BOSTON — Vanderweil Engineers, a national engineering and sustainability firm, announced it has achieved Fitwel® certification for its Boston headquarters at 274 Summer Street.
Fitwel is a global certification system committed to building health. Operated by the Center for Active Design (CfAD), Fitwel is a rigorous, third-party healthy-building certification system that sets the standard for evidence-based strategies to promote positive health outcomes for building occupants and communities.
The facility is the first 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 multifaceted, 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,” said Alana Spencer, sustainability leader at Vanderweil Engineers. “Vanderweil’s sustainability team led the Fitwel v2.1 certification process for our 70,000-square-foot 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,”
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 promote physical activity, social interaction, improved health, equity, and improved air quality.
- Healthy on-site food and beverages, including policies, access to healthy snacks/beverages, and biweekly 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.
For more information on Fitwel, visit https://www.fitwel.org/certification.
