assignable area. However, if any space under the seats meets the 

definition of a building, the spaces could be coded as Athletic or Physical 

Education Service (525) or Office (310), for example, depending upon their use. 

10. Question: How should chapels be coded? 

Answer: A chapel meets the definition of a devotional facility and should be coded as 

Assembly (610) along with other devotional facilities. If the chapel is not under 

university control, it should not be inventoried. 

 A chapel can be optionally classified as social and cultural development function 

within the functional category of student services if under university control. A 

chapel in a hospital would be optionally classified under the NACUBO function 

of hospital. See appendix B for definitions of functional categories. 

11. Question: How should day care centers be coded? 

Answer: Day care centers may be coded as Demonstration (550) or Day Care (640). Day 

care rooms used to practice, within an instructional program, the principles of 

child care or development, or teaching are classified as Demonstration (550). 

Day Care (640) serves as a central service center for faculty, staff, and students. 

 (Demonstration day care centers have a functional classification of instruction, 

while those facilities coded 640 could have a functional classification of either 

institutional support or auxiliary enterprise depending upon how the activity is 

organized.) 

12. Question: A room is used for many different space uses. How do I classify it? A room 

was designed as a laboratory and is now used as an office. Is it classified as a 

laboratory or an office? 

Answer: Unless space is being prorated within a database that allows for multispace use 

assignments, or phantom walls are used to delineate the different space uses, the 

room should be classified according to its primary or predominant space use 

(based upon either amount of time or amount of space) when the inventory is 

made. To get a complete picture, campuses may wish to capture both the original 

designed use in a data field separate from the actual space use. Room intent, 

design, type, name, or contained equipment does not, therefore, affect the space 

use coding classification unless it is compatible with actual use. 
97

13. Question: How do I classify clinical space based on functional activity when humans, 

clients, patients, or subjects are involved? Research, instruction, and patient 

care may all be occurring simultaneously. 

 Answer: The classification is generally driven by who pays. If a sponsored project is 

underway, the classification will be Research/Nonclass Laboratory (250). If the 

function is organized health care in medicine, dentistry, optometry, or the like for 

instructional activity, the classification is Class Laboratory (210) (scheduled 

laboratory). If the clinic is located within a hospital, it is classified as 

Treatment/Examination Clinic (850). 

14. Question: We have a glass blowing shop on campus that serves many of our scientific 

departments. How should this space be classified? 

Answer: Special purpose shops (e.g., glass blowing, machining) supporting multiple 

rooms for scientific instruction and research should be coded as Shop (720). 

15. Question: How are interior office hallways coded? Are they assignable or 

nonassignable space? 

Answer: If they are private circulation areas (restricted, nonpublic access), they are 

generally classified as assignable Office Service (315), laboratory service (215, 

225, 255), Animal Facilities Service (575), etc. 

16. Question: What is the difference between a lobby and a lounge? 

Answer: An assignable Lounge (650) differs from a nonassignable Lobby (W05) in 

placement, use, and intent. A lobby is generally located at a major entrance with 

openings to hallways on more than one side; and although it may have seating 

furniture, it is designed more for walking through (or having standing 

conversations) than for sitting and relaxing. 

17. Questions: We have a large room used for the registration process and have had trouble 

trying to decide how to classify it. 

Answer: The investigator needs to determine the primary use of the space. If the space is 

only used for registration, it should be coded Meeting Room (680) since it is 

used by the institution for nonclass meetings. 

18. Question: We have water wells that are equipped with motorized pumps and are 

covered with a shed for protection against the elements. Should these 

structures be included in the facilities inventory? 

Answer: Separate, minor structures, such as wells, should not be included in the facilities 

inventory unless they meet all four criteria for buildings. Although the wells are 

roofed and serviced by a utility exclusive of lighting, we cannot tell if the wells 

are attached to a permanent foundation and if they are a source of significant 

maintenance and repair activities. Assuming that these two latter criteria have not 

been met, the wells should not be included in the facilities inventory. As such, we 

would recommend that the wells be reported in the institution’s plant asset or 

equipment inventory system. 
98

19. Question: How should I report an area which is covered, but not enclosed on all four 

sides, and is used for central campus storage? Is this space assignable? 

Answer: Yes, this covered, unenclosed area would be considered assignable space and 

would be classified as Central Storage (730). 

20. Question: There is a permanent eating area, equipped with tables and chairs, which is 

located in a covered, unenclosed area of our Student Union Building. Is this 

space assignable even though the facility only has one wall? Should I count 

this space as part of the gross area? 

Answer: Yes. By creating a “phantom wall” around the drip line of the area’s cover, you 

would classify this assignable area as Food Facility (630). This area should also 

be reported as part of the building’s gross area. 

21. Question: At our campus, we have underground pedestrian tunnels and above-ground 

pedestrian bridges that connect one building to another. How should I 

account for these areas? Are they assignable? If so, which space use code 

would I use? How do I report the amount of space as part of the gross area? 

Does the length of the tunnel or bridge get reported to one building, or 

should I split the area equally between the two connected buildings? 

Answer: Underground pedestrian tunnels and above-ground pedestrian bridges that 

connect two separate buildings are considered nonassignable circulation area and 

classified as Bridge/Tunnel (W01). Generally, institutions should include onehalf of the tunnel’s or bridge’s gross area and its nonassignable area to each of 

the two buildings. Alternatively, enclosed connectors that are clearly identified 

with one building by virtue of style, date of construction, etc., may be included in 

the gross area and nonassignable area of that structure. 

22. Question: We have several houses that were converted into administrative offices. The 

uppermost usable floor has a vaulted ceiling. The floor to ceiling distance is 

4’0” around the perimeter of the exterior rooms. Should the area be 

calculated from the edge of the kneewall? The ceiling height in the attic is 

5’0” and contains HVAC equipment. Should this space be considered a 

Building Service Area? 

Answer: The area on the uppermost usable floor with a vaulted ceiling should be included 

in that floor’s gross area. Since assignable area includes any interior space 

having 3 feet or more of ceiling height, in your case, the assignable area would 

be measured from the smallest floor to ceiling distance—the 4’0” kneewall of the 

space. Attic space used for administrative offices should be categorized as 

Office (310). Attic space containing HVAC equipment should be designated as 

nonassignable Utility/Mechanical Space (Y04).

23. Question: I have a closet located under a stair that goes all the way to the underside of 

the stairs. Should I include it in my space inventory? 

Answer: Yes, but only to the point at which there is a minimum 3-foot ceiling height. 
99

24. Question: Should the threshold of a doorway be accounted for as usable space? If so, 

should it be allocated to the corridor or the room. 

Answer: It is not necessary but may be acceptable in older buildings with very thick walls 

to divide the threshold area in half with equal allocation to the dividing rooms. 

Otherwise the cost to calculate the area of every threshold on a campus can far 

exceed the benefit derived. 

25. Question: Many of our buildings have covered, unenclosed porches that are used for 

building entry. Should this be considered part of the gross square footage? 

Answer: Yes, as both gross area and nonassignable area categorized as Public Corridor 

(W06). Covered porches, whether enclosed or not, with seating that can be used 

for rest and relaxation would be classified as Lounge (650). If the porch had 

access from more than one stairway, the covered area between the stairways 

would qualify as nonassignable Public Corridor (W06). 

26. Question: One of our research buildings has an interstitial space beneath the entire 

facility. This space houses most of the building systems. The floor to ceiling 

height is only 4’8”; should this be included in building service area? 

Answer: The space has more that 3 feet of ceiling height and should be included in the 

gross area of the building. It should also be inventoried as nonassignable 

Utility/Mechanical Space (Y04) as it houses equipment necessary for the general 

function of the building. 

27. Question: We lease the roof space out to a cellular phone company. It has a cell tower 

with GPS receivers and transmitters. Should this space be considered 

assignable? 

Answer: The cell tower and its equipment have no area associated with them since they 

are pieces of (uncovered) equipment. Space leased out to others is not included 

in the inventory. 

28. Question: We recently remodeled our dining center to provide a “marketplace” food 

service area that includes food preparation in front of the customers. How 

should we classify this food preparation space? 

Answer: There are two possible options that your institution could use: 

 If you create a phantom wall around each food preparation area, you could 

classify the food preparation area as Food Facility Service (635) and the 

remainder of the space as Food Facility (630). 

 If your institution does not use phantom walls to aid in the classification of space, 

code the square footage within the walls of the “marketplace” as Food Facility 

(630) space, both seating and food service counters. The back room functions, 

including the kitchen and freezers, would be coded Food Facility Service (635). 
100

29. Question: We have a Campus Conference Center. How do I classify these spaces? 

Answer: There is no unique conference center space classification. Rather the center’s 

spaces should be classified according to their use. For example, the bedrooms 

would be classified as Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath (920) if they had a 

bathroom within the room. The kitchen would be Food Facility Service (635); 

the dining area, Food Facility (630); building offices, Office (310); public 

lounges, Lounge (650); etc. If the Center is open to public use and not solely 

dedicated to academic programs, then the various “conference rooms” would be 

classified as Meeting Room (680) not Classroom (110). 

30. Question: We have a computer simulator room on Campus, and I don’t understand 

why it is classified as a Class Laboratory (210). 

Answer: The simulator room is classified as such because the simulator room has a 

specialized use that focuses on or supports a limited number of educational 

disciplines. Because of this specialization, it meets the “...the special purpose 

equipment or a specific room configuration...” portion of the Class Laboratory 

definition. 

31. Question: How should I classify an assembly room that we recently upgraded with the 

latest electronic capability and now is being used as an electronic classroom 

when not scheduled for dramatic, musical, and other assembly-intended 

activities? 

Answer: The predominant use should be the determinant in situations where, over time, 

the use of a room has changed regardless of any upgrades that may have 

occurred. For example, an Assembly (610) facility that has been converted to an 

electronic classroom for either generation or reception of digitally enhanced or 

delivered instruction should be coded as a Classroom (110) if its major use is 

scheduled instruction rather than presentations of fine arts or cultural events. 
101

Chapter 5. Data Analysis and Reporting

5.1 Comparison and Complexity 

Market conditions and complexity are realities for postsecondary institutions that are under 

pressures to focus on improvement, to find their market niche, and to be competitive. Competition for 

potential students may require institutions to make greater investments in faculty, in student financial aid, 

and in physical plant improvements. Consequently, they must monitor and measure their current internal 

conditions so that they can make needed operational changes and allocate resources to programmatic 

priorities, as well as have a clear understanding of their relative market and qualitative position compared 

with competitors. 

Demands for greater accountability and for more consumer information mean that more 

external reporting is also a reality for postsecondary institutions. States make decisions on the fair and 

equitable allocation of resources for operations and for capital improvements among public colleges and 

universities. Having comparable information on facilities, finance, faculty, and students for institutions 

within a state as well as for peer institutions is extraordinarily important to states’ policy and decisionmaking processes. 

Many states collect facilities inventories for public institutions. These data may be used for a 

multiplicity of purposes, including determining the allocation of maintenance and operations funds among 

colleges and completing space utilization studies that may be used to determine the need for, and relative 

priority of, new facilities. In addition, a number of states conduct facilities audits to support capital budget 

requests for renovation and renewal of facilities. Thus, postsecondary institutions are involved in 

collecting and analyzing information for themselves and for others as well. This information helps 

colleges and universities communicate more effectively, build credibility, and develop the case for 

additional financial support from donors and government agencies. 

In summary, facilities data collections are used internally for management purposes, to 

establish strategic directions, and to build support for additional resources. States use facilities data for 

accountability reporting, for informing consumers, and in the budgetary process. 
102

5.2 Required Data Elements 

As referenced in chapter 2, this manual outlines two broad categories of facilities inventory 

data: required data elements and optional data elements. 

If an institution is assembling a facilities inventory database for the first time or re-inventing 

and overhauling one that has become obsolete, please refer to chapter 1 for practical tips on how to begin 

this process. This manual recommends first collecting at least the four required data elements. It also 

recommends that if a room is divided into several spaces for either assignment or architectural use 

purposes, data for each space should be provided. 

Table 5-1 presents the four types of required data. They are the minimum necessary to 

provide unique identification to a given room or space. Together, they serve as the foundation upon which 

other data may be added to suit the needs of each institution. 

Table 5-1. Required data elements 

Unique Space or Room 

Identifier 

A code assigned by the institution to identify every specific room or space, 

whether assignable or nonassignable. This code should incorporate a unique 

building, floor, and room number for each space. 

Organizational Unit An institutionally determined name or code to identify the organizational unit(s) 

to which the space is assigned at the time of inventory (e.g., school, department, 

division). 

Area The floor area of every specific room or space, measured in square feet or meters, 

whether assignable or nonassignable. For a specific space, it is the area assigned 

to or available for assignment to an occupant or specific use. If the space is 

prorated, the area should be proportionately allocated. Floor areas are defined in 

chapter 3. 

Space Use Category Code indicating the classification of every specific room or space based on 

primary use or activity that occurs in the space at the time of the inventory. It 

may be a space use name, a numerical code, or both. The standard classifications 

of space use are defined in detail in chapter 4. 

5.3 Optional Data Elements 

Optional data elements contribute to greater effectiveness by providing additional data that 

increase the overall value of the database for intrainstitutional analysis and organize the data for external 

(interinstitutional) reporting. (Appendix A contains a basic framework for external sharing or reporting 
103

of summary data drawn from building inventory and room inventory data sets maintained by institutions 

or system- or state-level offices.) 

In this section, several additional data elements commonly used in facilities inventory 

systems are explained. The need for and the mix of optional data elements vary and are specific to each 

institution. As a general rule, the need for a specific type of optional data will be driven by two factors: 

first, what the institution needs to analyze its inventory and make decisions about its facilities; second, 

what types of reporting and accountability are required of the institution. 

5.4 Optional Building and Space Data Elements 

Table 5-2 lists the optional building and space data elements, and tables 5-3 and 5-4 briefly 

describe them. These tables are intended to indicate and provide guidance on which data elements are 

generally viewed as most important and useful for institutional management or external reporting. None 

of these data elements should be viewed as prescriptive, and institutions typically vary as to which data 

elements are included in their facilities inventory. 

Table 5-2. Optional building and space data elements 

Building Information 

Institutional Identifier 

Site Identifier 

Building Identifier 

Ownership Status 

Estimated Replacement Cost 

Original Building Cost 

Cost of Latest Major Renovation 

Year of Construction 

Year of Beneficial Occupancy 

Year of Latest Major Renovation 

Disabled Access to Building 

Building Condition 

Location or Street Address 

Local Name 

Number of Floors 

Type of Construction 

Landmark Status 

Gross Area 

Assignable Area 

Fixed Equipment 

Building Service Area 

Circulation Area 

Mechanical Area 

Structural Area 

Space Information 

Institutional Identifier 

Building Identifier 

Academic Discipline 

Functional Use 

Number of Stations 

Disabled Access to Space 

Space Condition 

Local Space Name 

Suitability 

Space Architectural Features 

Space Fixed Equipment 

Space Moveable Equipment 

Functional Categories (NACUBO and A-21) 

Academic Discipline Codes (CIP) 
104

Table 5-3. Optional building data element descriptions 

Institutional Identifier A code (such as the IPEDS Unit ID) that identifies the institution; may be 

used for reporting as part of a multi-institutional (comparative, state, or 

national) reporting effort. 

Site Identifier A code assigned by the institution to identify the unique physical 

description of the site where the building is located (e.g., “Main” or 

“West” campus). 

Building Identifier A unique identifier assigned by the institution to the specific building (a 

unique building name or a code consisting of numbers or letters). 

Ownership Status The agency with which the ownership of the building resides (also may 

include data on the conditions of ownership, terms of a lease, etc.). 

Suggested codes are provided in section 5.5.1. 

Estimated Replacement Cost Estimated building replacement cost (construction only) at time of 

inventory. 

Original Building Cost The total original project cost of the building to the institution. 

Cost of Latest Major 

 Renovation 

The dollar value of the latest renovation that cost in excess of 25 percent 

of the estimated replacement cost of the structure and that significantly 

extended its useful life. 

Year of Construction The year the construction of the building was completed. 

Year of Beneficial Occupancy The year the institution occupied the building. 

Year of Latest Major Renovation The year of the most recent renovation that cost 25 percent or more of the 

estimated replacement cost of the building and that significantly extended 

its useful life. 

Disabled Access to Building Indication that there are no exterior site or architectural barriers to access 

to the building by a mobility-impaired person. Access to Building means 

the ability to physically approach and enter the building without 

assistance; floor accessibility is noted by the room accessibility data 

element. Compliance should be measured using the Uniform Federal 

Accessibility Standards or the ADA Accessibility Standards, developed by 

the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. A 

summary of these standards is provided later in this chapter (section 

5.5.3).1 

Building Condition The physical status of the building at the time of the inventory or audit, 

based on the best judgment of those persons familiar with the physical 

characteristics and condition of the campus. 

See notes at end of table. 
105

Table 5-3. Optional building data element descriptions—Continued 

Location or Street Address The specific location at which the building can be found. 

Local Name The name commonly given to the building. 

Number of Floors The number of floors in the building, including basements, attics, and 

rooftop structures that have assignable area. 

Type of Construction A code assigned by the institution to indicate the type of construction used 

in the building. 

Landmark Status Indication that the building is listed on the National Register of Historic 

Buildings or on some other official listing that limits the character of 

changes that can be made in the building’s use or appearance. 

Gross Area The total floor area of the building within the outside faces of the exterior 

walls. This is also referred to as Gross Square Feet (GSF). 

Assignable Area The sum of all areas on all floors of a building assigned to, or available for 

assignment to, an occupant or use, excluding nonassignable spaces defined 

as building service, circulation, mechanical, and structural areas. This is 

also referred to as Net Assignable Square Feet (NASF). 

Fixed Equipment Information assigned by the institution to indicate the presence of special 

fixed equipment such as chillers or elevators. 

Building Service Area The sum of all areas on all floors of a building used for custodial supplies, 

sink rooms, janitorial areas, and public rest rooms. 

Circulation Area The sum of all areas required for physical access to some subdivision of 

space within the building, whether directly bounded by partitions or not. 

Mechanical Area The portion of the gross area of a building designed to house mechanical 

equipment, utility services, and shaft areas. 

Structural Area The sum of all areas on all floors of a building that cannot be occupied or 

put to use because of structural building features. This is a nonmeasured 

area calculated as the difference between gross area and the sum of 

assignable and nonassignable space. 

1 See also the definitions for Disabled Access to Room provided in table 5-4 and the comprehensive regulations and definitions under the 1990 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For example, see S.R. Colter, Removing the Barriers: Accessibility Guidelines and Specifications

(Alexandria, VA: Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers, 1991). 
106

Table 5-4. Optional space data element descriptions 

Institutional Identifier A code or other means to indicate the campus or site of the building where the 

space is located. For use when institutional space data are reported as part of a 

larger multicampus system or statewide reporting effort. 

Building Identifier The unique identifier determined by the institution for the building where the 

space is located. May be a unique name, number, letter, or combination of these. 

Academic Discipline Identifies the academic field, discipline, or program area to which the space is 

assigned for instruction, research, and academic support. 

Functional Use Identifies the assignment of space to academic and support functions. (See 

appendix B for codes.)

Number of Stations Identifies the capacity of the space for selected space use categories where 

information about capacity (number of workstations, seats, or beds, for example) 

is useful in assigning or scheduling the space. The space use codes for which this 

information is useful include Classroom, Class Laboratory, Open Laboratory, 

Research/Nonclass Laboratory, Conference Room, Study Room, Open-Stack 

Study Room, Athletic Facility Spectator Seating, Assembly, Food Facility, 

Meeting Room, Patient Bedroom, Staff On-Call Facility, and Sleep/Study. (See 

chapter 4.) 

Disabled Access to Room Indicates whether the room is barrier-free for its assigned use, normally through a 

simple notation for accessibility. This indicates that the room can be approached, 

entered, and used, without assistance, by a mobility-impaired person. Floor 

accessibility is, therefore, indicated by this notation at the room level. If the site 

and the building are not accessible, no notations of disabled access to rooms in 

that building should be made. 

Space Condition Identifies the need for a room to be repaired, upgraded, or renovated based solely 

on its physical condition. 

Local Space Name The name commonly given to the room, such as the “Anderson Hydraulic 

Laboratory,” or the “Multi-discipline Teaching Laboratory.” This is the locally 

used name for the room rather than the name of the room use category. 

Suitability Evaluation of the suitability or functionality of the room for its assigned use and 

function at the time of the inventory, based on the design, configuration, and 

fixed equipment in the room. The evaluation of room suitability may change as its 

use, function, or assigned organizational unit is changed. Detailed definitions for 

coding room suitability are presented in this chapter (section 5.5.5). 

Space Architectural 

Features 

Identifies the physical characteristics of the room that are built into its 

architectural design and that affect the assignment or use of the room. These 

include structural features, such as high bay space or a sloped floor, and the type 

and amount of utility service provided. The coding of architectural features would 

not change, regardless of room use or function, unless the room was remodeled. 

Space Fixed Equipment Identifies special fixed equipment that allows the room to be used for specific 

purposes, such as a fume hood. 

Space Movable Equipment Identifies movable equipment assigned to a room. It is suggested that current 

practices set forth in OMB Circular A-21, A-110, and the like, be considered as 

guidelines here. 
107

5.5 Building and Space Optional Data Element Discussion 

This section includes a discussion of specific optional data elements that need further 

explanation, including building ownership status, estimated replacement cost, disabled access to 

buildings, building condition, space suitability, space condition, space architectural features, functional 

categories, and coding for organizational unit, academic discipline, or academic program. 

5.5.1 Building Ownership Status 

A. Definition. The type of ownership and relation of title holder to institution. 

B. Description. The following categories illustrate types of ownership status; they may 

also be used as descriptors of codes for ownership status in the facilities inventory 

database. 

i. Owned in fee simple. 

ii. Title vested in the institution and being paid for on an amortization schedule 

(regardless of whether the building is shared with another institution or 

organization). 

iii. Title vested in a holding company or building corporation to which payments 

are being made by the institution; title will ultimately pass to the institution 

(includes lease-purchase arrangements). 

iv. Not owned by the institution: 

a. Leased or rented to the institution at a typical local rate. 

b. Available to the institution either at no cost or at a nominal rate. 

c. Shared with an educational organization that is not a postsecondary 

institution. 

d. Shared with another postsecondary education institution. 

e. Owner may or may not be university affiliated, but building is used 

exclusively for institutional services (e.g., housing, bookstore, food 

service, warehouse). Facility is located on institutional property. 

f. Shared with a noneducational institution. 

Note: For some institutional purposes and external sharing of data, it may be appropriate to 

collapse categories iv (a) through (f) into a single category of “Other, not owned by the institution, 

including facilities shared with other entities.” 
108

5.5.2 Estimated Replacement Cost 

A. Definition. The estimated cost to replace the building at the time of inventory. 

B. Basis for Calculation. The cost to replace the building’s gross floor area at current 

construction costs in accordance with current building and public safety codes, and 

standard construction methods. The Engineering News Record, R.S. Means,6

 or 

Whitestone Research,7

 or replacement value shown on the building’s insurance policy 

are examples of frequently used sources of information for determining construction 

cost indices. The selected source of information should be locally determined. The 

replacement cost of fixed equipment in the building should be included. 

5.5.3 Disabled Access to Buildings 

 A. Section 504 Program Accessibility Standards 

The Department of Education’s Section 504 regulation applies to preschool, elementary, 

secondary, postsecondary, vocational, and adult education programs and activities, as well as other 

programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. In accordance with Subpart C of the 

Section 504 regulation, no qualified individual with a disability shall be excluded from participation in, be 

denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity because 

a recipient’s facilities are inaccessible to, or unusable by, persons with disabilities. 

The Section 504 regulation contains two distinctly different standards to be used in 

determining whether a recipient’s program and activities are accessible to individuals with disabilities. 

One standard applies to existing facilities; the other applies to new construction. 

The term “existing facility” refers to any facility in existence or in the process of 

construction on or before June 3, 1977, the effective date of the regulation. The term “new construction” 

means groundbreaking that took place after the effective date of the regulation. “Facility,” as defined in 

the Section 504 regulation, includes all or any portion of buildings, structures, equipment, roads, walks, 

parking lots, laboratories, and other real or personal property or interest in such property. 

 

6

 R.S. Means Company, Inc., Construction Consultants and Publishers, publishes an historical cost index. In addition, the 

Commercial/Industrial/Institutional section of one of the Means manuals contains base building costs per square foot or floor area for 70 model 

buildings. 

7

 The Whitestone Research organization specializes in applied economic research and software development for both public sector and corporate 

clients. Whitestone also publishes focused technical reports and software products. 
109

For an existing facility, the regulation requires that the recipient’s program or activity, when 

viewed in its entirety, be readily accessible to persons with disabilities. This standard does not require 

that every facility or part be accessible, as long as individuals with disabilities have access to the 

programs and services contained in those facilities. Thus, recipients need not make structural changes to 

existing facilities where other alternatives are effective in making programs and activities accessible. 

Examples of alternative methods include redesign or relocation of equipment, reassignment 

of classes and services, and provision or assignment of aids (e.g., use of “reach extenders” to access 

controls on elevators or light switches, assistance in retrieving library materials.) 

Priority consideration, however, must be given to offering the programs or activities in the 

most integrated setting appropriate. In meeting the objective of program accessibility, an institution must 

use precaution not to isolate or concentrate individuals in settings away from other participants. For 

example, the Section 504 regulation would not permit making only one facility or part of a facility 

accessible if this resulted in segregating students with disabilities. It should be noted that if no effective 

alternatives can be provided to achieve program accessibility, a recipient is required to make necessary 

structural changes. These changes are to be consistent with the requirements for new construction. 

For new construction, the regulation requires that a facility or part of a facility constructed 

by, on behalf of, or for the use of a recipient of federal financial assistance must be designed and 

constructed in such manner that the facility or part of the facility is readily accessible to and usable by 

persons with disabilities. Likewise, all alterations that could affect the usability of a facility are required, 

to the maximum extent feasible, to be readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, where 

the alteration was initiated after June 3, 1977. 

When the Section 504 regulation became effective on June 3, 1977, design, construction, or 

alteration of buildings in conformance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards 

A117.1-1961 (R 1971) was sufficient to satisfy the requirement for new construction. However, on 

January 18, 1991, an amendment to the Section 504 regulation replaced the accessibility guidelines 

included in the ANSI 1971 document with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (commonly 

referred to as UFAS) (Appendix A to 41 C.F.R. subpart 101-19.6) for all new construction or alterations 

initiated from that date forward by a recipient of federal financial assistance. The Section 504 regulation 

permits departures from particular technical and scoping requirements of UFAS by the use of other 

methods where substantially equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided. 
110

B. Accessibility Standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act 

The American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which provides comprehensive civil 

rights protection to individuals with disabilities in the areas of employment, public accommodations, state 

and local government services, and telecommunications, was enacted on July 26, 1990. On July 26, 1991, 

the Department of Justice issued final regulations implementing subtitle A of Title II of the ADA, which 

prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities. The U.S. Department of Education, 

Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing the Title II regulation in public elementary and 

secondary education systems and institutions, public postsecondary institutions and vocational education 

institutions (other than schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, and other health-related schools), and 

public libraries. The regulations implementing Title II became effective on January 26, 1992. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities 

(ADAAG) is the applicable accessibility standard under the Title II regulation for new construction and 

alterations that were initiated after January 26, 1992, by, for, or on behalf of public entities. Because the 

regulation implementing Section 504 continues to apply to entities that receive federal financial 

assistance, public entities have a choice of following UFAS or ADAAG. However, public entities must 

follow the same standard throughout an entire building. They may not, for example, follow ADAAG on 

one floor of a new building and UFAS on the next floor. 

It is important to note that although the ADAAG is modeled on UFAS, the ADAAG 

established different requirements in some areas. For example, requirements differ concerning elevators, 

signage, and telecommunication display devices or telecommunication devices for the deaf for individuals 

who cannot use voice telephones. In addition, the Title II regulation specifically disallows the elevator 

exemption contained in ADAAG for small buildings. The Title II regulation permits departures from 

particular requirements of either standard by the use of other methods when it is clearly evident that 

equivalent access to the facility or part of the facility is thereby provided. 

5.5.4 Building Condition 

A. Definition. The physical status of the building at the time of the inventory or audit, 

based on the best judgment of those persons familiar with the physical characteristics 

and condition of the campus. 

B. Derivation. The most useful facilities management information is produced when the 

inventory or audit rates each subsystem of a building. This approach documents the 

building’s overall composite rating and provides information about needed repairs or 
111

replacements. A facilities audit should tie subsystem and overall composite ratings to 

the estimated building replacement value to provide a rough estimate of the cost of 

rehabilitating or renovating the facility. 

C. Description. Building condition has the following categories based on the extent of 

renovation or restoration required: 

i. Minimal Renovation (Good). Suitable for continued use with normal 

maintenance. The approximate renovation cost is less than 5 percent of 

building replacement cost. 

ii. Limited Renovation (Satisfactory). Requires restoration to present acceptable 

conditions. The approximate cost of restoration is 5–15 percent of building 

replacement cost. 

iii. Moderate Renovation (Fair). Requires updating or restoration. The 

approximate restoration cost is 16–30 percent of building replacement cost. 

The physical conditions may have an affect upon building operations. 

iv. Significant Renovations (Poor). Requires significant updating or restoration. 

The approximate restoration cost is 31–45 percent of building replacement cost. 

The physical conditions adversely affect building operations. 

v. Major Renovations (Unsatisfactory). Requires major restoration with possible 

need to overhaul building subsystems. The approximate restoration cost is 46–

60 percent of building replacement cost. Consideration of actual restoration 

requirements may lead to classifying the facility as being in need of 

replacement. 

vi. Replace/Demolition. Should be demolished or abandoned because the building 

is unsafe and/or structurally unsound, irrespective of the need for the space or 

the availability of funds for a replacement. Additionally, this category takes 

precedence over categories i-v. If a building is scheduled for demolition, its 

condition is reported in this category, regardless of condition. 

vii. Termination. Planned termination or relinquishment of occupancy of the 

building for reasons other than unsafeness or structural unsoundness, such as 

abandonment of temporary units or vacating of leased space. Additionally, this 

category takes precedence over categories i-vi. If a building is scheduled for 

termination, its condition is reported in this category, regardless of its condition. 

5.5.5 Space Suitability 

The coding of space suitability is intended to reflect a judgment about how well the design 

of a space supports the function of the space and the organizational unit to which the space is assigned. 

This evaluation of space suitability for its assigned use focuses on a different dimension than the coding 

of building condition, which generally assesses the useful life of a building through the evaluation of 
112

structural and building systems. Suitability coding is also different from the coding of space condition, 

which may assess the need for the space to be repaired, upgraded, or renovated based solely on the 

physical condition of the space. Assessment of space suitability is not required for the initial task of 

performing a space inventory. 

It is entirely possible that the evaluation of space suitability may reflect an evaluation that 

seems to conflict with the evaluation of building condition. For example, a space such as a geography 

class laboratory (see Class Laboratory-210) could be evaluated as satisfactorily suited for its existing use, 

even though the building in which the space is located could be rated as requiring major remodeling due 

to the age and condition of utility or structural systems. Conversely, a similar laboratory, being used as 

an office, located in a building that is in excellent condition, may be rated as having an unsuitable use. 

A. Definition. The suitability or functionality of the space for its assigned use at the time 

of the inventory or audit. 

B. Basis for Classification. The evaluation of a space for functional suitability should be 

based on the judgment of a departmental representative (rather than the individual 

user assigned to the space) and the institution’s facility planning or physical plant 

personnel. Only permanent architectural features and fixed equipment should be 

considered in rating the space’s suitability; the configuration, age, condition, or 

amount of movable furniture and equipment should not affect the rating. The rating of 

space suitability can change significantly from one inventory or audit date to the next 

if, in the intervening period, the space has been reassigned to a different function or 

organizational unit, even though no physical alterations have been undertaken. 

C. Coding. The following categories may be used to designate space suitability. 

Highly Suited, 

Excellent 

A 

Highly suited or optimally matched to the original design 

intent and configuration of the space. The architectural 

features of the space support the use/activity. 

Appropriate building infrastructure and services are easily 

and readily available to support the use. 

Satisfactory 

B 

Suitable for continued use and provides adequate support 

for program delivery. Although the space is not optimal 

for the use, minor modification may be desired to improve 

the suitability. 

Conditional 

C 

Requires limited renovation to support the use on a 

continued basis. The cost of renovation to optimize 

program delivery would not exceed 25 percent of the 

replacement cost of the space. 

Development Required 

D 

Requires significant renovation to support the assigned 

use on a continuing basis. The space significantly inhibits 

program delivery. The cost of renovations to optimize the 

fit between the assigned use and the space would range 
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between 25 percent and 50 percent of the replacement cost 

of the space. 

Unsatisfactory 

F 

Is unsatisfactory for the assigned use. Renovating the 

space to fit the use would not be cost-effective. 

Renovation costs would exceed 50 percent of the 

replacement value of the space. 

Inappropriate 

I 

Not appropriate for current use but may be appropriate for 

other uses. It may be appropriate to relocate the activity to 

another location and use this space for more suitable 

activity. 

5.5.6 Room or Space Condition 

Room condition coding must be distinguished from the coding of room suitability. Room 

condition coding provides a structure for assessing the need for a room to be repaired, upgraded, or 

renovated based solely on the physical condition of the room. A room can be in poor condition but still be 

highly suitable for its use. 

The condition of a room may be considered independent of the condition of its building. 

Room condition pertains to specific conditions in the room itself, such as interior finishes, rather than 

conditions of base building systems, such as heating and air conditioning or exterior walls, which affect 

the building as a whole. 

A. Definition. The physical status of the room at the time of the inventory or audit, 

based on the best judgment of those persons familiar with the physical characteristics 

and condition of the room. 

B. Derivation. The most useful facilities management information is produced when the 

inventory or audit rates each space or space within a building. This approach 

documents the rating of each space, as well as the overall composite rating of all 

spaces in a building, and provides information about needed repairs or replacements. 

A facilities audit should tie subsystem and overall composite ratings to the estimated 

cost of rehabilitating or renovating the space(s). 

C. Description. Space condition has the following categories based on the extent of 

renovation or restoration required: 

i. Minimal Renovation (Good). Suitable for continued use with normal 

maintenance. 

ii. Limited Renovation (Satisfactory). Requires restoration to present acceptable 

conditions. 
114

iii. Moderate Renovation (Fair). Requires updating or restoration. The physical 

conditions may have an effect upon space use. 

iv. Significant Renovations (Poor). Requires significant updating or restoration. 

The physical conditions adversely affect space use. 

v. Major Renovations (Unsatisfactory). Warrants major restoration with possible 

need to overhaul interfaces of equipment in the space with building subsystems. 

vi. Replace/Demolition. Barred from use because it is unsafe or hazardous, 

irrespective of the need for the space or the availability of funds for a 

replacement. This category takes precedence over all other categories. 

vii. Termination. Planned termination or relinquishment of occupancy of the space 

for reasons other than unsafeness or hazardous conditions, such as abandonment 

of temporary units or vacating of leased space. Additionally, this category 

takes precedence over category vi. If a space is scheduled for intentional 

vacancy, its condition is reported in this category, regardless of its condition. 

5.5.7 Room or Space Architectural Features 

The design of a space in terms of architectural features often dictates the assignment of a 

space to specific uses or limits flexibility in reassigning some spaces to other uses or academic 

disciplines. The assignment of codes for architectural features can assist an institution in managing its 

space resources. This activity is not required for the initial task of performing a space inventory. 

A. Definition. The architectural features of a space, including structural design and 

utility services, that are relevant to the use of the space. 

B. Basis for Classification. The information needed to code spaces according to 

architectural features should be obtained by visual inspection of each space, but may 

also be obtained from as-built drawings. These space characteristics will change only 

when the space is remodeled. This coding should be done by those familiar with the 

physical characteristics of campus buildings and in consultation with the occupants of 

the space. 

C. Structural Features Coding. The following categories may be used to indicate 

structural features: 

1. Flat floor, low bay, no special characteristics. 

2. Flat floor, low bay, one or more special characteristics. 

3. Flat floor, high bay, no special characteristics. 

4. Flat floor, high bay, one or more special characteristics. 

5. Sloped or stepped floor. 

6. Other structural configurations not classifiable into one of the above. 
115

 Low bay ceiling heights (measured floor to underside of floor above) are 13 feet or 

less. High bay ceiling heights are over 13 feet. 

 Special characteristics of the space may include such architectural features as wall or 

door arrangements to eliminate light, projection booths or rear-view projection, sound 

deadening, electromagnetic screening, x-ray blocking, vibration damping, special 

insulation in cold or hot rooms, and heavy security doors and walls in vaults. 

D. Utility Services Coding. The following categories may be used to indicate the 

availability of identified utility services: 

(C) Communication. Special cabling for telecommunications, data distribution, 

video sources, or media projection. 

(E) Electrical Service. Special electrical services such as 200v, 440v, or filtered 

electrical supply. 

(G) Gas Service. Gas piping installed to provide compressed air, lab gases 

(flammable or inert), and vacuum services. 

(S) Special Plumbing Service. Special plumbing services such as acid drains, 

glassed pipes, distilled water, or ionized water provisions. 

(T) Temperature Control Service. Special temperature and humidity control 

services, typically for cold or hot rooms. 

(V) Ventilating Service. Special ventilating services such as fume hoods, clean 

rooms, or special air circulation systems for animal rooms. 

(W) Water Service. Access to water drainage for drinking, washing, or sanitary 

functions. 

E. Architectural Features Coding. Examples are indicated in figure 5-1. 

Figure 5-1. Room or space coding for architectural features 

 Utilities 

 Struct. C E G S T V W 

A space in a low bay section of a building (used for an office) with no 

architectural barriers 1 

A space in a low bay section of a building (used for a classroom) with 

no architectural barriers but wired for video projection 1 X 

A space in a high bay section of a building with 220v electrical service 

(could be used for a shop where large objects are handled, even if now 

being used as a classroom) 

3 X 

A space in a low bay section that has water access and power (could be 

used for a kitchenette) 1 X X 

A space in a high bay section of a building that has 220v electrical 

service, acid drains, lab gases, and fume hoods 3 X X X X 

A space in a high bay section with a stepped floor that has 220v 

electrical service 4 X 

A space in a low bay section with special insulation and with 220v 

electrical service and special temperature controls 2 X X 
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5.5.8 Functional Categories 

In addition to space use categories and organizational unit assignment, facilities inventory 

systems commonly contain a set of categories or codes to allocate space across functional categories (e.g., 

instruction, research, public service, academic support). This is used primarily to link space allocations to 

financial data or to institutional missions (e.g., the proportion of space used for public service) or to 

analyze and compare space allocations across institutions according to commonly used functional 

categories. 

The functional categories recommended for this purpose, outlined in appendix B, are 

adapted from standard financial reporting categories, including the definitions for these categories as 

adapted from standard financial reporting guidelines. Coding for function requires identification of the 

primary (or prorated) functional use of each space. 

The categories outlined in appendix B are adapted from the Financial Accounting and 

Reporting Manual for Higher Education, Release 02-6, by the National Association of College and 

University Business Officers (NACUBO) and OMB Circular A-21, Principles for Determining Costs 

Applicable to Grants, Contracts, and Other Agreements with Educational Institutions. See these two 

documents for detailed information. While the functional categories are designed for financial reporting, 

they can be readily adapted to facilities reporting through limited modifications. For most functional 

categories, there is a direct crosswalk between NACUBO and Circular A-21. A crosswalk for each major 

category is provided in appendix B. It is highly recommended that functional activities be identified at 

the major category level and not at subcategory levels, which will preclude getting involved in detail that 

may add only marginal value to the identification of an institution’s primary functional activities. 

Appendix B represents a brief synopsis of the adaptation of these functional categories. For those 

institutions that are seeking a Facilities and Administrative (F and A) Rate for the recovery of indirect 

costs associated with sponsored grants and contracts, it is highly recommended that the A-21 functional 

categories be adopted. 

5.5.9 Coding for Organizational Unit, Academic Discipline, or Academic Program 

Information and coding schemes to identify the organizational unit, academic discipline, or 

academic program to which a space (or room) is assigned are institution specific; that is, they are based 

on the institutionally determined names or conventions to identify the organizational unit (school, 

department, division, etc.) to which the space is assigned at the time of the inventory. Since these 
117

organizational structures and names vary across institutions, these data are not useful for interinstitutional 

comparisons or reporting. For that purpose, users have adopted the National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) or some local or state adaptation of these 

coding structures for academic fields or programs. 

For external reporting and interinstitutional use of facilities inventory data, this updated 

manual recommends that the academic discipline coding scheme adopted by an institution be consistent 

with or capable of being presented in a crosswalk to the categories defined by the NCES CIP, as used for 

standard federal academic program reporting. The current CIP at the two-digit level can be found in 

appendix C. This crosswalk to standard instructional programs is applicable only for space assigned to 

appropriate academic functions (e.g., instruction, research, academic support) and not for nonacademic 

functional categories (e.g., student services, institutional support). 

5.6 Data Analysis and Reporting 

The array of building, room/space, function, and academic discipline data elements 

described previously enable an institution to generate and analyze a wide variety of information for 

analysis, reporting, planning, and decisionmaking. Following are examples of the types of internal 

(intrainstitutional) reports that can be generated from these types of data, and the types of questions to 

which such reports can provide answers. 

1. Reports by building: 

A. Detailed space-by-space listings for each building. This report will answer 

questions such as: 

i. What is the use of each space? 

ii. What is each space’s floor area and number of stations? 

iii. To what institutional organizational unit is it assigned? 

B. Summaries for each building by space use category, by functional category, and 

by organizational unit. These summaries can answer such questions as: 

i. How many spaces are there in the building by each space use category? 

How many square feet of space are there in each space use category for 

that building? 

ii. How many spaces are assigned to each organizational unit in the building 

by each space use category? 
118

iii. How many spaces are assigned to each academic discipline or functional 

category in the building by each space use category? 

iv. How many square feet does each organizational unit have in the 

building? 

v. What is the ratio of net assignable area to gross area in that building? 

Figure 5-2 illustrates a report of a campus summary by space use category, formatted 

in the same manner as figure 3-1, Conceptual framework for analyzing building space, 

in chapter 3. 

2. Reports by organizational unit (and/or by academic discipline and functional use): 

A. Detailed list of each space by the organizational unit to which it is assigned. 

This report can address such questions as: 

i. What spaces are assigned to this organizational unit, by space use 

category? 

ii. In what buildings are those spaces located? 

B. Summaries by space use category and by building. These summaries can 

answer questions such as: 

i. What is the total area assigned to each organizational unit, by space use 

category? 

ii. What is the total assignable area assigned to that unit and the percentage 

of each building that it occupies? 

iii. What is the total area assigned to each organizational unit in all 

buildings? 

3. Reports by space use category: 

A. Detailed list of all spaces by space use category. This report can answer such 

questions as: 

i. How many classrooms (or laboratories, or offices, etc.) does the 

institution have? 

ii. What is the area and number of stations in each? 

B. Summaries by space use category. This report can answer a question such as: 

i. What is the area of each space use category within the institution? 
119 

Figure 5-2. Sample campus summary, by space use category 

GROSS SQUARE FEET (GSF) 100 % NET USABLE SQUARE FEET (NUSF) 89.4 % 

8,784

30,820 

NET ASSIGNABLE SQUARE FEET (NASF) 65.8 % 73.6 % NON- 23.6 % 

6,468,705 sf ASSIGN 2,31

 21,044 spaces SQ. FT. 9,77

2.1% 4.7% 13.1% 18.0% 10.5% 0.3% 2.7% 2.0% 11.6% 1.0% 1.9% 14.5% 

2.4% 5.3% 14.6% 20.0% 11.7% 0.3% 3.0% 2.2% 13.0% 1.1% 2.1% 16.3% 

644 sf 360 sf 429 sf 191 sf 260 sf 124 sf 819 sf 758 sf 542 sf 297 sf 101 sf 307 sf 

average average average average average average average average average average average average 

324 1282 2998 9245 3954 242 320 258 2099 322 1844 4646 

spaces spaces spaces spaces spaces spaces spaces spaces spaces spaces spaces spaces 

CLASSROOMS 

208,578 sf

GENERAL USE

461,925 sf

LABORATORIES

1,284,931 sf

OFFICES

1,764,765 sf

RESIDENTIAL

1,027,989 sf

RSCH HLTH CAR

E

29,934 sf

SPECIAL USE

262,120 sf

STUDY

195,628 sf

SUPPORT

1,137,334 sf

UNCLASSIFIED

95,501 sf

BLDG SERVICES

186,694 sf

CIRCULATION

1,427,579 sf

Scope - Physical: Academic Owned and Leased; 157 Buildings; 786 Floor Plans; 143 Departments

Financial: $XXXM in FY'05 F&A cost recovery via INSITETM + $YYYM from other INSITETM area-prorated cost

 pools totaling $70.9M in the university's overhead recovery supported by INSITETM space and asset d

 COURTES

NOTE: All percentages are rounded to nearest tenth; Bolded % are based on Gross Square Feet; Unbolded % are based on Net Usable Square Feet; “Classrooms” 

scheduled or not. SOURCE: “ABC” University’s INSITETM System; “ABC” University Office of Cost Analysis; Space Use definitions: 2006 Facilities Inventory Classification Manu

Statistics. 
120 

4. Comparisons of the capacity of the facilities with their actual utilization. Note: These 

reports depend on being able to link the facilities files with current utilization records. 

These reports can answer such questions as: 

A. For each type or size of classroom or laboratory, what percentages of each type 

of spaces are in use at each hour of the day? How many hours per week are 

certain spaces in use, and for what purposes? Are there “valleys” in the 

utilization pattern that could be better scheduled? 

B. For classrooms or laboratories with different numbers of stations, what 

percentages of the stations are used at each hour? Where could more students 

be accommodated? 

C. Based on standards or criteria the institution or system wishes to use, how many 

students (or weekly student contact hours) can be accommodated in the 

existing physical plant? Does the institution have enough space? Too much? 

What categories of space are needed to accommodate additional students or 

program changes? 

5. Uses of the facilities inventory database for space management and facility 

management decisions, to answer such questions as: 

A. What are the options for finding space for Professor X? 

B. With the shift in enrollment patterns, can some of the space assigned to 

Department Z be made available to Department Y? 

C. If I plan to repaint all classrooms every 8 years but complete whole buildings 

one at a time, how can I best schedule all the buildings, knowing the number of 

classrooms and approximate square footage and stations available? 

5.7 Data Element Questions and Answers 

1. Question: How does the coding structure account for such spaces as offices in auxiliary 

enterprise or hospital facilities? How are office assignments among 

academic departments differentiated? 

Answer: All offices are coded Office (310). While some institutions have expanded this 

code to include faculty office, administrative office, clerical office, etc., this 

practice is discouraged as it mixes two distinct data types—space use and 

occupant rank. Greater flexibility for planning and utilization studies is achieved 

by storing the space occupant’s rank in a separate field of data associated with 

the space’s use. The ability to report on all office space is easy; and the ability to 

study space utilization of faculty offices, for example, is also easily done by 

reporting on only spaces coded Office (310) and housing an occupant of the rank 

“Faculty.” Similarly, the space use categories have been kept free from activity 

connotations. The use of the functional category structure allows offices used by 

auxiliary enterprises to be differentiated from offices assigned to instruction. An 
121 

office within the functional category of instruction could be further classified by 

academic discipline. 

2. Question: Classrooms may be scheduled by a central campus office such as the 

registrar or may be assigned to a specific department, which then schedules 

the classes. How does the coding scheme allow me to differentiate among 

these rooms in order to compare the utilization of classrooms scheduled by 

the registrar with the utilization of classrooms scheduled by specific 

departments? 

 Answer: Under this manual’s classification system, all classrooms are coded 110. By 

using the organizational assignment of each Classroom, a required field of space 

data in all cases, institutions can easily differentiate among classrooms assigned 

by a registrar and those assigned by a specific college or department. The 

organizational assignment for a space scheduled by a central campus office might 

be “Registrar.” The assignment for a space scheduled by a specific department or 

college would be that department or college. 

3. Question: How should laboratories used for “departmental research” be coded? 

Answer: If the primary use of the space is as a research/nonclass laboratory, the space use 

code is Research/Nonclass Laboratory (250). 

 According to the conventions and definitions in NACUBO’s Management 

Reporting and Accounting for College and OMB Circular A-21, departmental 

research and public service that are not separately budgeted should be included as 

instruction. The functional category in this case should be instruction. 

Research/Nonclass Laboratories (250) can have a function code of either 

instruction or research, depending upon whether the laboratory is used for 

departmental or separately budgeted research. (See appendix B for definitions of 

functional categories.) 

4. Question: How are “departmental libraries” coded? 

Answer: The use of the term “departmental libraries” is highly discouraged. It creates 

significant conflict with official (formal) central and branch libraries. Most of 

the spaces will have the use code Study Room (410). 

 These libraries, if they contain catalogued materials, can be optionally classified 

as a library function within the functional category of academic support. (See 

appendix B for definitions of functional categories.) 

5. Question: How are fraternity and sorority houses classified? 

Answer: Fraternity and sorority houses and rooms that are part of university facilities and 

not separately organized and controlled are classified as house (970), with the 

appropriate organizational unit assignment, and can have an optional 

classification as an auxiliary enterprise. However, if the fraternities or sororities 

are not owned or controlled by the university, they should not be included in the 

inventory. 
122 

6. Question: How should chapels be coded? 

 Answer: A chapel meets the definition of a devotional facility and should be coded as 

Assembly (610) along with other devotional facilities. If the chapel is not under 

university control, it should not be inventoried. 

 A chapel can be optionally classified as social and cultural development function 

within the functional category of student services if under university control. A 

chapel in a hospital would be optionally classified under the NACUBO function 

of hospital. See appendix B for definitions of functional categories. 

7. Question: How should day care centers be coded? 

Answer: Day care centers may be coded as Demonstration (550) or Day Care (640). Day 

care rooms used to practice, within an instructional program, the principles of 

child care or development, or teaching are classified as Demonstration (550). 

Day Care (640) serves as a central service center for faculty, staff, and students. 

Demonstration day care centers have a functional classification of instruction, 

while those facilities coded 640 could have a functional classification of either 

institutional support or auxiliary enterprise depending upon how the activity is 

organized and funded. 
123 

Chapter 6. Emerging Issues

This chapter consists of a series of recommendations and suggestions by recognized experts 

in the field on issues that are becoming increasingly important in tracking institutional physical assets. 

While not an integral part of a space inventory and classification system, they are often addressed by the 

same offices and individuals that are responsible for a space inventory. The issues and the principal 

contributors who address them are the following: 

• Infrastructure reporting under Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) 34/35; 

Principal Contributor: Eric Ness, Suffolk University, Boston, MA. 

• Building preservation and development of capital improvement plans; Principal 

Contributor: Robert M. Broberg, BldgPreservation.com. 

• Maintenance and development of capital and operating budgets for maintenance; 

Principal Contributor: Henry DePerro, The Ford Foundation. 

• Privatization and the need for expanded definitions of ownership; Principal Contributor: 

William Bowes, University System of Georgia. 

• Comparison of the Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual (FICM) and 

commercial space measurement systems; Principal Contributor: Lawrence W. 

Vanderburgh, BOMI Institute. 

6.1 Infrastructure Reporting Under GASB 34/35 

6.1.1 Background 

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), which is responsible for 

developing standards for state and local governmental accounting and reporting, including public 

postsecondary institutions, issued new guidelines in 2000 under GASB statements 34 and 35. These 

guidelines, designed to increase the public’s understanding of financial reports and thereby the usefulness 

of reports in policymaking, fundamentally altered traditional reporting practices for public postsecondary 

education institutions. Among the many changes introduced under the new guidelines is the requirement 

that state and local governments report all capital assets, including infrastructure, and depreciation 

expenses associated with those assets. 

Under the new guidelines, capital assets are reported at historical costs. Capital assets 

include land, land improvements, buildings and improvements to buildings, vehicles, equipment, works of 
124 

art and historical treasures, and infrastructure. Infrastructure assets are those with a long useful life. They 

are normally stationary in nature and can be preserved for a significantly greater number of years than 

most capital assets. Examples of infrastructure assets include roads, bridges, tunnels, drainage systems, 

water and sewer systems, dams, and lighting systems. 

Infrastructure assets that are part of a network or are a subsystem of a network do not have to 

be depreciated as long as two requirements are met. First, public postsecondary institutions must manage 

assets by having an up-to-date inventory; performing regular condition assessments of the assets, which 

can measure, through an objective set of criteria, the outcome of that assessment; and estimating the 

annual amount needed to maintain and preserve the asset at the condition level that has been established 

and disclosed. Second, postsecondary institutions must document that the assets are being preserved at a 

level at or above the established condition level. Condition assessments must be performed in a 

consistent manner at least every 3 years and provide assurance that the second requirement is met. 

6.1.2 Implications for the FICM 

Chapter 2 of this manual encourages institutions to inventory all physical plant assets 

including those that are not within the definition of a building (i.e., infrastructure). Items within the 

infrastructure inventory represent those campus elements that directly service and support buildings, such 

as water, electricity, steam, sewage, telephone, and data systems, and those elements that support campus 

activities, such as roadways, athletic fields, street lighting, spectator stands, plazas, parking lots, signage, 

walkways, emergency phones, and certain types of vehicles. As suggested in chapter 2, institutions also 

may want to maintain records on land holdings, capital equipment, and movable equipment. GASB is not 

prescriptive in stating how these assets and records are to be tracked or maintained. 

6.1.3 Recommendations 

Given the GASB guideline change creating new requirements for reporting on infrastructure 

assets, institutions may want to consider developing categories and coding structures for these assets. 

Appendix D provides a detailed organizational format to consider when inventorying infrastructure assets. 

Appendix F provides a possible coding scheme for the detailed infrastructure assets in appendix D. 

Examples of categories might be the following: 
125 

• Athletics - Outdoor. Items in this category are used in direct support of outdoor athletic 

activities. These would typically include arenas, baseball fields, basketball courts, 

bleachers, circuit training courses, climbing walls, dugouts, field light poles, grass 

playing fields, hard playing surfaces, press boxes (unless they fulfilled the requirements 

of being considered a building; see chapter 2), ropes, course elements, running tracks, 

scoreboards, shooting ranges, ski lifts, softball fields, stadiums, outdoor swimming 

pools, synthetic fields, tennis courts, volleyball courts, etc. 

• Equipment (that cannot travel on public roads). Items in this category include tractors 

and attachments; hand-held or worn leaf blowers, weed-wackers or trimmers; riding 

tractors, mobile carts, or mowers; walk-behind mowers, blowers, grinders, etc.; and 

other equipment that could not typically be licensed to operate on the public roads. 

• Grounds (items that grow). Items in this category include various live plantings 

distributed through the grounds areas that support and enhance the grounds. These 

would typically include arboretums, fairways, flower beds, hedges, putting greens, shrub 

beds, trees, forest preserves, general turf, woody shrubs, etc. 

• Land and Land Elements. Items in this category include any land assets that are not 

already a part of any other infrastructure element or support element. These would 

typically include pastures, preserve areas, undeveloped property, water bodies like ponds 

and lakes, etc. 

• Miscellaneous Structures. Items in this category are structures that do not have a 

building envelope per se. These would typically include uncovered amphitheaters, 

bleachers, pedestrian and vehicular bridges, fences, gates, flagpoles, hazardous waste 

collection/storage sheds, memorial/donated structures, retaining walls, solid waste 

transfer stations, statues, fuel tanks, water tanks, towers, waterfront piers/docks, etc. 

• Retired, Demolished Structures. Items in this category represent past infrastructures 

that have been demolished, removed, or perhaps renamed. The purpose of this category 

is to provide a coding for historical infrastructure that existed at one time but has been 

removed from the inventory. This process helps to keep a historically accurate 

accounting of infrastructure elements. 

• Site Furnishings (items that do not grow). Items in this category include various 

furnishings distributed through the grounds areas that support and enhance the use of 

grounds but are not living, growing things and/or are not athletic elements. These would 

typically include ash receptacles/urns, benches, bike racks, roadway bollards, 

cemeteries, drinking fountains, outdoor grills, hardscape, parking lots, parking meters, 

picnic tables, plaques, monuments, ramps, roads, exterior signage, trash receptacles, 

recycling receptacles, etc. 

• Utilities Distribution Systems. Items in this category include all the traditional utility 

systems such as steam, domestic water, natural gas, electric high voltage, and sanitary 

sewer, as well as cable TV, data, electric low voltage, electric secondary, energy 

management, fire alarm, fuel distribution, fuel storage, street lighting, pedestrian 

lighting, security, storm water, emergency telephone, general telephone, public 

telephone, chilled water, fire protection water, heating water, irrigation water, etc. 
126 

• Vehicles (that can travel on public roads). Items in this category include all those 

vehicles that are licensed to operate on the public roads. They would include cars, vans, 

trailers, trucks, fuel trucks, patrol cars, ambulances, and specialty vehicles like backhoes, 

aerial lifts, cranes, chippers, etc., as long as they are licensed to operate on public roads. 

It should be noted that some prefer to include these items in their institution’s movable 

equipment inventories for asset tracking and control purposes, and for inclusion in their 

institution’s Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR) proposal to the federal government. 

When incorporated into any computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), use 

of these categories at this broad level allows for the collection and review of work/costs associated with 

the maintenance and repair of these campus elements. These categories can also be expanded to identify 

infrastructure types or even specific elements within a particular type of infrastructure by coding the 

infrastructure type (for example, grounds flower beds, furnishings bike racks, or utility storm water 

system) and then numbering a specific unique element within that type. Numbering a specific unique 

element would combine a type code with a serial number or bar code number. This format can be used in 

as little or as much detail as needed to identify campus assets and meet institutional goals. 

6.2 Building Preservation 

The purpose of building preservation is to optimize, at minimal cost, the value, performance, 

functionality, efficiency, and appearance of buildings and sites. It is a comprehensive approach that 

requires a focused and concerted initial effort to develop. Once established, significantly less effort is 

necessary to manage, update, and maintain a good program. 

Surprisingly, some postsecondary institutions with extensive buildings and facilities 

portfolios—and consequent exposures—seem to have limited success in establishing and managing a 

comprehensive building and facilities preservation program. The problem seems to be a lack of 

understanding of how to establish a program without making a significant initial investment in 

professional consulting expertise and specialty software and without investing in costly ongoing 

professional updating and software maintenance. As a result, administrators and boards are reluctant to 

propose, approve, and support preservation efforts, which leads to depleted values, diminished uses, 

operational anomalies, and inefficiencies in buildings and facilities that are not well defined, predictable, 

or understood. 

An improved effective and efficient approach is necessary to reverse this trend. The purpose 

of this section is to suggest a process and approach for creating and managing an ongoing capital plan that 

can be implemented and maintained for a fraction of the cost of an outsourced proprietary system. 
127 

6.2.1 Process Concepts 

Components. Buildings, facilities, and sites comprise various components and 

subcomponents. A building consists of structure/foundation, exterior, interior, and systems components. 

Typically, exterior subcomponents include the roof system, gutter system, walls, windows, and doors. 

Interior subcomponents include walls, floors, and ceilings. 

System subcomponents may include electric; plumbing; heating, ventilation, and air 

conditioning (HVAC); and telecommunications/data. These subcomponents are broken down further to 

coincide with different life cycles of the various major elements of the system. 

Life Cycles and Replacement Costs. Each of the various building, site, and facilities 

subcomponents has an estimated life cycle, which can vary depending on preventive and planned 

maintenance programs. The replacement cost of the various subcomponents can be determined. 

Conditions, Deterioration, and Condition-Related Costs. The condition of the various 

subcomponents can be evaluated and determined. A relationship between the condition and the 

replacement cost can be formulated to understand the deterioration of the subcomponent. The current 

value of the subcomponent is the replacement cost minus deterioration. As a result of a deteriorated 

condition in a subcomponent or an improvement in the efficiency of the subcomponent replacement, there 

may be a condition-related cost that will be either the: 

• incremental annual operating cost attributable to the deteriorated condition or the annual 

operating cost savings attributable to the improved efficiency of the state-of-the-art 

replacement, or 

• annual loss of program income attributable to the deteriorated condition. 

Analysis. With the replacement costs, deterioration, current value, and annual incremental 

costs attributable to conditions and obsolescence known, a capital program consisting of corrective 

projects and upgrades can be developed, modeled, presented, and scheduled. Post-project subcomponent 

conditions can be estimated. Improvements in current values and condition-related costs can be 

determined and modeled, and projects can be ranked by projecting improvements in operating costs and 

program income over newly created life cycles. 
128 

6.2.2 Implementation 

It is important to understand and to subscribe to the process and concepts of a preservation 

program before undertaking one. In fact, it is a requirement to effectively guide and manage a program. 

As an alternative to the potentially formidable expenses of using a consulting firm with a proprietary 

approach (and software), the advantages and disadvantages of using in-house professional staff should be 

carefully considered. 

The advantages of using in-house professional staff include utilizing their extensive 

experience and knowledge, creating an in-house team that includes building users, identifying strengths 

and weaknesses of the program, establishing accountability and ownership of the initial effort, improving 

future management, limiting and defining consulting assistance, and realizing substantial savings. 

The tasks involved in implementing a comprehensive building and facilities preservation 

program include: 

• Instructing and training an in-house group; 

• Selecting and developing software; 

• Identifying and defining life cycles by component and subcomponent; 

• Determining replacement costs; 

• Evaluating conditions; 

• Generating deterioration, current values, and condition-related costs; 

• Developing projects, modeling improved conditions and current values; 

• Adopting a capital plan with measurable results; 

• Re-evaluating conditions and developing projects as necessary; and 

• Maintaining an ongoing capital plan. 

6.2.3 Ongoing Capital Plan 

Understanding building preservation concepts and implementing a building preservation 

process enables postsecondary institutions to create an ongoing capital plan that requires modest efforts to 
129 

maintain and update. As subcomponent conditions change, they can be re-evaluated to generate revised 

current values and condition-related costs. A corrective project can then be developed, analyzed, 

modeled, and scheduled. 

Buildings, facilities, and sites can be viewed in the aggregate as an institution’s facilities 

portfolio that is periodically measured in terms of replacement cost, deterioration, current value, and 

operating cost changes reflecting the presumable positive impacts of the ongoing capital program and 

projects. 

6.2.4 The Future 

Postsecondary institution administrators should be well informed about their buildings, sites, 

and facilities. Application and minimal maintenance of the building preservation process provides a 

decision support system for broad-based understanding and support of a capital program. Management 

and extensive participation by key in-house staff is an effective way to maintain ownership of the solution 

to the problem and to minimize initial and ongoing costs. 

6.3 Maintenance of Buildings and Infrastructure 

While this manual does provide optional categories related to major repairs and renovations 

of buildings and space (building and space condition), it does not contain specific categories related to 

maintaining the building infrastructure, operating equipment, and space. Maintenance and refurbishment 

information is critical to determine the routine cycle and long-term replacement expenses associated with 

the ongoing care and upkeep of facilities infrastructure, equipment, and space. This information may 

include data on the age, preventive maintenance schedules, and performance of equipment such as HVAC 

(boilers, chillers, cooling towers), pumps, drive motors, generators, elevators, escalators, etc., as well as 

information on the upgrade or replacement of flooring, carpeting, paint, wall covering, furniture, window 

treatment, and more. Capturing and monitoring critical data of this nature can lead to the more orderly 

management and control of buildings and space, and the more efficient management and control of the 

operating and capital expenses related to these assets. It also can ensure that base building equipment and 

components, which are essential to the efficient and cost-effective operation of facilities, are properly 

maintained to maximize performance. 
130 

This section suggests a general approach to developing a set of equipment maintenance and 

space refurbishment identifiers and classifications. This multistep process includes identifying the 

various equipment and infrastructure components, determining the classifications of maintenance and 

refurbishment appropriate for tracking purposes, and tying the maintenance and refurbishment cycles and 

costs to the specific buildings and space. 

1. Maintenance Categories and Classifications 

a. Identify all base building and infrastructure equipment components to be included 

in the classification process (possibly a comprehensive list of all elements 

included in buildings and then tailored specifically to each individual situation). 

b. Develop preventive maintenance standards for each equipment item or items. 

c. Develop maintenance classifications and schedules for each piece of equipment. 

d. Cross-reference the equipment and classification with the specific building 

identifier, i.e., name, number, etc. 

e. Consider expanding the equipment inventory list beyond the base building to 

include such items as audio, video, kitchen, laboratory, and other room-specific 

equipment. 

f. Develop a matrix to include building, equipment type, maintenance schedule, and 

annual cost. 

g. Utilize the data for evaluation of equipment efficiency and maintenance/repair 

versus replacement. 

h. Monitor data to assist with expense control and management and budget planning. 

2. Refurbishment Categories and Classifications 

a. Identify buildings and spaces to be included in categorization process. 

b. Develop refurbishment standards for each category. 

c. Develop refurbishment classifications for each room (they could include universal 

or common classifications for all rooms tailored for specific instances). 

d. Cross-reference the classifications with each building and space identifier. 

e. Develop a matrix to include building, space, refurbishment categories, dates of 

last activity, schedule of next activity, and cost. 

f. Utilize data for evaluation of refurbishment and replacement requirements 

associated with specific space. 

g. Monitor data to assist with expense control and monitoring and budget planning. 
131 

Appendix E presents a suggested classification system for different approaches to facility 

maintenance. It includes criteria such as the mix of different types of maintenance, response times, level 

of customer satisfaction, service efficiency, and maintenance operating budget as a percentage of current 

replacement value. 

6.4 Capital Facilities Privatization 

6.4.1 Background 

During the latter part of the 1990s, though the practice had earlier origins, many public 

postsecondary institutions began to develop facilities through public/private partnerships. Although most 

institutions use private financing to support the development of residential facilities, the practice has 

extended to academic and other support facilities. This trend can be attributed to three factors. 

• First, state support for facilities has declined significantly in recent years. The most 

recent national recession caused many states to pull back funding support for public 

postsecondary education and especially capital facilities development. 

• Second, the recent explosion in student enrollment across the country has left many 

institutions unable to meet the demand for housing and academic space in the near term. 

• Finally, students today expect more amenities in their living and studying environment, 

including state-of-the-art technology and greater privacy. Residence halls, many of 

which were constructed during the expansion years of the 1960s and 1970s, simply do 

not meet today’s student expectations. Since a residential life experience has been 

shown to have a positive impact on academic success, many institutions are eager to 

provide a quality living environment for students. 

Under a typical privatized housing project, an institution will first determine the need for the 

project through a market analysis, which looks at project viability based, among other things, on student 

demand, comparisons with local housing rents, and projected occupancy. The institution’s foundation, 

and other affiliated 501(c)3 nonprofit corporations, often a limited liability corporation (LLC) set up 

specifically for this purpose, or a nonaffiliated entity will assume responsibility for owning, developing, 

and managing the development project. The nonprofit corporation will establish an agreement with a 

governmental or public entity (e.g., a local development authority) to issue tax-exempt bonds to finance 

the project on its behalf. The nonprofit corporation also will contract with a developer to design and build 

the project, an investment banker to develop a finance plan and underwrite project bonds, and a third 

party to oversee ongoing operational management of the project. If the project is constructed on the 

college or university’s property rather than adjacent land, the nonprofit corporation will obtain a ground 
132 

lease from the institution for the duration of debt service payments. In these circumstances, ownership is 

usually transferred to the institution at the conclusion of the debt service period, which normally ranges 

between 20 and 40 years. 

There may be several variations of this approach, reflecting the different roles that 

institutions have chosen to assume in relation to the project. For example, the institution may serve as 

project manager for the foundation or nonprofit corporation. The institution also may agree to a student 

rental referral policy with the nonprofit corporation, participate in a cost-sharing agreement based on net 

project cash flow, play a role in determining project scope, or review agreements with the developer. 

Increasingly, to exert a greater level of control over projects, some institutions choose to “lease back” 

facilities through rental agreements with the foundation or nonprofit corporation, which changes both the 

nature of the relationship between the two entities and the institution’s liability. The institution’s level of 

involvement has implications for the financing costs of these arrangements because of its impact on risk 

and liability as viewed by credit rating agencies and bond underwriters. 

There are many benefits to privatization. First, housing projects developed under traditional 

state methods are subject to extensive rules affecting capital construction and procurement. These 

requirements can extend project completion time and increase project cost. Privatized housing projects 

can be completed more rapidly due to the developer’s ability to expedite contracts and financing 

agreements. In addition, institutions that lack the expertise in the construction, operation, and 

management of housing can call upon experts who have this knowledge and experience, which can lead 

to improvement in housing services, just as outsourcing other campus services can enhance service and 

reduce cost. Finally, depending upon the particular circumstances and financing structure adopted by the 

institution, these transactions can help preserve the debt capacity and credit rating of the institution or 

state. 

There are disadvantages too. As with other outsourced services, the institution may feel a 

loss of control over the financing or operation of the project. Additionally, despite the fact that these 

projects are financed with tax-exempt bonds, interest rates will tend to be much higher than what might 

have been obtained using state general obligation bonds. 

6.4.2 Implications for the FICM 

This manual was last revised at a time when these types of projects were less common. 

Although the manual addresses ownership issues through the use of a “building ownership status” code, 
133 

this feature does not deal with facilities that are owned, operated, and maintained by an outside entity and 

not leased to the college or university, even though the project may play a significant role in serving the 

institution’s mission. Under most privatized arrangements, rental agreements are made directly between 

the student and the foundation or nonprofit corporation, often through its third-party manager. 

The question then is whether to include a separate ownership status code that recognizes 

privatized projects (housing or otherwise) in the institution’s inventory. How institutions view the benefit 

of recognizing privatized housing in their facilities inventory may depend on their role and responsibility 

with respect to these types of projects. An institution that assumes a minimal role where it may, for 

example, only refer students to the housing project but take no part in operation or management, nor 

create a “residential life” program that offers specific services to students, may opt not to include such 

facilities in its inventory. On the other hand, an institution that assumes a more significant role, by 

operating and maintaining facilities under contractual agreement and being more directly involved in the 

relationship between the student and the housing provider, may choose to include these facilities in its 

inventory. 

At the system, state, or national level, the facilities inventory has greater value as a source 

for making comparisons among institutions. For this reason, there may be greater interest in including 

data on privatized facilities since they can provide a better measure of total available space for 

institutional programs based on mission. For example, an institution may have a mission as a residential 

campus but have its entire housing stock owned, operated, and managed privately. If a system or state 

wishes to make comparisons of available residential space among its institutions, many of which may 

own and manage such space directly, the inclusion of privately owned housing, particularly housing 

situated on campus property, makes sense. 

6.5 Space Measurement Systems Compared 

Chapter 3 of this manual provides specific definitions, boundaries, and measuring points for 

each of the critical types of areas to be measured. This section on commercial space measurement is 

provided for planners and facilities managers who find themselves renting space for institutional purposes 

from the commercial sector. 

The approach to space measurement embodied in the FICM standard differs in several 

significant aspects from the common approach in commercial office buildings and architectural/ 

engineering and construction practice. Those differences can result in significant area differentials for 
134 

planners and managers trying to track and equitably distribute institutional space among competing 

educational and research activities. Significant financial differences also occur when determining the pro 

rata share of space dedicated to certain activities, not the least of which is research at those institutions 

that seek indirect cost recovery funds for their government-sponsored research activities. In general: 

• Landlords leasing or renting space use space measurement mainly as a cost-recovery and 

income mechanism. They focus on all interior space, including that which is under 

interior walls and partitions, to maximize the leased or rented space, while ignoring 

vertical penetrations and exterior walls. They further prorate and allocate all shared or 

common areas (e.g., public lobbies, lavatories, and corridors) to all tenants in the form of 

a surcharge on space actually occupied by each tenant. 

• Architects, engineers, and builders tend to measure buildings in terms of gross area that 

often include such items as light wells, overhangs without regard to their “drip areas” 

over otherwise smaller areas that they protect, exterior wall projections, and open areas 

in multifloor spaces. This is done to provide the building owner with the age-old design 

and construction industries’ published measures of “project (or construction) cost per 

gross square foot.” One factor that favors this approach is the recognition that the higher 

a ratio’s denominator, the lower the result. In other words, the higher the gross area of a 

given building, the lower is the resulting project and construction cost per square foot. 

• The FICM system is driven by a set of cost recovery factors unlike those of any other 

group mentioned above; as a result, it has some characteristics in common and some 

characteristics at variance with each of these approaches. Those commonalities and 

differences are discussed below. 

• Commercial space measurement is a relatively obscure aspect of property and facilities 

management, but it plays a crucial role in how rental rates and space assignment records 

are set. There are several space measurement systems in use in North America. Many 

of them use identical or similar terms but interpret them in different ways. In several 

systems, language is not precise. All systems strive to ensure the utmost fairness to 

occupants and building owners, but their rules are quite complex, particularly if one 

system must be translated to another system. Readers contemplating the use of any 

particular system are encouraged to study its documentation extremely carefully, 

especially if it will be referenced in any legal or contractual documents. “Buyer beware” 

best characterizes a proper approach to this subject. 

Six commercial space measurement systems are reviewed here. They are not the only 

systems used; there are several regional variations in use in major North American urban centers. The 

information presented here was written to assist readers in selecting, adapting, or translating space 

measurement systems. The six measurement systems studied are as follows: 

• Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) – new standard 

• Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) – old standard 

• The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) 
135 

• Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors (GWCAR) 

• General Services Administration (GSA) – former system 

• International Facility Management Association (IFMA) 

Some general comments about the overall characteristics of each system will help the reader 

understand the basic nature of each system. The six systems on a scale ranging from most landlordoriented to most tenant-oriented are shown in figure 6-1. 

Figure 6.1. Six commercial space measurement systems and the FICM on a scale from most 

landlord-oriented to most tenant-oriented 

 

landlord- tenantoriented oriented 

REBNY BOMA GWCAR GSA IFMA 

 (FICM) 

6.5.1 Landlord-Oriented Systems 

Landlord-oriented systems are designed from the viewpoint of a property owner renting 

space to building tenants in the commercial real estate market. They tend to be organized “from the 

outside in,” that is, they are sensitive to market and economic forces and to how property owners organize 

their charts of accounts and manage their operations. These systems reflect very little of the internal 

concerns of facilities managers with regard to their own end users. Some salient characteristics of the 

landlord-oriented systems are as follows: 

• Rentable (billable) space comprises a large number of space categories. 

• Space accounting and tracking are relatively simple for landlords but are not sensitive to 

internal churn (reconfiguration) rates of tenants. 

• Tenants need to analyze leases very carefully to determine exactly how billed space 

reconciles to physical space used exclusively by the tenant. 

• Measurements are relatively simple, but calculations of rentable area are becoming more 

complex as common area features and amenities increase. 
136 

6.5.2 Tenant-Oriented Systems 

Tenant-oriented systems are designed “from the inside out.” These systems are designed 

from the viewpoint of in-house corporate facilities managers who must be sensitive to the needs and 

desires of the corporation’s internal clients, its end users, and the corporate culture in which they operate. 

Some salient characteristics of tenant-oriented systems are as follows: 

• Rentable (billable) space in a building relates more closely to a tenant’s individual 

quarters; more common areas are deducted from the billable total. 

• Space accounting and tracking is more complex because (a) tenants vary considerably, 

(b) churn rates generate change to tenant space assignment records, and (c) the 

measurement systems contain more categories and subdivisions. 

• Landlords who want to lease space to companies using tenant-oriented standards usually 

convert space measurements from their customary system to the tenant’s system. There 

is little consistency or standardization, so such conversions may be problematic. 

• Measurements may be more complex to obtain and record. 

The authors of all six commercial systems discussed here have exercised care in the design 

and terminology used. However, there are problems of interpretation, and for each one, some subjects are 

not addressed. Before 1992, there was little attempt to compare the systems. Now, the trend is more 

toward reconciliation than standardization. 

Finally, there is no legal constraint to use any of these systems. Landlords are free to use 

their own definitions, converting to a tenant’s system only when requested to do so during lease 

negotiations. 

6.5.3 Criteria Common to Most or All Six Systems 

• Except for retail space, at least some of the area occupied by the exterior building wall 

construction is excluded from any other type of measurement. 

• Mechanical equipment penthouses (unenclosed space) are excluded from any space 

billed to a tenant except for the REBNY method. The other five systems deduct vertical 

penetrations for duct shafts, major plumbing and electrical chases, elevator shafts, and 

public exit stairs. All such costs must be amortized in the basic rental rates charged by 

the landlord. 

• The dominant portion of the inside face of the exterior wall is the anchor point for all 

systems, although each system differs on exactly where that point is located. 
137 

• Core or loss factors (the percentage of the billable area of each floor that is not part of 

the tenant’s own space) are part of almost every lease negotiation. However, the factors 

are mentioned only briefly in two standards (REBNY and GWCAR). They are 

calculated in the new BOMA system but are not specifically mentioned. 

• Private stairs, dumbwaiters, toilets, and kitchens are considered part of the rentable 

space. 

6.5.4 Differences Between Commercial Measurement Systems, FICM, and Architectural/ 

Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) Practice 

The measurement approach used in the FICM is, generally, more tenant-oriented than 

landlord-oriented. 

• Like most landlord-oriented systems, FICM does not deduct interior columns and 

projections. 

• Like the old GSA system, FICM measures physical space that is actually usable for a 

given activity or occupant. For example, FICM measures to the face of interior walls, 

unlike landlord-oriented systems, which attempt to recoup every interior square foot of 

area in the form of rent by measuring to the centerline of walls. The result is that the 

FICM approach results in a smaller square-foot area than typical landlord-oriented 

systems—often by as much as 10 percent. 

• Similar to the above, FICM measures to the face of the exterior wall, or to the face of the 

front of a convector running along the floor in front of the exterior windows. Most 

landlord-oriented systems measure to the dominant portion of an exterior wall, usually 

to the glass line in modern buildings. 

• “Construction area” is not ignored in FICM. It is measured by subtracting a floor’s 

measured “gross area” from the floor’s net usable area—the latter determined by the 

sum of the internally measured net assignable area and nonassignable area—each 

measurement term being specifically defined in FICM. 

• Like most commercial systems, but unlike what architects and builders often do, FICM 

counts the area of multistory spaces (such as atriums, large lecture halls, etc.) only once. 

For example, a six-story atrium measuring 1,000 square feet on its lowest level would be 

counted as 1,000 square feet in FICM, but perhaps as much as 50 percent higher when 

accounted by an A/E. 

6.5.5 Summary 

The subject of space measurement continues to attract increased professional attention. 

Some groups are developing new approaches to space measurement for use in rough planning exercises, 
138 

such as strategic facilities inventory planning or the early stages of project planning. Others have 

developed software programs customized to automate the complex process of space measurement 

according to a particular system. 

The development of a universal space measurement standard is uncertain. As we move 

increasingly toward emulation of commercial real estate practice in facilities management operations in 

the United States, the tenant-oriented space measurement systems are likely to either adapt themselves to 

landlord-oriented systems (as GSA has) or complement such systems (as the International Facilities 

Management Association does). However, multinational companies are more likely to experience the 

influence of efforts by bodies such as the ISO, which tend to be more tenant-oriented. No single 

measurement system covers every situation for every organization. As with any type of standard, some 

gray areas will always be present, requiring interpretation and judgment. 
A-1 

Appendix A: 

Using Facilities Inventory Data for Reporting 

and Interinstitutional Data Exchange 

In addition to institutional use, the definitions and framework provided in this manual are adaptable to 

inter-institutional data exchange and other types of external reporting. The National Center for Education 

Statistics, the State Higher Education Executive Officers, and other participating organizations wish to 

encourage the adoption of this manual by those organizations and states already engaged in collecting and 

reporting multi-institutional facilities data, as well as to encourage additional organizations and states to 

undertake this activity. 

To help stimulate these activities and thereby enhance the availability and comparability of such summary 

information, this appendix provides a sample instrument or format for Data Exchange on Postsecondary 

Physical Facilities. The sample instrument is intended to provide a basic framework for external sharing 

or reporting of summary data drawn from more detailed building inventory and room inventory data sets 

maintained by individual institutions and by system- or state-level offices. The sample format includes 

only the most basic data in areas of general concern, such as total building area, ownership status, year of 

construction, and current condition, with assignable area allocated across the standard Room Use 

Categories. In addition, it suggests a format for cross-referencing Room Use Categories with the standard 

Functional Categories. Such cross-referencing of the two coding structures is useful for identifying the 

proportion of Classroom, Laboratory, or Office space used for instruction, organized research, public 

service, or other functions. 

Sponsoring organizations may wish to expand this sample data exchange instrument to add additional 

data elements or greater detail with respect to particular categories or codes (e.g., subdividing Academic 

Support functions to identify Libraries). Data exchange programs may also wish to provide an instrument, 

in computer diskette format or on the web, containing instructions, definitions, and built-in column 

summation and data editing routines. Computer-based formats have the potential to improve substantially 

data reporting by institutions, as well as data entry and analysis by the sponsoring organization. 

In addition to data that focus exclusively on physical facilities, many institutions, data exchange 

organizations, and other agencies may find it useful to relate facilities data to the number of students, 

faculty members, academic programs, or other variables. Multi-institution system or state-level facilities 

reports typically include a variety of such comparative indicators. The annual North Carolina Facilities 

Inventory and Utilization Study, for example, contains capacity/enrollment ratios, facility utilization rates, 

and accessibility indicators.8

 

8

 See, for example, State Commission on Higher Education Facilities, Facilities Inventory and Utilization Study, Fall of 1990 (Chapel Hill: The 

University of North Carolina, General Administration, 1991). 
A-2 

As suggested in chapter 3 of this manual, several types of ratios may be useful for both intra-institutional 

and inter-institutional comparisons. These include 

 assignable square feet per student, analyzed by the type of space, program area, student 

status or other characteristics; 

 residential facility space per student housed on campus; 

 library space per student and program type; 

 office space per faculty member and nonfaculty staff by area or function; and 

 research or other nonclass laboratory space per faculty member in relation to discipline 

and other factors. 

In designing and using such ratios, care should be taken to make sure that comparisons across programs 

or institutions accurately reflect different academic missions, clientele, urban/rural locations, institutional 

types, and other factors. For example, space per student or faculty member may be directly affected when 

facilities can be used for extended day and evening services or if the institution has extensive sponsored 

research activities. It is also important to have consistent and sufficient detailed definitions for different 

categories of students. Similarly, relating facility space to faculty may require additional detail on faculty 

responsibilities, discipline or program type, and other factors. 
A-3 

Data Reporting and Exchange for Postsecondary Physical Facilities 

Part A — Organizational and Institution Identification 

At this time, space data reside in an accessible computer file. What is the next step? The first step is to 

output the data in an organized way that presents a data picture of your institution’s facilities and space. 

Outlined in the following pages is an initial report that facilitates viewing institutional space data and 

serves as preparation for the important second step of exchanging space information with other 

institutions in a meaningful way. It is important to note that the initial report may not be complete. This 

is to be expected. Incomplete data points will require additional effort. The important thing to remember 

is that the institution now has space and facilities data that can be turned into information that can be used 

to develop answers to such questions as how much and what kind of space does the institution have. 

1. Data exchange sponsoring organization 

1a. Organization: 

1b. Address: 

1c. Contact Person: 

1d. Telephone and E-mail: 

2. Responding institution/organization 

2a. Name: 

2b. Address: 

2c. Institution Identification: 

IPEDS UNIT ID _______ 

Other _______ 

2d. Name and Title of Respondent: 

2e. Telephone and E-mail: 
A-4 

3. The institution/organization covered by this report is (choose only one): 

NOTE: See definitions in FICM Glossary. 

 3a.  An institution that is not part of a system (If yes, go directly to Part B.) 

 3b.  An institution that is part of a system (If yes, indicate the name of the system in 

Question 4 below.)

 3c.  A branch institution of a “parent” institution (If yes, indicate the name of the parent 

institution in Question 4 below.)

 3d.  A “parent” institution with one or more branch institutions and/or other campuses (If 

yes, please answer Question 5 below.)

 3e.  Other (Specify): 

4. If the institution covered by this report is part of a system or a branch institution of a 

“parent” institution system,” write in the name of the system or “parent” institution below: 

5. Parent institutions (as checked in item 3) should list the names of all their branch 

institutions below. Use the first column to show whether data for any of these units are 

included with the data for the “parent” in this report. 

Are Data for This 

Unit Included in This 

Report? 

Name of Branch Campus and/or 

Other Campus Address (City, State and Zip Code) 

5a. Yes No 

5b. Yes No 

5c. Yes No 

5d. Yes No 

5e. (Extend as necessary) 
A-5 

Part B — Building Inventory 

INSTRUCTIONS: To maintain consistency with the FICM 1992 and the revised and reprinted FICM 

1994, the line numbers in the inventory, where applicable, have been kept. Totals for Assignable Area in 

Line 1, Column (b) should match totals provided in Line 7, Column (b), Part D Line 68, Column (a) and 

Part E Line 12, Column (a). Totals for Gross Area in Line 1, Column (c) should match totals in Line 7, 

Column (c) and Part C Line 14, Column (h). Definitions and procedures for measurements are provided 

in the Postsecondary Education Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual 2006, (FICM 2006). The 

categories for Ownership Status follow definitions provided in FICM 2006, chapter 5, except that Line 5 

requests a combined subtotal of categories 4a through 4f. NOTE: For institutions that do not collect 

detailed data on Ownership Status or that use other legal definitions, please use Line 2 to report all 

facilities owned by the institution, and Line 5 to report all non-owned facilities. 

Line 

No. 

Building Data Category Number 

of 

Buildings 

Column (a) 

Assignable 

Area (in 

square feet) 

Column (b) 

Gross Area 

(in square 

feet) 

Column (c) 

1 Total Campus Space. 

Ownership Status 

2 Owned in fee simple. 

3 Title vested in the institution and being paid for 

on an amortization schedule (regardless of 

whether the building is shared with another 

institution or organization). 

 

4-a Not owned; leased or rented to the institution at a 

typical local rate 

 

4-b Not owned; available to the institution either at no 

cost or at a nominal rate

 

4-c Not owned; shared with an educational 

organization that is not a postsecondary institution 

 

4-d Not owned; shared with another postsecondary 

educational institution 

 

4-e Not owned; owner may or may not be university 

affiliated but building is used exclusively for 

institutional services (i.e., housing, bookstore, 

food service, warehouse, etc.). Facility is located 

on institutional property. 

 

4-f Not owned; shared with a non-educational 

institution 

 

5 Subtotal, all non-owned (rows 4-a through 4-f) 

7 Total (Sum of Lines 2, 3, and 5) 
A-6 

Part C — Gross Square Feet by Condition and Year of Construction 

 Building Condition in Gross Square Feet Line No. 

Year of 

Construction 

Minimal 

Renovation

/Good 

Column (a) 

Limited 

Renovation 

/Satisfactory 

Column (b) 

Moderate 

Renovation

/Fair 

Column (c) 

Significant 

Renovation/

Poor 

Column (d) 

Major 

Renovation

/Unsatisfactory 

Column (e)

Replace/ 

Demolition 

Column (f) 

Termination 

Column (g) 

Line Total 

Column (h) 

6 Pre-1930 

7 1931-

1950 

 

8 1951-

1960 

9 1961-

1970 

10 1971-

1980 

 

11 1981-

1990 

12 1991- 

2000 

13 2001 to 

present 

14 Total 

 (Sum of 

Lines 6-

13) 

 

Definitions adapted from chapter 5 of the Postsecondary Education Facilities Inventory and 

Classification Manual, 2006 edition. 

NOTE: If data for Building Condition by Year of Construction cannot be reported, at a minimum please 

complete Columns (g) and (h), and Line 14 totals to the extent possible. If levels of renovation cannot be 

distinguished or if renovation estimates are not recent or are otherwise questionable, please report total 

renovation in Column (e), Major Renovations. 

Building condition has the following categories based on the extent of renovation or 

restoration needed: 

i. Minimal Renovation (Good). Suitable for continued use with normal 

maintenance. The approximate renovation cost is less than 5 percent of building 

replacement cost. 

ii. Limited Renovation (Satisfactory). Requires restoration to present acceptable 

conditions. The approximate cost of restoration is 5-15 percent of building 

replacement cost. 
A-7 

iii. Moderate Renovation (Fair). Requires updating or restoration. The approximate 

updating or restoration cost is 16-30 percent of building replacement cost. The 

physical conditions may have an effect upon building operations. 

iv. Significant Renovations (Poor). Requires significant updating or restoration. 

The approximate restoration cost is 31-45 percent of building replacement cost. 

The physical conditions adversely affect building operations. 

v. Major Renovations (Unsatisfactory). Requires major restoration with possible 

need to overhaul building subsystems. The approximate restoration cost is 46-60 

percent of building replacement cost. Consideration of actual restoration 

requirements may lead to classifying the facility as being in need of replacement. 

vi. Replace/Demolition. Should be demolished or abandoned because the building 

is unsafe and/or structurally unsound, irrespective of the need for the space or the 

availability of funds for a replacement. Additionally, this category takes 

precedence over categories i-v. If a building is scheduled for demolition, its 

condition is reported in this category, regardless of its actual condition. 

vii. Termination. Planned termination or relinquishment of occupancy of the 

building for reasons other than unsafeness or structural unsoundness, such as 

abandonment of temporary units or vacating of leased space. Additionally, this 

category takes precedence over categories i-vi. If a building is scheduled for 

termination, its condition is reported in this category, regardless of its condition. 
A-8 

Part D — Space Inventory by Room Use Categories 

NOTE: Please report Assignable Area by major Room Use Categories [i.e., 3(a), 10(a), 15(a), 21(a), 

31(a), 40(a), 47(a), 57(a), 63(a), 67(a) and 68(a)] even if Room Count and subcategory data are 

not available. 

Line 

No. Room Use Category 

Assignable 

Area (in 

square feet) 

Column (a) 

Room Count 

Column (b) 

Classroom Facilities (100) 

1 110 Classroom 

2 115 Classroom Service 

3 Total (100) Classroom Facilities (Sum of Lines 1-2) 

Laboratory Facilities (200) 

4 210 Class Laboratory 

5 215 Class Laboratory Service 

6 220 Open Laboratory 

7 225 Open Laboratory Service 

8 250 Research/Nonclass Laboratory 

9 255 Research/Nonclass Laboratory Service 

10 Total (200) Laboratory Facilities (Sum of Lines 4-9) 

Office Facilities (300) 

11 310 Office 

12 315 Office Service 

13 350 Conference Room 

14 355 Conference Room Service 

15 Total (300) Office Facilities (Sum of Lines 11-14) 

Study Facilities (400) 

16 410 Study Room 

17 420 Stack 

18 430 Open Stack Study Room 

19 440 Processing Room 

20 455 Study Service 

21 Total (400) Study Facilities (Sum of Lines 16-20) 

Special Use Facilities (500) 

22 510, 515 Armory 

23 520, 523, 525 Athletics 

24 530, 535 Media Production 

25 540, 545 Clinic 

26 550, 555 Demonstration 
A-9 

Part D — Space Inventory by Room Use Categories—Continued 

Line 

No. Room Use Category 

Assignable 

Area (in 

square feet) 

Column (a) 

Room Count 

Column (b) 

27 560 Field Building 

28 570, 575 Animal Facilities 

29 580, 585 Greenhouse 

30 590 Other 

31 Total (500) Special Use Facilities (Sum of Lines 22-30) 

General Use Facilities (600) 

32 610, 615 Assembly 

33 620, 625 Exhibition 

34 630, 635 Food Facilities 

35 640, 645 Day Care 

36 650, 655 Lounge 

37 660, 665 Merchandising Facilities 

38 670, 675 Recreation 

39 680, 685 Meeting Room 

40 Total (600) General Use Facilities (Sum of Lines 32-39) 

Support Facilities (700) 

41 710, 715 Central Computer/Telecommunications 

42 720, 725 Shop 

43 730, 735 Central Storage and 780, Unit Storage 

44 740, 745 Vehicle Storage Facility 

45 750, 755 Central Service 

46 760, 765, 770, 775 Hazardous Materials Storage and Waste 

47 Total (700) Support Facilities (Sum of Lines 41-46) 

Health Care Facilities (800) 

48 810, 815 Patient Bedroom 

49 820 Patient Bath 

50 830, 835 Nurse Station 

51 840, 845 Surgery 

52 850, 855 Treatment, Examination 

53 860, 865 Diagnostic Service Laboratory 

54 870 Central Supplies 

55 880 Public Waiting 

56 890, 895 Staff On-Call Facility 

57 Total (800) Health Care Facilities (Sum of Lines 48-56) 
A-10 

Part D — Space Inventory by Room Use Categories—Continued 

Line 

No. Room Use Category 

Assignable 

Area (in 

square feet) 

Column (a) 

Room Count 

Column (b) 

Residential Facilities (900) 

58 910, 919 Sleep/Study Without Toilet or Bath 

59 920 Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath 

60 935 Sleep/Study Service 

61 950, 955 Apartment 

62 970 House 

63 Total (900) Residential Facilities (Sum of Lines 58-62) 

Unclassified Facilities (000) 

64 050 Inactive Area 

65 060 Alteration or Conversion Area 

66 070 Unfinished Area 

67 Total (000) Unclassified Facilities (Sum of Lines 64-66) 

68 Total Assignable Area & Room Count (Sum of Lines 

3,10,15,21,31,40,47,57,63 and 67) 

 

Nonassignable Area 

69 W01-W08 Circulation Areas 

70 X01-X04, Building Service Areas 

71 Y01-Y04, Mechanical Areas 

72 Total (WWW, XXX, YYY) Nonassignable Area & Room Count 

(Sum of Lines 69, 70, and 71)

 
A-11 

Part E — Total Campus Space, By Room Use and Functional Categories NOTES: 1. This section can only be completed if the institution has also assessed the function of the space. Absence of thi

 basic institutional space reports. See appendix B, Definitions of NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 Fun

 2. In each line, Column (a) should equal the sum of Columns (b) through (k), and should agree with the specific e

3. Line 12, Column (a) should match the total campus assignable square feet reported in Part B, Line 1 Column (b

Use of Assignable Square Feet Acc

 to Functional Categories9

Line 

No. 

Room Use 

Category 

Line 

No. 

from 

Part D 

Total 

Assignable 

Square Feet 

Column (a) 

1.0 

Instruction 

Program 

Column (b) 

2.0 

Organized 

Research 

Column (c) 

3.0 

Public 

Service 

Column (d) 

4

Acad

Sup

Colum

1 100 Classroom Facilities 3 2 200 Laboratory Facilities 10 3 300 Office Facilities 15 4 400 Study Facilities 21 5 500 Special Use Facilities 31 6 600 General Use Facilities 40 7 700 Support Facilities 47 8 800 Health Care Facilities 57 9 900 Residential Facilities 63 

10 Total Facilities in Use (Sum of Lines 1-9, Part D) 11 000 Unclassified Facilities 67 12 Total Assignable Area (Sum of Lines 68 

10 and 11) 

13 Total Nonassignable Area 72 

9 Definitions for Functional Categories taken from FICM 2006, chapter 5. 
A-12 

Part E — Total Campus Space, By Room Use and Functional Categories—Continued 

NOTES: 1. In each line, Column (a) should equal the sum of Columns (b) through (k), and should agree with the specific e

2. Line 12, Column (a) should match the total campus assignable square feet reported in Part B. 

Use of Assignable Square Feet According to Functional Catego

6.0 7.0 9.0 

Institutional Operation and Auxiliary 

Line Support Maintenance Enterprises 

No. 

Room Use 

Category 

Line No. 

from 

Part B Column (g) Column (h) Column (i) 

1 100 Classroom Facilities 3 2 200 Laboratory Facilities 10 3 300 Office Facilities 15 4 400 Study Facilities 21 5 500 Special Use Facilities 31 6 600 General Use Facilities 40 7 700 Support Facilities 47 8 800 Health Care Facilities 57 9 900 Residential Facilities 63 

10 Total Facilities in Use (Sum of Lines 1-9) 11 000 Unclassified Facilities 67 12 Total Assignable Area (Sum of 68 

Lines 10 and 11) 

13 Total Nonassignable Area 72 

10 Definitions for Functional Categories taken from FICM 2006 chapter 5. 
B-1 

Appendix B: 

Definitions of NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 Functional Categories

This appendix provides a crosswalk between the functional categories identified by the 

National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and the U.S. Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21. These functional categories were developed for cost 

financial accounting purposes but are identified in the FICM as optional data elements that can be used to 

link space allocations to financial data or to institutional missions (e.g., the proportion of space used for 

public service) or to analyze and compare space allocations across institutions according to commonly 

used functional categories. 

OMB Circular A-21 defines four primary functional categories: instruction, research, other 

sponsored activities, and other institutional activities. However, if the OMB Circular A-21 functional 

categories are to be meaningful and useful to an institution for space reporting, the “other institutional 

activities” (general, everything else) needs to be expanded. Section F of the OMB Circular identifies 

additional cost categories that can be used to expand the “other institutional activities” function. For 

some functional categories, NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 include the same activities (i.e., 

instruction, organized/sponsored research, student services, and operations and maintenance of plant). 

For other functional categories, there is some overlap of activities between NACUBO and OMB Circular 

A-21, but there are differences as well (i.e., NACUBO’s academic service and OMB’s academic support 

and NACUBO’s institutional support and OMB’s institution support). For other NACUBO functional 

categories, there are no similar, separate OMB categories (i.e., public service, auxiliary enterprises, 

independent operations, and hospitals) and the activities these categories encompass are accounted for in 

the “other sponsored activities” or “other institutional activities” of OMB Circular A-21. In particular, for 

NACUBO functional categories 9.0 – auxiliary enterprises, 10.0 – independent operations, and 11.0 – 

hospitals, Circular A-21 combines these activities under the functional category of Other Institutional 

Activity (OIA). However, for identification of all institutional functional activities for space, it is 

important that these three activities be separately identified. As indicated in chapter 5, it is recommended 

that functional categories be used to link space allocations to financial data or to institutional mission. 

For this general purpose, the NACUBO functions may provide the best link since they are somewhat 

more detailed than the OMB Circular A-21 categories. If, on the other hand, institutions are seeking a 

Facilities and Administration (F and A) Rate for recovery of indirect costs associated with sponsored 

grants and contracts, it is highly recommended that the A-21 functional categories be adopted. 

The following list of functional categories and table B-1 illustrate the similarities and 

differences between the NACUBO functional categories and OMB Circular A-21 functional categories. 
B-2 

1.0 Instruction. (NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21) This category includes all activities that are 

part of an institution’s instructional program. Included are credit and noncredit courses for 

academic, vocational, and technical instruction; remedial and tutorial instruction; regular, special, 

and extension sessions; and community education. Includes departmental research and sponsored 

instruction. 

2.0 Organized/Sponsored Research. (NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21) This category should 

include all activities specifically organized and separately budgeted to produce research 

outcomes, whether commissioned by an agency external to the institution or separately by an 

organizational unit within the institution. 

3.0 Public Service. (NACUBO) (For OMB Circular A-21, these activities would be identified as 

Other Institutional Activity (OIA) and Other Sponsored Activity (OSA) as identified in an 

institution’s financial accounting system.) This category includes identified activities that are 

established primarily to provide noninstructional services beneficial to individuals and groups 

external to the institution. Examples: 

 Community Services 

 Cooperative Extension Services 

 Public Broadcasting Services 

4.0 Academic Support. (NACUBO) This category includes support services for the institution’s 

primary missions: instruction, research, and public service. Examples: 

 Libraries 

 Museums and Galleries 

 Educational Media Services 

 Academic Computing Services 

 Ancillary Support 

 Academic Administration 

 Academic Personnel Development 

 Course and Curriculum Development 

4.0 Academic Service. (Circular A-21) 

4.1 Libraries—Official and organized central and branch libraries. 

4.2 Departmental Administration—Includes all activities directly supporting Deans and 

Department Chairs. 

4.3 Museums and Galleries—Usually included in a functional category of Other Institutional 

Activity (OIA). Check institution’s financial accounting system for correct function 

identification. 
B-3 

5.0 Student Services. (NACUBO and Circular A-21) This category should include admissions and 

registrar offices and those activities whose primary purpose is to contribute to the student’s 

emotional and physical well-being and to his or her intellectual, cultural, and social development 

outside the context of the formal instructional program. Examples: 

Student Services Administration 

Social and Cultural Development 

Counseling and Career Guidance 

Financial Aid Administration 

Student Admissions 

Student Records 

Student Health Services 

6.0 Institutional Support. (NACUBO) This category includes 1) central executive-level activities 

concerned with management and long-range planning of the entire institution, such as the 

governing board, planning and programming, and legal services; 2) fiscal operations, including 

the investment office; 3) administrative data processing; 4) employee personnel and records; 5) 

logistical activities that provide procurement, storerooms, printing, and transportation services to 

the institution; 6) support services to faculty and staff that are not operated as auxiliary 

enterprises; and 7) activities concerned with community and alumni relations, including 

development and fundraising. Examples: 

Executive Management 

Fiscal Operations 

General Administration and Logistical Services 

Administrative Computing Services 

Public Relations/Development 

6.0 Institution Support. (Circular A-21) 

6.1 General Administration 

Executive Management 

Fiscal Operations 

General Administration and Logistical Services 

Administrative Computing Services 

6.2 Public Relations/Development/Alumni Affairs 

(Usually included in Other Institutional Activity (OIA)) 

6.3 Sponsored Projects Administration 

Grants and Contracts Administration 

Grants and Contracts Accounting 

Research Compliance Office 

Check institution’s financial accounting system for other units identified as sponsored 

projects administration
B-4 

7.0 Operation and Maintenance of Plant. (NACUBO and Circular A-21) This category should 

include the operation and maintenance of physical plants for all institutional activities, including 

auxiliary enterprises and independent operations. Examples: 

Physical Plant Administration 

Building Maintenance 

Custodial Services 

Safety 

Security 

Space Management 

Occupational Health 

Utilities 

Landscape and Grounds 

Major Repairs and Renovation 

8.0 This category includes Scholarships and Fellowships but is not used in facilities. (NACUBO) 

9.0 Auxiliary Enterprises. (NACUBO) An auxiliary enterprise is an entity that exists to furnish 

goods or services to students, faculty, or staff, and that charges a fee directly related to, although 

not necessarily equal to, the cost of the goods or services. This also includes Division I 

Intercollegiate Athletics. 

10.0 Independent Operations. (NACUBO) This category includes those operations that are 

independent of, or unrelated to, the primary missions of the institution but that may enhance these 

activities. This category is generally limited to major federally funded research and development 

centers such as the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. 

11.0 Hospitals. (NACUBO) This category includes patient care operations of the separately 

organized and budgeted hospital, including nursing and other professional services, general 

services, administrative services, fiscal services, etc., that are included within the organized 

hospital. 

12.0 Service Center. (Circular A-21) An operation that provides a service or product or a group of 

services or products for a fee to users principally within the institutional community. The 

services may range from highly specialized to typical or necessary functions. Often they could 

not be provided as effectively or efficiently if provided by external sources. A service center 

develops a rate for the service activity based on actual incurred costs and charges users based on 

actual usage. 

13.0 Unoccupied Space. (Supplemental Category) Space that at the time of the inventory is either 

vacant (not assigned to any faculty or staff members) or under renovation. 

NOTE: OMB Circular A-21 requires the long form (detailed information) to be completed for institutions 

receiving over $10 million from the federal government for grants and contracts and requires such 

institutions to apply for a Facilities and Administration Rate. 
B-5 

Table B-1 compares the NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 functional categories codes. 

Table B-1. Comparison between NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 functional categories 

 NACUBO A-21

Major function Subcategory Subcategory 

 Instruction • General academic instruction 

• Vocational/technical instruction 

• Special session instruction 

• Community education 

• Preparatory/remedial instruction 

• All teaching and training 

(except research training) 

• Vocational teaching 

• Technical teaching 

• Departmental research 

• Sponsored instruction and 

training 

 Research • Institutes and research centers 

• Individual and project research 

• Sponsored research 

• Research training 

• University research 

 Public service • Community services 

• Cooperative extension 

• Public broadcasting 

 Academic service/ 

support 

• Libraries 

• Museums and galleries 

• Educational media services 

• Academic computing services 

• Ancillary support 

• Academic administration 

• Academic personnel development 

• Course and curriculum development 

• Libraries 

• Departmental administration 

 Student services • Student services administration 

• Social and cultural development 

• Counseling and career guidance 

• Financial aid administration 

• Student admissions 

• Student records 

• Student health services 

• Student services administration 

• Social and cultural development 

• Counseling and career guidance 

• Financial aid administration 

• Student admissions 

• Student records 

• Student health services

 Institutional support • Executive management 

• Fiscal operations 

• General administrative and logistical 

services 

• Administrative computing services 

• Public relations/development 

• Executive management 

• Fiscal operations 

• General administrative and 

logistical services 

• Administrative computing 

services 

• Sponsored projects administration 

 Operation and 

maintenance of plant 

• Physical plant administration 

• Building maintenance 

• Custodial services 

• Utilities 

• Landscaper and grounds 

• Major repairs and renovations 

• Physical plant administration 

• Building maintenance 

• Custodial services 

• Utilities 

• Landscaper and grounds 

• Major repairs and renovations 
B-6 

Table B-1. Comparison between NACUBO and A-21 functional codes—Continued 

NACUBO A-21 

Major category Subcategory Subcategory 

 Other sponsored 

activities 

• Sponsored health service 

• Sponsored community service 

programs 

 Other institutional 

activities

• All activities except: 

• Instruction, departmental 

research, organized research, 

other sponsored activities 

• F&A cost activities 

• Specialized service facilities 

• Residence halls 

• Dining halls 

• Hospitals and clinics 

• Student union 

• Intercollegiate athletics 

• Bookstores 

• Faculty housing, student 

apartments, guest houses 

• Chapels 

• Theaters 

• Public museums 

• Other similar auxiliary enterprises 

 Scholarships and 

Fellowships (not used 

in facilities inventory) 

 Auxiliary enterprises • Provides goods and services for a fee to 

students, faculty, and staff 

• Intercollegiate athletics 

 Hospitals • Patient care operations of a separately 

organized and budgeted hospital 

 Service Centers • An operation that provides 

services or products for a fee to 

users principally within the 

institutional community 

 
C-1 

Appendix C: 

Coding for Academic Disciplines 

(Classification of Instructional Programs) 

This manual recommends that assignable space be coded according to the academic units or 

discipline structure appropriate to the institution or institutions. While there is no national standard for 

academic units or discipline structures, the National Center for Education Statistics does publish the 

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP). While the CIP structure may not be as appropriate for 

facilities coding as a discipline-based structure for many institutional uses, for external reporting of 

facilities data, this manual recommends that all academic unit or discipline codes be presented in a 

crosswalk to the CIP program structure at the two-digit level or even at the more detailed four- or six-digit 

levels. 

A listing of the two-digit level program codes published by NCES in 2002 and implemented 

for data collection by NCES in 2004 is provided. For definitions and more detailed descriptions and 

codes, consult the Classification of Instructional Programs: 2000 Edition, published by the U.S. 

Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics and available at 

(http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/2002165_2.pdf). 
C-2 

Two-Digit CIP 

Academic and Vocational Programs 

01. Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences 

03. Natural Resources and Conservation 

04. Architecture and Related Services 

05. Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies 

09. Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs 

10. Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services 

11. Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services 

12. Personal and Culinary Services 

13. Education 

14. Engineering 

15. Engineering Technologies/Technicians 

16. Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 

19. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences 

22. Legal Professions and Studies 

23. English Language and Literature/Letters 

24. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Humanities 

25. Library Science 

26. Biological and Biomedical Sciences 

27. Mathematics and Statistics 

29. Military Technologies 

30. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 

31. Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies 

38. Philosophy and Religious Studies 

39. Theology and Religious Vocations 

40. Physical Sciences 

41. Science Technologies/Technicians 

42. Psychology 

43. Security and Protective Services 

44. Public Administration and Social Service Professions 

45. Social Sciences 

46. Construction Trades 

47. Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians 

48. Precision Production 

49. Transportation and Materials Moving 

50. Visual and Performing Arts 

51. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences 

52. Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services 

54. History 

60. Residency Programs 

Technology Education/Industrial Arts Programs 

21. Technology Education/Industrial Arts 

Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC, ROTC) Programs 

28. Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC, ROTC) 
C-3 

Personal Improvement and Leisure Programs 

32. Basic Skills 

33. Citizenship Activities 

34. Health-Related Knowledge and Skills 

35. Interpersonal and Social Skills 

36. Leisure and Recreational Activities 

37. Personal Awareness and Self-Improvement 
This page intentionally left blank. 
D-1 

Appendix D: 

Suggested Infrastructure Classification Identifiers 

This appendix suggests a way of organizing an inventory of infrastructure assets that categorizes 

infrastructure into nine basic grouping. Planners are encouraged to customize this listing to suit the 

particular needs of each institution. In general, the nomenclature for infrastructure classification provided 

in this appendix is similar to the format for coding nonassignable space in that it uses letters to categorize 

the infrastructure into nine basic groupings. Appendix F contains a coding system for assignable apace 

coding including room use coding, nonassignable space coding and infrastructure classification that 

makes use of numeric codes only. Appendix F also contains a table that translates the assignable and 

nonassignable space coding schemes used in the 1994 FICM and maintained in the body of the 2006 

FICM into the unified numeric coding scheme to accommodate legacy systems. 

Infrastructure Classifications Identifiers 

Athletics – Outdoor 

AAA01 Arenas - Open Air 

AAA02 Baseball Fields 

AAA03 Basketball Courts 

AAA04 Bleachers 

AAA05 Circuit Training Courses 

AAA06 Climbing Walls 

AAA07 Dugouts 

AAA08 Field Light Poles 

AAA09 Grass Playing Fields 

AAA10 Hard Playing Surfaces 

AAA11 Press Boxes 

AAA12 Ropes Course Elements 

AAA13 Running Tracks 

AAA14 Scoreboards 

AAA15 Shooting Ranges 

AAA16 Ski Lifts 

AAA17 Softball Fields 

AAA18 Stadiums 

AAA19 Swimming Pools - Open Air 

AAA20 Synthetic Fields 

AAA21 Tennis Courts 

AAA22 Volleyball Courts 

AAA23 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Athletic - Outdoor 
D-2 

LLL Land and Land Elements (land assets that are not already part of another support system) 

LLL01 Pastures 

LLL02 Preserve Areas (designated areas to protect flora, fauna, or 

 geographic features) 

LLL03 Undeveloped Property 

LLL04 Water Bodies (ponds and lakes) 

LLL05 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Land and Land Elements 

Miscellaneous Structures (structures that do not have a building envelope) 

MMM01 Amphitheaters 

MMM02 Bridges – Pedestrian 

MMM03 Bridges – Vehicular 

MMMO4 Bus Shelter 

MMMO5 Fences & Gates 

MMM06 Flagpoles 

MMM07 Hazardous Waste Collection/Storage Sheds 

MMM08 Memorial/Donated Structures 

MMM09 Retaining Walls 

MMM10 Solid Waste Transfer Stations 

MMM11 Statues 

MMM12 Tanks - Fuel 

MMM13 Tanks - Water 

MMM14 Towers - Free Standing & Guy Supported 

MMM15 Waterfront Piers/Docks 

MMM16 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Miscellaneous Structures 

Equipment (cannot travel on public roads)

EEE01 Attachments

EEE02 Hand-held/Worn

EEE03 Mobile Carts - Drivable

EEE04 Riding

EEE05 Walk Behind 

EEE06 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Equipment 
D-3 

GGG Grounds (grounds items that grow) 

GGG01 Arboretums 

GGG02 Fairways 

GGG03 Flower Beds 

GGG04 Hedges 

GGG05 Putting Greens 

GGG06 Shrub Beds 

GGG07 Trees - General 

GGG08 Trees - Forest Preserve 

GGG09 Turf - General 

GGG10 Woody Shrubs 

GGG11 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Grounds 

Retired, Demolished Infrastructure

RRR01 Name of 1st element retired 

RRR02 Name of 2nd element retired, etc. 

Site Furnishings (grounds items that do not grow) 

SSS01 Ash Receptacles 

SSS02 Benches 

SSS03 Bike Racks 

SSS04 Bollards 

SSS05 Cemeteries 

SSS06 Drinking Fountains 

SSS07 Grills - Outdoor 

SSS08 Hardscape - Walkways 

SSS09 Parking Lots 

SSS10 Parking Meters 

SSS11 Picnic Tables 

SSS12 Plaques & Monuments 

SSS13 Ramps 

SSS14 Recycling Receptacles 

SSS15 Hardscape - Roadways 

SSS16 Signage - Exterior 

SSS17 Trash Receptacles 

SSS18 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Site Furnishings 
D-4 

Utilities Distribution Systems 

UUU01 Cable TV 

UUU02 Data 

UUU03 Electric - High Voltage 

UUU04 Electric - Low Voltage 

UUU05 Electric - Secondary 

UUU06 Energy Management 

UUU07 Fire Alarm 

UUU08 Fuel Distribution 

UUU09 Fuel Storage 

UUU10 Lighting - Pedestrian 

UUU11 Lighting - Streets 

UUU12 Natural Gas 

UUU13 Sanitary Sewer 

UUU14 Security 

UUU15 Steam 

UUU16 Storm Water 

UUU17 Telephone - Campus 

UUU18 Telephone - Emergency 

UUU19 Telephone - Public 

UUU20 Water - Chilled 

UUU21 Water - Fire Protection 

UUU22 Water - Heating 

UUU23 Water - Irrigation 

UUU24 Water - Potable 

UUU25 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Utility Distribution Systems 

Vehicles (can travel on public roads) 

VVV01 Athletics Department 

VVV02 Campus General Use 

VVV03 Central Services (mailroom, shipping & receiving, etc.) 

VVV04 Physical Plant/Facilities Department 

VVV05 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Vehicles 

This organizational format was contributed by Eric Ness. 
E-1 

Appendix E: 

Maintenance Condition Matrix

As facilities inventories age, institutional planners are devoting increasing attention, priority, and budget 

to maintenance. To help planners organize their maintenance efforts, chapter 5 of this manual includes a 

suggested classification system for both overall building and individual room conditions. Section 6.3 

outlines a general approach to developing a set of equipment maintenance and space refurbishment 

identifiers and classifications. The following maintenance condition matrix provides a more detailed 

description of the actual conditions and levels of effort required for each of five levels of maintenance 

ranging from maintaining showpiece facilities to maintaining facilities in a crisis response mode. 

The campus average Facilities Condition Index (FCI) of the five levels of maintenance described here 

correspond approximately to the first five categories of building condition described in section 5.5.4, 

Building Condition. 
E-2 

Level 1 2 3 4 

Description Showpiece Facility Comprehensive Stewardship Managed Care Reactive Management 

Customer 

Service and 

Response 

Time 

Able to respond to virtually any type of service, immediate response. 

Response to most service needs, including limited nonmaintenance activities, is typically in a week or less. 

Services available only by reducing maintenance, with response times of 1 month or less. 

Services available only by reducing maintenance, with response times of 1 year or less. 

Customer 

Satisfaction 

Proud of facilities, have a high level of trust for the facilities organization. 

Satisfied with facilities related services, usually complimentary of facilities staff. 

Accustomed to basic level of facilities care. Generally able to perform mission duties. Lack of pride in physical environment. 

Generally critical of cost, responsiveness, and quality of facilities services. 

 Preventive 

vs. 

Corrective 

Maintenance 

100% 75-99% 50-74% 25-49% 

Maintenance 

Mix 

All recommended PMs are scheduled and performed on time. Reactive maintenance (e.g., spot relamping and adjusting door closers) is minimized to the unavoidable or economical. Emergencies (e.g., storms or power outages) are very infrequent and handled efficiently. 

A well-developed PM program: most required PMs are done at a frequency slightly less than per defined schedule. Appreciable reactive maintenance required due to systems wearing out prematurely and high number of lamps burning out. Occasional emergencies caused by pump failures, cooling system failures, etc. 

Reactive maintenance predominates due to systems failing to perform, especially during harsh seasonal peaks. An effort still made at PM: priority to schedule as time and manpower permit. The high number of emergencies (e.g., pump failures, heating and cooling system failures) causes reports to upper administration. 

Worn out systems require manpower to be scheduled to react to systems that are performing poorly or not at all. Significant time spent procuring parts and services due to the high number of emergency situations with weekly reporting. PM work possible consists of simple tasks and is done inconsistently, e.g., filter changing, greasing and fan belt replacement, etc. 

Aesthetics, 

Interior Like new finishes. Clean/crisp finishes. Average finishes. Dingy finishes. 

Aesthetics, 

Exterior 

Windows, doors, trim, exterior walls are like new. 

Watertight, good appearance of exterior cleaners. 

Minor leaks and blemishes, average exterior appearance. 

Somewhat drafty and leaky, rough looking exterior, extra painting necessary. 
E-3 

Level 1 2 3 4 

Description Showpiece Facility Comprehensive Stewardship Managed Care Reactive Management 

Aesthetics, 

Lighting 

Bright and clean, attractive lighting. 

Bright and clean, attractive lighting. 

Small percentage of lights out, generally well lit and clean. 

Numerous lights out, some missing diffusers, secondary areas dark. 

Service 

Efficiency 

Maintenance activities appear highly organized and focused. Typically, equipment and building components are fully functional and in excellent operating condition. Service and maintenance calls are responded to immediately. Buildings and equipment are routinely and regularly upgraded keeping them current with modern standards and usage. 

Maintenance activities appear organized with direction. Equipment and building components are usually functional and in operating condition. Service and maintenance calls are responded to in a timely manner. Buildings and equipment are regularly upgraded keeping them current with modern standards and usage. 

Maintenance activities appear to be somewhat organized, but remain people dependent. Equipment and building components are mostly functional, but suffer occasional breakdowns. Service and maintenance call response times are variable and sporadic, without apparent cause. Buildings and equipment are periodically upgraded to current standards and use, but not enough to control the effects of normal usage and deterioration. 

Maintenance activities appear somewhat chaotic and are people dependent. Equipment and building components are frequently broken and inoperative. Service and maintenance calls are typically not responded to in a timely manner. Normal usage and deterioration continues unabated, making buildings and equipment inadequate to meet present use needs. 

Building 

Systems' 

Reliability 

Breakdown maintenance is rare and limited to vandalism and abuse repairs. 

Breakdown maintenance is limited to system components short of mean time between failures (MTBF). 

Building and systems components periodically or often fail. 

Many systems unreliable. Constant need for repair. Backlog of repair needs exceeds resources. 

Facility 

Maintenance 

Operating 

Budget as % 

of CRV 

> 4.0 3.5 - 4.0 3.0 - 3.4 2.5 – 2.9 

Campus 

Average FCI <0.05 0.05 - 0.15 0.16 - 0.29 0.30 - 0.49 

PM = preventive maintenance. CRV = current replacement value. FCI is a standard measure of renovation cost as a percent of building replacement cost. It is used throughout the country and is recommended by both the National Associa(NACUBO) and the Association of Higher Education Facility Officers (APPA).
This page intentionally left blank. 
F-1 

Appendix F: 

An Integrated Numeric Coding Structure for Assignable and 

Nonassignable Space and Infrastructure 

 Table F-1 provides a numeric coding structure that is consistent for all facets of a facilities 

inventory—assignable space, nonassignable space, and infrastructure. Institutions that already have a 

facilities inventory that uses the codes for assignable and nonassignable space that were presented in the 

1994 FICM and continued in the main body of the 2006 FICM may not wish to, or be able to, change 

their systems. On the other hand, institutions that are just beginning a facilities inventory system or that 

are upgrading their facilities inventory system, might consider using the numeric, integrated coding 

structure presented here. 

Table F-1. Integrated space use and infrastructure numeric coding structure and crosswalk to 

1994 FICM coding structure

 

NUMERIC CODING STRUCTURE 1994 CODING STRUCTURE 

01 ASSIGNABLE AREA ASSIGNABLE AREA 

 

 01.100 Classroom Facilities 100 Classroom Facilities 

01.100.10 Classroom 110 Classroom Facilities 

01.100.15 Classroom Service 115 Classroom Service 

 

 01.200 Laboratory Facilities 200 Laboratories 

01.200.10 Class Laboratory 210 Class Laboratory 

01.200.15 Class Laboratory Service 215 Class Laboratory Service 

01.200.20 Open Laboratory 220 Open Laboratory 

01.200.25 Open Laboratory Service 225 Open Laboratory Service 

01.200.50 Research/non-class Laboratory 250 Research/non-class Laboratory 

01.200.55 Research/non-class Laboratory Service 255 Research/non-class Laboratory Service 

 

01.300 Office Facilities 300 Office Facilities 

01.300.10 Office 310 Office 

01.300.15 Office Service 315 Office Service 

01.300.50 Conference Room 350 Conference Room 

01.300.55 Conference Room Service 355 Conference Room Service 

 

01.400 Study Facilities 400 Study Facilities 

01.400.10 Study Room 410 Study Room 

01.400.20 Stack 420 Stack 

01.400.30 Open-Stack Study Room 430 Open-Stack Study Room 

01.400.40 Processing Room 440 Processing Room 

01.400.55 Study Service 455 Study Service 

 

01.500 Special Use Facilities 500 Special Use Facilities 

01.500.10 Armory 510 Armory 

01.500.15 Armory Service 515 Armory Service 

01.500.20 Athletic or Physical Education 520 Athletic or Physical Education 

01.500.23 Athletic Facilities Spectator Seating 523 Athletic Facilities Spectator Seating 

01.500.25 Athletic or Physical Education Service 525 Athletic or Physical Education Service 

01.500.30 Media Production 530 Media Production 

01.500.35 Media Production Service 535 Media Production Service 
F-2 

Table F-1. Integrated space use and infrastructure numeric coding structure and crosswalk to 

1994 FICM coding structure—Continued

 

NUMERIC CODING STRUCTURE 1994 CODING STRUCTURE 

01.500.40 Clinic 540 Clinic 

01.500.45 Clinic Service 545 Clinic Service 

01.500.50 Demonstration 550 Demonstration 

01.500.55 Demonstration Service 555 Demonstration Service 

01.500.60 Field Building 560 Field Building 

01.500.70 Animal Facilities 570 Animal Facilities 

01.500.75Animal Facilities Service 575 Animal Facilities Service 

01.500.80 Greenhouse 580 Greenhouse 

01.500.85 Greenhouse Service 585 Greenhouse Service 

01.500.90 Other (All Purpose) 590 Other (All Purpose) 

 

01.600 General Use Facilities 600 General Use Facilities 

01.600.10 Assembly 610 Assembly 

01.600.15 Assembly Service 615Assembly Service 

01.600.20 Exhibition 620 Exhibition 

01.600.25 Exhibition Service 625 Exhibition Service 

01.600.30 Food Facility 630 Food Facility 

01.600.35 Food Facility Service 635 Food Facility Service 

01.600.40 Day Care 640 Day Care 

01.600.45 Day Care Service 645 Day Care Service 

01.600.50 Lounge 650 Lounge 

01.600.55 Lounge Service 655 Lounge Service 

01.600.60 Merchandising 660 Merchandising 

01.600.65 Merchandising Service 665 Merchandising Service 

01.600.70 Recreation 670 Recreation 

01.600.75 Recreation Service 675 Recreation Service 

01.600.80 Meeting Room 680 Meeting Room 

01.600.85 Meeting Room Service 685 Meeting Room Service 

 

 01.700 Support Facilities 

01.700.10 Central Computer or Telecommunications 710 Central Computer or Telecommunications 

01.700.15 Central Computer or Telecommunications 

Service 

715 Central Computer or Telecommunications 

Service 

01.700.20 Shop 720 Shop 

01.700.25 Shop Service 725 Shop Service 

01.700.30 Central Storage 730 Central Storage 

01.700.35 Central Storage Service 735 Central Storage Service 

01.700.40 Vehicle Storage 740 Vehicle Storage 

01.700.45 Vehicle Storage Service 745 Vehicle Storage Service 

01.700.50 Central Service 750 Central Service 

01.700.55 Central Service Support 755 Central Service Support 

01.700.60 Hazardous Materials Storage 760 Hazardous Materials Storage 

01.700.70 Hazardous Waste Storage 770 Hazardous Waste Storage 

01.700.75 Hazardous Waste Service 775 Hazardous Waste Service 

01.700.80 Unit Storage 780 Unit Storage 

 

01.800 Health Care Facilities 800 Health Care Facilities

01.800.10 Patient Bedroom 810 Patient Bedroom 

01.800.15 Patient Bedroom Service 815 Patient Bedroom Service 

01.800.20 Patient Bath 820 Patient Bath 

01.800.30 Nurse Station 830 Nurse Station 
F-3 

Table F-1. Integrated space use and infrastructure numeric coding structure and crosswalk to 

1994 FICM coding structure—Continued

 

NUMERIC CODING STRUCTURE 1994 CODING STRUCTURE 

01.800.35 Nurse Station Service 835 Nurse Station Service 

01.800.40 Surgery 840 Surgery 

01.800.45 Surgery Service 845 Surgery Service 

01.800.50 Treatment/Examination Clinic 850 Treatment/Examination Clinic 

01.800.55 Treatment/Examination Clinic Service 855 Treatment/Examination Clinic Service 

01.800.60 Diagnostic Service Laboratory 860 Diagnostic Service Laboratory 

01.800.65 Diagnostic Service Laboratory Support 865 Diagnostic Service Laboratory Support 

01.800.70 Central Supplies 870 Central Supplies 

01.800.80 Public Waiting 880 Public Waiting 

01.800.90 Staff On-Call Facility 890 Staff On-Call Facility 

01.800.95 Staff On-Call Facility Service 895 Staff On-Call Facility Service 

 

01.900 Residential Facilities 900 Residential Facilities 

01.900.10 Sleep/Study Without Toilet or Bath 910 Sleep/Study Without Toilet or Bath 

01.900.19 Toilet or Bath 919 Toilet or Bath 

01.900.20 Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath 920 Sleep/Study With Toilet or Bath 

01.900.35 Sleep/Study Service 935 Sleep/Study Service 

01.900.50 Apartment 950 Apartment 

01.900.55 Apartment Service 955 Apartment Service 

01.900.70 House 970 House 

 

01.000 Unclassified Facilities 000 Unclassified Facilities

01.000.50 Inactive Area 050 Inactive Area 

01.000.60 Alteration or Conversion Area 060 Alteration or Conversion Area 

01.000.70 Unfinished Area 070 Unfinished Area 

 

02 NONASSIGNABLE AREA NONASSIGNABLE AREA 

 02.100 Circulation Area WWW Circulation Area 

02.100.01 Bridge/Tunnel W01 Bridge/Tunnel 

02.100.02 Elevator W02 Elevator 

02.100.03 Escalator W03 Escalator 

02.100.04 Loading Dock W04 Loading Dock 

02.100.05 Lobby W05 Lobby 

02.100.06 Public Corridor W06 Public Corridor 

02.100.07 Stairway W07 Stairway 

 

02.200 Building Service Area XXX Building Service Area 

02.200.01 Custodial Supply Closet X01 Custodial Supply Closet 

02.200.02 Janitor Room X02 Janitor Room 

02.200.03 Public Rest Room X03 Public Rest Room 

02.200.04 Trash Room X04 Trash Room 

 

02.300 Mechanical Area YYY Mechanical Area 

02.300.01 Central Utility Plant Y01 Central Utility Plant 

02.300.02 Fuel Room Y02 Fuel Room 

02.300.03 Shaft Y03 Shaft 

02.300.04 Utility/Mechanical Space Y04 Utility/Mechanical Space 
F-4 

Table F-1. Integrated space use and infrastructure numeric coding structure and crosswalk to 

1994 FICM coding structure—Continued

 

NUMERIC CODING STRUCTURE 1994 CODING STRUCTURE 

03 INFRASTRUCTURE 

 03.100 Athletics - Outdoor 

03.100.01 Arenas - Open Air AAA01 Arenas - Open Air 

03.100.02 Baseball Fields AAA02 Baseball Fields 

03.100.03 Basketball Courts AAA03 Basketball Courts 

03.100.04 Bleachers AAA04 Bleachers 

03.100.05 Circuit Training Courses AAA05 Circuit Training Courses 

03.100.06 Climbing Walls AAA06 Climbing Walls 

03.100.07 Dugouts AAA07 Dugouts 

03.100.08 Field Light Poles AAA08 Field Light Poles 

03.100.09 Grass Playing Fields AAA09 Grass Playing Fields 

03.100.10 Hard Playing Surfaces AAA10 Hard Playing Surfaces 

03.100.11 Press Boxes AAA11 Press Boxes 

03.100.12 Ropes Course Elements AAA12 Rope Course Elements 

03.100.13 Running Tracks AAA13 Running Tracks 

03.100.14 Scoreboards AAA14 Scoreboards 

03.100.15 Shooting Ranges AAA15 Shooting Ranges 

03.100.16 Ski Lifts AAA16 Ski Lifts 

03.100.17 Softball Fields AAA17 Softball Fields 

03.100.18 Stadiums AAA18 Stadiums 

03.100.19 Swimming Pools - Open Air AAA19 Swimming Pools – Open Air 

03.100.20 Synthetic Fields AAA20 Synthetic Fields 

03.100.21Tennis Courts AAA21 Tennis Courts 

03.100.22Volleyball Courts AAA22 Volleyball Courts 

03.100.23 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined 

Athletic - Outdoor 

AAA23 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Athletic 

- Outdoor 

 

 03.200 Land and Land Elements (land assets that are 

not already part of another support system) 

03.200.01 Pastures LLL01 Pastures 

03.200.02 Preserve Areas (designated areas to 

protect flora, fauna, or geographic 

features) 

LLL02 Preserve Areas (designated areas to protect flora, 

fauna, or geographic features) 

03.200.03 Undeveloped Property LLL03 Undeveloped Property 

03.200.04 Water Bodies (ponds and lakes) LLL04 Water Bodies (ponds and lakes) 

03.200.05 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined 

Land and Land Elements 

LLL05 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Land and 

Land Elements 
F-5 

Table F-1. Integrated space use and infrastructure numeric coding structure and crosswalk to 1994 

FICM coding structure—Continued

 

NUMERIC CODING STRUCTURE 1994 CODING STRUCTURE 

 03.300 Miscellaneous Structures (structures that do not 

have a building envelope) 

03.300.01 Amphitheaters MMM01 Amphitheaters 

03.300.02 Bridges – Pedestrian MMM02 Bridges – Pedestrian 

03.300.03 Bridges – Vehicular MMM03 Bridges Vehicular 

03.300.04 Bus Shelter MMMO4 Bus Shelter 

03.300.05 Fences & Gates MMMO5 Fences and Gates 

03.300.06 Flagpoles MMM06 Flagpoles 

03.300.07 Hazardous Waste Collection/Storage Sheds MMM07 Hazardous Waste Collection/Storage Sheds 

03.300.08 Memorial/Donated Structures MMM08 Memorial/Donated Structures 

03.300.09 Retaining Walls MMM09 Retaining Walls 

03.300.10 Solid Waste Transfer Stations MMM10 Solid Waste Transfer Stations 

03.300.11 Statues MMM11 Statues 

03.300.12 Tanks - Fuel MMM12 Tanks – Fuel 

03.300.13 Tanks - Water MMM13 Tanks – Water 

03.300.14 Hazardous Waste Collection/Storage Sheds MMM14 Hazardous Waste Collection/Storage Sheds 

03.300.15 Waterfront Piers/Docks MMM15 Waterfront Piers/Docks 

03.300.16 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined 

Miscellaneous Structures 

MMM16 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined 

Miscellaneous Structures 

 03.400 Equipment (cannot travel on public roads)

03.400.01 Attachments EEE01 Attachments 

03.400.02 Hand-held/worn EEE02 Hand-held/worn 

03.400.03 Mobile Carts - Driveable EEE03 Mobile Carts – Driveable 

03.400.04 Riding EEE04 Riding 

03.400.05 Walk Behind EEE05 Walk Behind 

03.400.06 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined 

Equipment 

EEE06 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined 

Equipment 

 03.500 Grounds (grounds items that grow) 

03.500.01 Arboretums GGG01 Arboretums 

03.500.02 Fairways GGG02 Fairways 

03.500.03 Flower Beds GGG03 Flower Beds 

03.500.04 Hedges GGG04 Hedges 

03.500.05 Putting Greens GGG05 Putting Greens 

03.500.06 Shrub Beds GGG06 Shrub Beds 

03.500.07 Trees - General GGG07 Trees – General 

03.500.08 Trees - Forest Preserve GGG08 Trees - Forest Preserve 

03.500.09 Turf - General GGG09 Turf – General 

03.500.10 Woody Shrubs GGG10 Woody Shrubs 

03.500.11 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Grounds GGG11 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Grounds 
F-6 

Table F-1. Integrated space use and infrastructure numeric coding structure and crosswalk to 

1994 FICM coding structure—Continued

 

NUMERIC CODING STRUCTURE 1994 CODING STRUCTURE 

 03.600 Site Furnishings (grounds items that do not 

grow)

03.600.01 Ash Receptacles SSS01 Ash Receptacles 

03.600.02 Benches SSS02 Benches 

03.600.03 Bike Racks SSS03 Bike Racks 

03.600.04 Bollards SSS04 Bollards 

03.600.05 Cemeteries SSS05 Cemeteries 

03.600.06 Drinking Fountains SSS06 Drinking Fountains 

03.600.07 Grills - Outdoor SSS07 Grills – Outdoor 

03.600.08 Hardscape - Walkways SSS08 Hardscape – Walkways 

03.600.09 Parking Lots SSS09 Parking Lots 

03.600.10 Parking Meters SSS10 Parking Meters 

03.600.11 Picnic Tables SSS11 Picnic Tables 

03.600.12 Plaques & Monuments SSS12 Plaques & Monuments 

03.600.13 Ramps SSS13 Ramps 

03.600.14 Recycling Receptacles SSS14 Recycling Receptacles 

03.600.15 Hardscape - Roadways SSS15 Hardscape – Roadways 

03.600.16 Signage - Exterior SSS16 Signage – Exterior 

03.600.17 Trash Receptacles SSS17 Trash Receptacles 

03.600.18 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined SSS18 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined 

 

 03.700 Utilities Distribution Systems 

03.700.01 Cable TV UUU01 Cable TV 

03.700.02 Data UUU02 Data 

03.700.03 Electric - High Voltage UUU03 Electric – High Voltage 

03.700.04 Electric - Low Voltage UUU04 Electric – Low Voltage 

03.700.05 Electric - Secondary UUU05 Electric – Secondary 

03.700.06 Energy Management UUU06 Energy Management 

03.700.07 Fire Alarm UUU07 Fire Alarm 

03.700.08 Fuel Distribution UUU08 Fuel Distribution 

03.700.09 Fuel Storage UUU09 Fuel Storage 

03.700.10 Lighting - Pedestrian UUU10 Lighting Pedestrian 

03.700.11 Lighting - Streets UUU11 Lighting Streets 

03.700.12 Natural Gas UUU12 Natural Gas 

03.700.13 Sanitary Sewer UUU13 Sanitary Sewer 

03.700.14 Security UUU14 Security 

03.700.15 Steam UUU15 Steam 

03.700.16 Storm Water UUU16 Storm Water 

03.700.17 Telephone - Campus UUU17 Telephone – Campus 

03.700.18 Telephone – Emergency UUU18 Telephone Emergency 

03.700.19 Telephone - Public UUU19 Telephone – Public 

03.700.20 Water - Chilled UUU20 Water – Chilled 

03.700.21 Water - Fire Protection UUU21 Water – Fire Protection 

03.700.22 Water - Heating UUU22 Water – Heating 

03.700.23 Water - Irrigation UUU23 Water – Irrigation 

03.700.24 Water – Potable UUU24 Water – Potable 

03.700.25 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined 

Utility Distribution Systems 

UUU25 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Utility 

Distribution Systems 
F-7 

Table F-1. Integrated space use and infrastructure numeric coding structure and crosswalk to 

1994 FICM coding structure—Continued

 

NUMERIC CODING STRUCTURE 1994 CODING STRUCTURE 

 03.800 Vehicles (can travel on public roads) 

03.800.01 Athletics Department VVV01 Athletics Department 

03.800.02 Campus General Use VVV02 Campus General Use 

03.800.03 Central Services (mailroom, shipping & 

receiving, etc.) 

VVV03 Central Services (mailroom, shipping & 

receiving, etc.) 

03.800.04 Physical Plant/Facilities Department VVV04 Physical Plant/Facilities Department 

03.800.05 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined 

Vehicles 

VVV05 Other Miscellaneous and Not Defined Vehicles 

 

 03.900 Retired, Demolished Infrastructure 

03.900.01 Name of 1st element retired RRR01 Name of 1st element retired 

03.900.02 Name of 2nd element retired, etc. RRR02 Name of 2nd element retired, etc 
This page intentionally left blank. 
G-1

Appendix G: 

Glossary 

The definitions and explanations of building measurement terms, room use categories, functional codes, 

and other basic components of a facilities inventory data system are contained in the appropriately 

identified sections of this manual. Users are referred to the Table of Contents for sections and page 

locations. 

In addition, this glossary contains brief definitions of generic terms related to facilities inventory data and 

explanations of the acronyms and abbreviations of terms or organizations referred to in this manual. Also 

included are definitions for terms related to institutional identification, enrollments, and faculty that may 

be useful in relation to the use of facilities data. 

A-21: Circular A-21, Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Grants, Contracts, and Other 

Agreements with Educational Institutions, published by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a021/a21_2004.html ). 

AAALAC: American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. 

Academic Discipline (Coding): A listing of the two-digit level program codes published by the National 

Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 2002 and implemented for data collection by NCES in 2004. 

For definitions and more detailed descriptions and codes, consult the Classification of Instructional 

Programs: 2000 Edition, published by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education 

Statistics, and available at (http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/2002165_2.pdf). See Coding for Academic 

Disciplines, appendix C. 

Academic Program: An instructional program leading toward an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, 

doctor’s, or first-professional degree or other formal award or resulting in credits that can be applied to 

one of these degrees. 

Academic Year: The period of time generally extending from September to June; usually equated to two 

semesters or trimesters, three quarters, or the period covered by a 4-1-4 calendar system. 

Administratively Equal Institution: Separately organized, or independently administered site or campus 

with its own full administration and records system within an institutional system. This institution may 

report to a system office but does not report to any other institution. 

APPA: The Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers. APPA is the commonly used acronym 

from the original name of this association, the Association of Physical Plant Administrators. 

As-built Drawings: Architectural and engineering drawings that record the current locations of primary 

building features, walls, primary building equipment, mechanical system outlets, and equipment. 

Branch Institution (Campus): A campus or site of an educational institution that is not temporary, is 

located in a community beyond a reasonable commuting distance from its parent institution, and offers 

full programs of study, not just courses. 

BOMA: Building Owners and Managers Association. 
G-2

BOMI: Building Owners and Managers Institute. 

Building: A roofed structure for permanent or temporary shelter of persons, animals, plants, materials, or 

equipment. A building is a) attached to a foundation; b) roofed; c) serviced by a utility, exclusive of 

lighting; and d) a source of significant repair and maintenance activities. See section 2.3, What to Include 

in a Building Inventory, for inclusions and exclusions. 

Building Condition: The physical status of the building at the time of the inventory or facility audit, 

based on the best judgment of those persons familiar with the physical characteristics and condition of the 

campus. See section 5.5, Building and Space Optional Data Element. 

Building Data: Descriptive characteristics of a building, such as gross area, assignable area, condition, 

ownership, estimated replacement cost, and year of construction. See section 5.2, Required Data 

Elements, section 5.3, Optional Data Elements, and section 3.2, Definitions of Building Areas. 

Building Ownership Status: The type of ownership and the relation of title holder to the institution. See 

definitions in section 5.3, Optional Data Elements. 

Building Service Area: The sum of all areas on all floors of a building used for custodial supplies, sink 

rooms, janitorial closets, and public rest rooms. See section 3.2, Definitions of Building Areas. 

CAD: Computer-aided design software systems primarily used to develop design and construction 

drawings for new construction or renovations. With additional efforts, such systems can be used to 

generate and store space inventory information. 

CAFM: Computer-aided facilities management systems. CAFM systems offer one or more solutions, 

often differing in nature, of these facilities management activities: call center work, design and 

construction drawings including specifications, equipment and furniture inventories, hoteling, lease 

management, real property portfolio tracking, preventive maintainence, project management, safety, 

security, space management, utilization studies, wire and cabling, and more. 

Central Office or System Office: The administrative body or component responsible for supervision of a 

multi-institutional system. 

Circulation Area: The sum of all areas on all floors of a building required for physical access to some 

subdivision of space, whether physically bounded by partitions or not. See section 3.2, Definitions of 

Building Areas. 

Classification of Instruction Programs (CIP): A taxonomic scheme for secondary and postsecondary 

instructional programs. It is intended to facilitate the organization, collection, and reporting of program 

data using classifications that capture the majority of reportable data. The CIP is the accepted federal 

government statistical standard on instructional program classifications and is used in a variety of 

education information surveys and databases. See appendix C, Coding for Academic Disciplines (CIP 

System). The full text is available at (http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/2002165_2.pdf). 

CMMS: Computerized maintenance management system. A computerized database and tracking system 

for managing requests for facilities management, planning, and maintenance tasks. Also called a work 

order system. 

Contact Hour: A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also 

referred to as clock hour. 
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Credit Hour: A unit of measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per 

week over the entire term. It is applied toward the total number of hours needed for completing the 

requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award. 

Core Factor: In commercial space measurement systems, the percentage of the rentable area of each 

floor that is not part of a tenant’s own space. 

Cost of Latest Major Renovation: The dollar value of the latest renovation that cost in excess of 25 

percent of the estimated replacement cost of the structure and that significantly extended its useful life. 

Correspondence: A method of instruction with students receiving structured units of information and 

accompanying material completely through the mail. 

Data Element: An individual item of data related to a particular space.

Data Field: A location of specific data elements that make up a data record. Example: A space record 

requires a minimum of these four data fields—a unique space number, area, space use, and organizational 

assignment. 

Data Record: A collection of all fields pertaining to a single data element. 

Estimated Replacement Cost: The estimated cost to replace the building at the time of inventory. 

Facilities: Any physical structure or space required by the institution for the performance of its programs 

and related activities. 

Facilities Inventory: A database containing statistical information on buildings, including both building 

and room/space data as defined in this glossary. 

FICE: Federal Interagency Committee on Education. A 6-digit identification code originally created by 

the Federal Interagency Committee on Education (FICE). The code was used to identify all schools doing 

business with the Office of Education during the early sixties. This code is no longer used in IPEDS; it 

has been replaced by the IPEDS unit ID. 

Fixed Equipment: Permanently attached appurtenances such as elevators, fire protection systems, 

lighting, plumbing, heating, ventilation, and built-in air conditioning systems (excluding window or 

console air conditioning units that require no duct work or cooling towers). 

Functional Categories and Codes: A set of categories or codes to allocate space across functional 

categories (e.g., instruction, research, public service, academic support). This is used primarily to link 

space allocations to financial data or to institutional missions (e.g., the proportion of space used for public 

service) or to analyze and compare space allocations across institutions according to commonly used 

functional categories. See section 5.5.8 of Building and Space Optional Data Element Discussion; for a 

detailed description of functional categories, see appendix B. 

GASB: The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) establishes accounting standards for 

local and state entities including governmental colleges and universities. 

Gross Area: Gross Area is the sum of all areas on all floors of a building included within the outside 

faces of its exterior walls, including all vertical penetration areas, for circulation and shaft areas that 

connect one floor to another. See section 3.2, Definitions of Building Areas. 
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GSA: The U.S. General Services Administration. 

GWCAR: The Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors. 

HEGIS: The Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) system was conducted by the 

NCES between 1966 and 1985. This system comprised several surveys of institutions that were accredited 

at the college level by an agency recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. These 

surveys collected institution-level data on such topics as institutional characteristics, enrollment, degrees 

conferred, salaries, employees, financial statistics, libraries, and others. HEGIS surveys were sent to 

approximately 3,400 accredited institutions of higher education. HEGIS surveys were incorporated into 

IPEDS after 1985 (see IPEDS). 

HVAC: Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. 

IFMA: International Facility Management Association. 

Infrastructure: Physical assets with a long useful life that are normally stationary in nature and can be 

preserved for a significantly greater number of years than most capital assets. Examples of infrastructure 

assets include roads, bridges, tunnels, drainage systems, water and sewer systems, dams, and lighting 

systems. 

Institutional System: Two or more postsecondary institutions under the control or supervision of a single 

administrative body. 

IPEDS: The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, comprising a series of annual and regular 

periodic institutional surveys of all postsecondary institutions in the United States and its territories that 

have a Program Participation Agreement with the Office of Postsecondary Education in the U.S. 

Department of Education. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). 

Each postsecondary institution may be identified by its unique IPEDS unit ID. This ID replaces the FICE 

number that was formerly used. 

Interface: A specialized software protocol that enables the transfer of data or programs between two 

different software programs. 

Mechanical Area: The sum of all areas on all floors of a building designed to house mechanical 

equipment, utility services, and shaft areas. See section 3.2, Definitions of Building Areas. 

Multi-Institution System: An institution that has either 1) two or more sites or campuses responsible to 

one administration which may or may not be located on one of the sites or campuses, or 2) a primary site 

or main campus with one or more branches attached to it. 

NACUBO: The National Association of College and University Business Officers. 

Net Assignable Area: Net Assignable Area is the sum of all areas on all floors of a building assigned to, 

or available for assignment to, an occupant or specific use. See section 3.2, Definitions of Building 

Areas. 

Net Usable Area: Net Usable Area is the sum of all areas on all floors of a building either assigned to, or 

available for assignment to, an occupant or specific use, or necessary for the general operation of a 

building. See section 3.2, Definitions of Building Areas. 
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Nonassignable Area: The sum of all areas on all floors of a building not available for assignment to an 

occupant or for specific use, but necessary for the general operation of a building. See section 3.2, 

Definitions of Building Areas. 

Off-Campus Centers: Sites outside the confines of the parent institution where courses are offered that 

are part of an organized program at the parent institution. The sites are not considered to be temporary but 

may be rented or made available to the institution at no cost by another institution or an organization, 

agency, or firm. 

Off-Campus Facility: A facility located some distance away from the educational institution which 

operates it. 

Optional Data: Additional data (besides required data) in a facilities inventory system that increases the 

overall value of the database to the institution and enhances reporting and organizing data, both internally 

(intra-institutional) and externally (interinstitutional). See section 5.2, Required Data Elements.

Organizational Unit: The basic component of the organizational structure of a postsecondary institution. 

Usually referred to as a department, but including both academic units (e.g., English Department, Physics 

Department, School of Law, etc.) and administrative units (e.g., Office of the President, Registrar, 

Physical Plant, etc.). 

Original Building Cost: The total original project cost of a facility, in actual dollars, to an institution. 

Parent Institution: The administrative unit or institution in a multi-institutional system through which all 

the system’s institutions, branches, and programs are linked. This institution generally reports data for 

another institution known as the child institution. 

Parking Structures: See discussion of options in Parking Structures in section 3.2, Definitions of 

Building Areas. 

Plenum: A duct created to direct the flow of air either into or out of a building. Plenums are generally 

made of sheet metal but may be constructed of any material and be of any shape. They may also be 

insulated and have devices in them to regulate their flow of air. 

Postsecondary Education: The provision of a formal instructional program whose curriculum is 

designed primarily for students who are beyond the compulsory age for high school. This includes 

programs whose purpose is academic, vocational, and continuing professional education, and excludes 

avocational and adult basic education programs. 

Postsecondary Education Institution: An institution that has the provision of postsecondary education 

as its sole purpose or one of its primary missions. 

Preventive maintenance: An approach to maintaining facilities, infrastructure, and equipment, involving 

planned inspection, diagnostics, testing and servicing at regular intervals, to prolong the useful life of 

operating equipment, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, as well as tasks to 

preserve the building itself, such as repointing brickwork, caulking windows, and swimming pool 

whitecoating. 

Privatization: The process of developing facilities, such as student housing, through public/private 

funding partnerships with private organizations legally separate from an institution’s organization. 
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REBNY: The Real Estate Board of New York. 

Replacement Cost: The dollar value for replacing an existing facility if it were rebuilt today. 

Required Data: The minimum data elements necessary to provide unique identification to a given room 

or space: a unique space or room identifier; the organizational unit to which it is assigned; its assignable 

or nonassignable square-foot area; and its room or space use category. This is the minimum data needed 

to establish a facilities inventory system. (See also Optional Data.) 

Room: A covered contiguous area enclosed on all sides by walls, or imaginary boundary lines (referred to 

as “phantom walls”) where a wall does not exist; it may consist of one or more spaces (see Space).

Covered play areas, covered patios, and covered walkways are exceptions to the enclosure criterion. 

Room or Space Condition: The need for a room to be repaired, upgraded, or renovated based solely on 

its physical condition; see also Room Suitability. 

Room Data: Descriptive characteristics of assignable interior spaces of a building, including standard 

room use categories, institutional organizational units, academic discipline and functional codes, 

assignable floor areas and, in some instances, numbers of stations. See section 5.2, Required Data 

Elements, and section 5.3, Optional Data Elements. 

Room or Space Suitability: An evaluation of the functionality of the room for its assigned use and 

function at the time of the inventory, based on the design, configuration, and fixed equipment in the room. 

SCUP: The Society for College and University Planning. 

SHEEO: State Higher Education Executive Officers. 

Single Institution: A postsecondary institution that operates independently from other institutions. The 

institution may offer instruction at more than one geographic site, but all administration and governance 

and recordkeeping are at one site. 

Space: A covered contiguous area enclosed on all sides by walls or imaginary boundary lines (referred to 

as “phantom walls”) where a wall does not exist, that accommodates a single use; the smallest discrete 

spatial unit or data element used, tracked and analyzed in an institution’s space inventory. A space may 

be part of a room, and a room may contain several spaces.

Space Measurement System: A codified system of classifying various categories for physical space, 

defining their boundaries, and measurement techniques. 

Structural Area: The sum of all areas on all floors of a building that cannot be occupied or put to use 

because of structural building features; the Gross Area minus Net Usable Area. See section 3.2, 

Definitions of Building Areas. 

Unique Space Identifier: A means, such as an alpha-numeric code, to identify each individual space in a 

facilities inventory database. 

Unit ID: Unique identification number assigned to postsecondary institutions surveyed through the 

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (see IPEDS). 

Work Order System: See CMMS. 
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