Boston, MA—Vanderweil Engineers, a national engineering firm and sustainability leader, announced today that it has achieved Fitwel® certification for its Boston Headquarters at 274 Summer Street.
Fitwel is the world’s leading certification system committed to building health for all™. Operated by the Center for Active Design (CfAD), Fitwel is a rigorous, third-party healthy building certification system that sets the industry standard for evidence-based strategies to promote positive health outcomes for building occupants and communities.
274 Summer Street is the first building in Boston to achieve Built Certification under the Fitwel Single-Tenant v2.1 scorecard. Vanderweil Engineers’ Fitwel Certification demonstrates the firm’s commitment to advancing its employees, clients, and surrounding community’s well-being by implementing health-promoting design and operational strategies.
“By achieving a 2 Star certification rating for 274 Summer Street, Vanderweil Engineers has positioned itself as a leader in the healthy building movement by adopting multi-faceted, research-based strategies that enhance the safety, health and wellness of its Boston Headquarters employees,” said Joanna Frank, President and CEO of CfAD. “We commend Vanderweil Engineers for being the first in Boston to achieve certification under the latest version of the single-tenant scorecard and look forward to working with the firm as it continues to advance health and wellness efforts in its other office locations.”
“Committed to sustainable solutions within our engineering practice, it was a logical step to pursue Fitwel for our own workplace. Vanderweil’s sustainability team led the Fitwel v2.1 certification process for our 70,000 SF office building in the heart of Boston’s historic Fort Point neighborhood, which will be used as a footprint for our other offices. From this experience, we’ll carry a deeper understanding and better practices with us as we continue to consult on wellness and engineering projects for our clients,” said Alana Spencer, Sustainability Leader at Vanderweil Engineers.
Fitwel certification was awarded to Vanderweil Engineers for its leadership in health and sustainability achievements, which include:
- Walkability, proximity to transit, parks, and diverse uses which promotes physical activity, social interaction, improved health, equity, and improved air quality.
- Healthy onsite food and beverages including policies, access to healthy snacks/beverages, and bi-weekly farmers market produce.
- Active Design through the promotion of stairwell use over elevator use.
- Access to clean water refill stations throughout the building for improved hydration and decreased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Health programs such as yoga and fitness, and policies concentrated on mental and physical wellness.
- Emergency preparedness provisions to enhance workplace safety and transparency in emergency situations.
- Increased transparency and occupant feedback through an annual occupant satisfaction survey regarding ways to improve commuter infrastructure, programming, building access, outdoor spaces, shared spaces, workplaces and food access, ensuring that Vanderweil continues to adapt to the needs of its employees.
More Fitwel certification information can be found here: https://www.fitwel.org/certification/
About Vanderweil Engineers
Vanderweil Engineers specializes in MEP/FP, sustainability, technology and power engineering services dedicated to providing value-added consulting to our clients. The firm has earned numerous awards for its breakthrough design and consulting services, including the development of advanced strategies for sustainable and energy-efficient systems and the USGBC designation of LEED Proven Provider. Founded in 1950, Vanderweil is consistently ranked among the top U.S. engineering firms.
About Fitwel and the Center for Active Design
In just three years, Fitwel has become the leading global health certification system, seeing a dramatic uptick in use, with 190% annual growth in 2020. Generated by expert analysis of over 5,600 academic research studies, Fitwel is implementing a vision for a healthier future where all buildings and communities are enhanced to strengthen health and well-being. Fitwel was created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. General Services Administration. The Center for Active Design, a global not-for-profit organization, was selected as the licensed operator of Fitwel, charged with expanding Fitwel to the global market.