Going for Growth – WELL Health-Safety Rating Expands Across Europe and the Middle East
Regions around the world continue to embrace WELL, and showcase the diversity of asset types and locations utilising the rating
As 2022 draws to a close, we’re taking a look back at the incredible adoption rate of the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management throughout Europe and the Middle East. In 2022, we have seen an astounding 295,000,000 square feet of real estate enroll or achieve the rating, which represents a five-fold increase on 2021’s square footage. The United Arab Emirates leads the country rankings with 773 projects, followed by the UK (105) and Poland (97).
The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all new and existing building and space types focusing on operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment in the future. Be it a co-working office, a performance venue, or an icon in a city’s skyline – the WELL Health-Safety Rating offers all space types the opportunity to put their communities’ health, safety and well-being first.
Around the world, we saw greater numbers of people return to the physical workplace this year – reassured that their health and well-being was taken into account and made visible through the WELL Health-safety seal. This growth would have been impossible if not for the overwhelming dedication of organisations to people-first places.
We’d like to highlight a few of the many projects that keep the movement going:
Royal Albert Hall (London, UK)
Let’s begin with the iconic site in London’s West End, Royal Albert Hall, which earned the WELL Health-Safety Rating in April 2022. The historic performance venue, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, achieved the rating across cleaner air, water and sanitisation criteria.
Of the achievement, Director of Visitor Experience Anthony Winter-Brown said, “We saw this as a great opportunity to demonstrate to our staff and customers that we take their health and well-being seriously and we are a safe place to work and visit. IWBI has been supportive throughout our journey to gain the rating and guided us to ensure we have the necessary and relevant evidence against the set criteria.”
For more information, visit this link.
If Keilalampi (Espoo, Finland)
Insurance is the leading property and casualty insurer in the Nordic region. Owned by Sampo plc., It has 3.8 million customers and 7,900 employees in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
One of If Insurance’s strategic goals is market growth in their respective regions, aiming for the most satisfied customers and intrinsic value creation. Happy customers rely on a healthy, engaged workforce – and their headquarters at If Keilamlampi helps deliver on this promise for customers and employees alike. The complex achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating in January 2022, and the nearly 95,000 square-foot offices were also WELL Certified Platinum in June 2022, becoming one of the first in the region to earn both distinctions.
For more information, visit this link.
20 Fenchurch Street (London, UK)
Speaking of iconic locations, this project’s location in the City of London is instantly recognisable in any recent image of the skyline. 20 Fenchurch Street, also known as the Walkie Talkie building, officially achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating in May of this year.
CBRE UK and H-Properties consulted on the rating for the 37-floor commercial property. Senior Asset Manager at H-Properties Will Wright noted, “As part of our mission to maintain the health and well-being of everyone at 20 Fenchurch Street, we are proud to name our building with a robust and evidence-based standard, the IWBI WELL Health-Safety Rating.”
The building also hosts the Sky Garden, London’s highest public garden and a vibrant social space with 360-degree views of the city’s skyline.
For more information, visit this link.
Equilibrium 1 (Bucharest, Romania)
As one of the world’s premiere construction and development companies, Skanska took serious notice of health and safety measures in indoor environments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Equilibrium 1 is just one example of many – Skanska has pursued the WELL Health-Safety Rating for all of their projects in Romania – earning the rating in March 2022. The Skanska Equilibrium 1 and Campus 6.2 projects are the first office buildings in Romania to obtain the WELL Health-Safety Rating, followed by the Campus 6.3 building.
Of the achievement, Executive Vice President for Operations in Hungary and Romania within the Skanska Development Division of the CEE Aurelia Luca said, “The pandemic has highlighted the important role that buildings, and especially their proper management, play in supporting the health, safety and well-being of people who spend their time within them. The office space, even more so, is responsible for being a true ecosystem to its employees, where caring for the safety and well-being of all guides the day-to-day activity. We believe that all this should not be just a series of solutions and strategies, but a lifestyle in which we actively participate together.”
For more information, visit this link.
ViOS Coworking (Athens, Greece)
A dedicated workplace need not be one assigned office. As organisations look towards hybrid opportunities, we have also seen a drive for health and well-being in the coworking sector. ViOS Coworking became Greece’s first coworking space to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating in September.
The eight-storey building encompasses nearly 21,000 square feet, and consists of a wellness area in the basement, a reception, venue area, canteen and dining area at ground floor and seven floors of offices including dedicated desks, private offices and meeting rooms.
For more information, visit this link.
Nakheel Properties (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
The WELL Health-Safety Rating in the Middle East in particular has seen exceptional adoption, with the UAE leading the EMEA region by number of projects. Earlier this month, Nakheel Properties became the first management company in the UAE to earn the rating across its entire portfolio of 365 buildings, a truly monumental achievement. The rating applies to a variety of asset types – residential, retail, hotel and infrastructure developments.
Francis Giani, Chief Community Management Officer at Nakheel, said, “We are honored to be recognised by WELL, and this is a testament to our commitment to implementing the highest level of health and safety practices across all of our assets. Ensuring the utmost health, safety and overall happiness and prosperity of our communities is an integral part of our organizational culture and a core value that we pride ourselves on.”
For more information, please visit this link.
Eloy Gonzalo 10 (Madrid, Spain)
Madrid delivers another great example of how WELL applies to the coworking sector, with Eloy Gonzalo 10. The shared-space office building, which spans six floors of working space and a ground floor with retail zones, achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating in May after a renovation by GMP.
According to GMP, “the renovation project enhances the functionality of the floors and introduces an open façade featuring large panes of glass from floor to ceiling, which changes radically the outside image of the property, leveraging natural light to the full and reducing acoustic impact”.
The building received the prize for “Best Renovation 2016” awarded by the Spanish Association of Offices (Asociación Española de Oficinas - AEO) and “Best Full Building Renovation” at the 2017 ASPRIMA -SIMA awards.
For more information, please visit this link.
