Space Management

The Space Management Initiative and Our Role

Our University's physical resources are one of our most important assets. Space on the UTC campus is a fixed, highly visible but generally scarce resource.

The Office of Space Management provides a focal point to address difficult and multi-dimensional space issues. We provide data and recommend solutions so the university's Facility Planning Committee can implement decisions involving space allocations. As a result, the University can utilize its physical resources as flexibly and productively as possible using the Tennessee Higher Education Committee's space standards as our guide. Assignment and allocation of space often present many unique challenges and complexities. Some of these include a finite amount of space, competing needs for limited space resources, renovation costs, complexities of developing plans and executing physical changes to facilities, multiple stakeholders and requests, disruptions due to relocations and emotional ties to space.

University Facilities Inventory

Every year, the UT System Office of Real Estate and Space Utilization conducts a facility inventory to update the function, occupancy and responsibility for all spaces which are either owned or leased by the University. The UTC space inventory includes approximately 2.8 million gross sq feet with an assignable area nearing 2 million sq feet. The Facilities Inventory encompasses 55 buildings on approximately 140 acres of densely developed metropolitan property. There are over 5,000 separate rooms listed on the official inventory which is accessed through the IRIS Real Estate module.

The Office of Space Management uses the space utilization guidelines set in place by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) as an aid in planning, allocating, and managing space on the campus. These guidelines help assist the UTC community in establishing equitable, consistent, efficient, and flexible planning parameters as well as making sound management decisions about space allocations both for new construction and within existing or renovated buildings. Space Management has been given the responsibility to provide support to administration through these guidelines and assist the campus community in their implementation and interpretation.

The Office of Space Management performs many tasks associated with space including:

• Conducting an inventory and assessing existing space usage
• Space Audits to collect data for classroom/laboratory utilization
• Translating requirements into specific space solutions
• Analyzing of current space layout to ensure maximum efficiency
• Assisting in the development of programming documents (by using space data collected) for the design and construction of new space or renovation of existing space.