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An Interview with Vicky Woodward.

1. Talk us through your experience as a Fitwel Champion and Licensed Assessor:

I was introduced to Fitwel by DLC Europe Development Property Consultants & ESG Impact Assessors.

I’ve previously spent 20+ years working in Health & Safety, in the Construction Industry and as soon as I researched Fitwel,  it completely resonated with me. I’d spent so many years focused on people’s health in the workplace and I had often thought “this is all very well but what about when they go home?”

Fitwel has a vision for a healthier future where every building is enhanced to support the wellbeing of its occupants and support healthy communities. I became a Fitwel Ambassador in May 2021 (there are just over 4000 of us world-wide) and dived in to obtaining certification for various assets including Life Sciences, Student Accommodation, Build to Rent.  Since then, I have worked on and achieved certifications for 19 assets here in Europe – of which 13 achieved the highest possible rating of 3 stars under Fitwel.

I felt hugely honoured to be named in the Global Top 20 Fitwel Ambassadors in the 2023 Best in Building Health Awards.

2. Can you explain what Fitwel is and how it benefits the industry in terms of sustainability and resident well-being?

Fitwel is a world leading independent certification system that optimises buildings to support the health of its occupants – i.e. physical, mental and social health.  Healthier buildings are shown to improve health, happiness, and productivity. It is based on over 7000 scientific studies by experts in public health and design, which were used to formulate targeted design and operations Strategies.

These Strategies are grouped into seven Health Impact Categories – Increasing Physical Activity, Promoting Occupant Safety, Promoting Social Equity, Instilling Feelings of Well-Being, Impact on Surrounding Community Health, Enhancing Access to Healthy Foods & Reducing Morbidity & Absenteeism.

All Strategies are voluntary, with no cost prohibitive prerequisites, allowing for applicability on diverse projects regardless of size, location or construction year.

Each Strategy is given a unique point allocation based on its impact on occupant health.  Stars are awarded based on the score achieved with 1 star representing successful certification and 3 stars being the highest awarded.  I often describe it as being like the Michelin Star system for restaurants.  Obtaining one star is a great achievement – 3? Fabulous!

Fitwel has different scorecards for different types of assets to ensure that it’s not “a one-size fits all” and the needs of building occupants including both residents and employees are addressed appropriately.

3. What are some of the landmark assets you have supported through Fitwel Certifications in the UK and the USA.

UK – successful 3 stars for:

The Mercian, Birmingham (Britain’s tallest residential tower)

4. In your experience, how is Fitwel adding value to the real estate sector?

Rather than just offer my experience, it has been demonstrably proven that there is a direct correlation between implementing health-promoting strategies and asset value – increased tenant demand, occupant performance, well-being, and monetary measurement.

Healthy buildings have an effective rent of 4.4 –7.7% more per square foot than their non-certified peers.  There are a number of studies to support this by persons better qualified than I!

5. And does that value go beyond just the buildings?

Of course – as in all cases, it’s about quality of life. Fitwel for example promotes optimising room design features, context appropriate lighting, and encouraging employee retention to ensure holistic health for all occupants.

6. What are the key areas of Fitwel to consider when looking at new build developments?

Put simply – as always – location, location, location.  What’s in the surrounding community?  If something’s missing, could we provide it?

In terms of design and construction, one to watch is Senior Living – building design elements can specifically help to support the mental health of occupants.  I would stress the need to ensure employees are considered as much as residents? There are currently approx. 88 Strategies for Senior Living – it is not necessary to meet every single one in order to obtain Fitwel Certification.  These Strategies also include the Operational Policies & Procedures and there are many Strategies that do not focus on the physical construction of the building.  The current UK requirements for Building Regulations actually meet or exceed some of the Fitwel requirements but not all.  I would advocate looking at each building on a case by case basis and comparing proposed specifications/design briefs with the Senior Living Scorecard.  I must stress there are no cost prohibitive prerequisites with Fitwel.

7. What are the key areas of Fitwel to consider when looking at an existing asset?

For an existing asset, it’s more about what have we already got? What do we already do? What could we realistically introduce or gradually improve on?

8. Why do you think sustainable certifications matter so much to the real estate sector?

In the real estate sector, the increased focus on sustainable certifications has arisen from recent legislation such as Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulations (SFDR) – requiring financial markets to support sustainable economic growth in Europe, while managing risks stemming from environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.  It is no longer sufficient to simply say what you might do in regard to ESG – you have to provide independent evidence from third parties that you’re actually doing it. Investors are demanding policies, procedures, certifications as a result.

9. Are you seeing particular asset types adopt Fitwel certifications more (or less)?

One of the most attractive aspects of Fitwel is that it can be applied to all asset types but to give you some context – comparison below of different assets seeking or achieving Fitwel in both UK and USA (based on Fitwel Public Directory, available online):

UK Assets –
USA Assets –
10. What is your experience with the US versus the UK adopting certifications like Fitwel?

It’s clear the UK has only recently started seeking Fitwel certifications with only a handful prior to 2019, the majority taking place in 2020 onwards but it would appear the quality of certifications are high.  USA have clearly been seeking Fitwel in greater numbers and there are a large number in progress right now.

At the moment there is only one application in progress for a Senior Living scorecard here in the UK – I would LOVE to see that change!

11. Where do you see Fitwel Certifications in 5-10 years time?

There is an updated version of the Fitwel standard being launched in December this year and it now includes specific Strategies on Social Value, Biodiversity, Radon, Flood & Fire Risks among others.  This is very much in line with their credo of continual improvement and refinement.

As a result, I see this becoming even more important but still retaining its focus on health & wellbeing as opposed to energy use or the environment.  It’s very much people-centric as opposed to material issues? I would love to see it become the norm for new developments.

12. As a Fitwel Ambassador, what are some of the most rewarding moments in your career in this field?

As for rewarding moments…. Every time I achieve a Fitwel certification, it’s not just the sense of job well done, but knowing that building or asset is going to be a great place to live and/or work and I’m still beyond proud of achieving a Best in Building Health Award in 2023!

 

Thank you to Vicky Woodward from DLC Europe for her time on this piece. For more information on DLC Europe, please see their website.

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