Fitwel. Just Another Gold Star?

There are many opportunities to show the world that you care about the impact your building has on the planet and the people who use it. LEED, WEL, Energy-Star, Passive House, Enterprise Communities, and on and on…

But you may not have heard of the world’s leading certification system that optimizes buildings to support health.

Fitwel. Yes, Fitwel.

And if you don’t believe me, take a look at these numbers:

  • 380+ projects certified or in the pipeline
  • 600+ projects committed to achieve certification through the end of 2018

Together, that will be 1000 buildings that have gone through the Fitwel certification process.  All to make sure that the buildings – by design and operations – are maximizing the healthy impact they can have on building occupants.

The Fitwel certification system was created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the General Services Administration (GSA).  The non-profit Center for Active Design (CfAD) is responsible for operating the program and certifying applicant’s portfolios or single buildings.

So what does Fitwel cover? There are 7 health impact categories included in the Fitwel certification:

  1. Impacts Community Health
  2. Reduces Morbidity and Absenteeism
  3. Supports Social Equity for Vulnerable Populations
  4. Instills Feelings of Well-being (think stress levels and mental health)
  5. Increases Physical Activity
  6. Promotes Occupant Safety
  7. Provides Healthy Food Options

Fitwel strategies are also divided into 12 sections related to building function and design.  For Workplace buildings and Multifamily Residential Buildings, the sections and sample strategies are listed belos.  (Strategies are italicized where Multifamily differs from Workplace buildings.)

  1. Location – walkable neighborhoods and access to transit.
  2. Building Access – supporting carpools, bikers and walkers.
  3. Outdoor Spaces – outdoor amenities such as walking trails.
  4. Entrances & Ground Floor – improved air quality and access to health-promoting amenities.
  5. Stairwells – accessible, visible, and well-designed stairwells.
  6. Indoor Environment – limiting exposure to harmful substances such as 2nd hand smoke and asbestos.
  7. Workspaces – daylight, views and shading at workspaces. / For Multifamily Residential: Dwelling Units – daylight, views and operable shading.
  8. Shared Spaces – exercise room and lactation room. / For Multifamily Residential: Shared Spaces – exercise room and kitchen facility.
  9. Water Supply – fresh drinking water on every floor.
  10. Cafeterias & Prepared Food Retail – establishing standards for healthy food and beverages. / For Multifamily Residential: Restaurants & Groceries – establishing standards for healthy food and beverages that must be met by all on-site sit down restaurants.
  11. Vending Machines & Snack Bars – pricing incentives for healthy snacks.
  12. Emergency Procedures – such as Automated External Defibrillator.

Each strategy in the Fitwel Certification system is weighted based on how strong the health impact is.  Strategies that have stronger impact, receive more points.

Once your building is evaluated, if it scores 90 – 104 points (out of 144), the building receives a 1 star rating.  If it scores 105-124 points, the building receives a 2 star rating.  If it scores 125-144 points, the building receives a 3 star rating, the highest level achievable.

The beauty of this system is that there are 55 different healthy design and operational strategies in the Fitwel system. This allows all types of buildings to make targeted improvements that really make a difference.

EVERY building owner/facility manager would benefit from the type of analysis that the Fitwel certification process entails.  And part of the Fitwel process is identifying the most impactful strategies so that limited time, effort and resources can be directed to doing the most good.

So, yes, LEED, WEL, Passive House, Net Zero Energy – they’re all good.  And in fact, Fitwel overlaps with those scoring systems as well.  Take a look at Fitwel, whether you’re just in the design stages of a new project or living with a 100 year old building. Fitwel works for both.

And there are many partners that can help you achieve the health impact goals for your building, whether or not you decide to seek certification.  The number of stars hanging on your wall isn’t nearly as important as the commitment to support the health of workers and residents that use your building.