Spec Finish

Wellbeing During the height of the first COVID-19 global lockdown in 2020, LiviuTudor, President of the European Property Federation and Founder of Genesis Property, launched the IMMUNE Building Standard TM , the first global standard to address the immunity of the built environment. Turn to page 26 to read what Flavie Lowres, FIS Sustainability Champion, has to say about the BREEAM, LEED and Well sustainability assessment methods. HOWOFFICE PROPERTIES CAN ADAPTTO THE CHALLENGESOFCOVID-19 24 www.thefis.org I Tprovides building operators with the tools and knowledge to reintegrateworkforces back to the office, while placing their comfort andwellbeing at the top of the list. Inspired by technologies and procedures successfully applied in hospitals and ‘clean rooms’, the Standard comprises around 130 recommendedmeasures for buildings to implement, including architectural engineering, technology, design andmore, followed by a third-party assessment to provide the property with an IMMUNE label (3*, 4*, 5*). Now, as theworld’s first ‘Resilient’ (5*) rated building is unveiled, Liviu tells SpecFinish that office propertiesmust adapt to the challenges of COVID-19 and the threats of future pandemics for the safety andwellbeing of their tenants. Adapting the workplace The consensus amongst corporate leaders is that, though initially necessary against the backdrop of the global COVID-19 spikes in 2020 and 2021, returning to the office is crucial for employee development, connectivity, creativity and productivity. But just as it is deemed necessary for employees to return to the workplace, it is also necessary that workplaces adapt to the challenges posed by the outbreak of the global pandemic and the threats of any future outbreaks, even seasonal flu epidemics. In short, it is not enough for people to return to the office as we once knew it, as we now knowmore about the threats of viral transmissions. This isn’t a ‘pause then and resume now’ scenario, it is a reminder that other than hospital buildings and ‘clean rooms’, built environments were not prepared for the realities of a pandemic. Therefore, it is incumbent on employers and property owners to implement strategic adaptations to better equip built environments against threats of this magnitude. Since people spend up to 90% of their time indoors, the need to redesign and reengineer the built environment becomes critical. Just as we take care of our own immune system and constantly seek to boost it, there is a need to improve our buildings’ immunity and prepare them for the new normality. This is how the IMMUNE™ concept was created; to boost the immunity of office buildings and design the healthy environment in which we will work in the future. Resilient buildings The IMMUNE Building Standard TM is based on a research and development project led by experts in medical fields, architecture and engineering and outlines a set of measures, technical solutions and facility management practices to help building managers monitor, communicate and adjust their indoor premises. Buildings are then scored by an assessor for their level of compliance against the Standard and given one of three labels; Strong (3*), Powerful (4*) or Resilient (5) to certify how built environments can withstand present and future health challenges and minimise the impact of a pandemic or other bacteriological/toxicological threats. Be prepared Examples of measures within the Standard include having an IMMUNE TM Steward on site, an IMMUNE TM warehouse, air quality sensors, air treatment and surface disinfection technology, air purification and UV lighting disinfection in elevators, digital twin displays, self-cleaning and handsfree door opening systems, self-cleaning elevator buttons and more. Much of the Standard focuses on making regular touchpoints more resilient against the threat of pathogen transmission, this will help to ensure buildings around the world are much better equipped to deal with these kinds of threats. The measures which can be applied to improve the resilience of a property will differ on a case-by-case basis, depending on the number of tenants/employees, size of the building and more. There is not a one-size- fits-all approach to the IMMUNE Building Standard TM , but it’s widely believed that property owners and/or business leaders have a responsibility to shift the dial from reactivity to proactivity when it comes to preparing for any future global health crises. Just like no building can be imagined today without a fire prevention standard, health standards such as IMMUNE TM are likely to become a natural part of a building’s healthy life. www.immune-building.com Liviu Tudor, President of the European Property Federation and Founder of Genesis Property Touchless entry and exit Air purification andUVlighting disinfection in lifts