WELL HEALTH-SAFETY RATING CERTIFICATION

ARQBÓREA has taken the necessary steps against COVID-19 required for WELL Health-Safety Rating certification.

The genesis of the WELL Health-Safety Rating was feedback from the International WELL Building Institute’s (IWBI) Task Force on COVID-19, a group of nearly 600 public health experts, virologists, government officials, academics, business leaders, architects, designers, building scientists and real estate professionals, which was established in late March 2020 to support IWBI’s response to the pandemic.

This certification process entails an evidence-based, third-party verified adoption and monitoring of a plan of measures to assure that the operation and maintenance of the building complies with health and safety standards required by the rating in the current COVID-19 global health crisis and in the long term.

BRAIN-PROTECTED SPACE CERTIFICATION

A Brain-Protected Space is defined as a place where employees have received specialist training to detect and act in the event of a person having a stroke in the building. ARQBÓREA has trained all auxiliary staff (reception, maintenance, security and cleaning) so that they know how to identify the signs and act appropriately in the event of an unexpected stroke situation in the building.

Unfortunately, according to the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), every year between 110,000 and 120,000 people suffer a stroke in Spain, 50% of whom have disabling after effects or die. It is time-critical medical condition which means intervention during the first few hours are crucial. The aim of this certification is to ensure the health and safety of all ARQBÓREA users.

Brain-Protected Space certification is awarded by the Fundación Freno al Ictus. Its training content has been developed with the collaboration of the Spanish Neurology Society (SEN) through its Cerebrovascular Diseases Study Group (GEECV) and is part of the “Brain Caring People” project, which is endorsed by SEN and has the support of the Spanish Association of Specialists in Occupational Medicine (AEEMT) and the Spanish Association of Occupational Prevention Services (AESPLA).

”ARQBÓREA is the fifth building in Madrid and the sixth in Spain that has registered to obtain WELL Building Standard certification in the Core & Shell category. The goal is to achieve Platinum standard, the highest grade of WELL certification.

WELL PRE-CERTIFICATION

WELL is the first global certification for buildings focusing solely on human health and wellbeing and is based on seven years of scientific, medical and architectural research. It is an innovative system founded by Delos and managed by the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI), set up in 2015.

It certifies that the design, construction and operation model of the building addresses health and wellbeing of persons. It evaluates, on site, the building’s impacts regarding seven concepts: air, water, light, fitness, comfort, nourishment and mind.

The measures being applied to obtain WELL certification are as follows:

Measures aimed at improving the interior air quality:

  • Using products that comply with the strictest regulations to avoid the emission of volatile organic compounds.
  • Measures to prevent radon gas entering occupied areas.
  • Promoting healthy habits for occupancy and smoke-free building.
  • Good practices in the building process to improve indoor air quality, dust control and prevent contaminants entering.
  • Good maintenance practices to avoid the use of pesticides and other chemical products.
  • Minimising air leaks in the envelope through start-up controlled by specialists and leak tests on the façade.

Measures aimed at improving water quality:

  • Integrating filtering and sterilisation processes in the building at each consumption point.
  • Carrying out analysis and testing at a specialised laboratory to guarantee high levels of water quality.

Measures aimed at improving nourishment:

  • Raising awareness of health and wellbeing among occupants of the building, through a digital library.
  • Improving nutritional habits by offering natural and wholefood products through messages displayed on tablets.

Measures aimed at improving lighting:

  • Installing a light system that minimises glare at work stations and adapts to the circadian rhythm of people.
  • Access to natural light and direct external views from office floors.

Measures aimed at promoting fitness:

  • Encouraging use of stairs.
  • Exterior landscaped areas.
  • Bicycle racks.
  • Showers and changing rooms.
  • Gym inside building equipped with machines and adjacent open-air exercise area on ground floor.

Measures aimed at enhancing comfort:

  • Integrating measures to limit air noise and improve comfort in indoor spaces.
  • Ensuring the right thermal comfort levels for occupants, pursuant to ASHRAE international regulations.
  • Building’s reception fitted with radiant panels to improve comfort levels.

Measures aimed at improving mental wellbeing:

  • Fostering wellbeing via range of clear signage in the building.
  • Building design promotes contact with nature.
  • Integration of biophilic elements through landscaping.
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