The Center for Active Design (CfAD) has announced plans to launch its new Viral Response Module. The platform is designed by Fitwel, the healthy building certification system operated by CfAD, to provide annual third-party building certification of policies and practices informed by the latest public health research on mitigating the spread of contagious disease. Companies including BentallGreenOak, Boston Properties, Brookfield Properties, Hudson Pacific Properties, and DLC Europe have already committed to adopting the module.
“Fitwel was initially created to optimize built environments for chronic disease prevention,” says CfAD president and CEO Joanna Frank. “Companies can chart their own course within Fitwel Certification to address these long-term issues without minimum requirements. However, infectious disease mitigation is quite different, and the science shows there are baseline requirements that companies absolutely must follow to effectively reduce infectious respiratory disease transmission in buildings.”
Anna Murray of BentallGreenOak, adds: “The built environment plays a crucial role in the health, wellness, and productivity of the people who live and work within the communities that we manage on behalf of our clients. BentallGreenOak’s role as industry advisor and early adopter of the Center for Active Design’s Fitwel Viral Response module provides us with an industry leading response to COVID-19 to better serve our tenants and community stakeholders, while equipping our property management teams with clear and informed guidance for implementation across our managed portfolio.”
