B Corp, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing leaders that use their business as a force for good, has announced that Washington, D.C.-based architecture and design firm //3877 has received B Corp Certification—a private certification issued to for-profit companies that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
//3877’s B Corp Certification marks the first time a Washington, DC-based architecture and design firm has achieved this status. B Corp Certification is recognized as the gold standard for businesses that balance profit and purpose, and acknowledge their responsibility to both the community and the planet.
“We’re honored to be included in this global community of B Corp-certified businesses championing the reprioritization of community and the environment over profit performance,” say David Shove-Brown and David Tracz, //3877 co-founders and principals, in a joint statement. “As the first Washington, DC-based architecture and design firm to become B Corp-certified, it’s humbling to be recognized for practicing what we preach. While continuing to strive to become better each year, we’re excited to help accelerate a global culture shift that redefines success in business, helping build a more inclusive and sustainable future.”
To achieve B Corp Certification, a business is assessed on the overall positive impact it has on the community and the environment, rather than its products or services offered. Certified B Corporations achieve a minimum verified point score on the B Impact Assessment—an in-depth analysis of a company’s impact on its workers, customers, community, and environment—and make their B Impact Report transparent on the B Corporation website. Certified B Corporations are also legally bound to amend official documents outlining their priority of balancing profit and purpose. B Corp Certification is administered by the nonprofit B Lab.
Photo, Aloft Columbia Downtown, designed by //3877: Courtesy of Marriott International
