Fitwel Certification: A Guide to Boosting Workplace Wellness for a Healthier future
Healthy building certification fitwel accreditation
In the evolving landscape of modern workplaces, there is growing recognition of the role that building design plays in supporting the health and well-being of occupants.
Fitwel, a third-party building certification system, has emerged as a leading standard for assessing and improving health in the built environment.
At Biofilico, as Healthy Building Consultants certified in Fitwel, we aim to shed light on how this certification can make a transformative impact in workplaces.
We have used this tool with our FMCG client Bolton Group in Italy for example, as a way to structure their workplace wellness playbook.
What is Fitwel Certification and the healthy building movement?
Fitwel certification was developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the General Services Administration (GSA) with the goal of improving the holistic health of building occupants.
It is a third-party verification system that rates spaces across 12 categories, including the indoor environment, physical activity promotion, emergency preparedness, social spaces, and more.
Promoting building health through design and operations
The main focus of Fitwel is to promote health and well-being through impactful design, operational policies, and workplace culture enhancements.
By improving the quality of the spaces in which people spend most of their time, Fitwel certification aims to create healthier, happier, and more productive environments for building users.
Benefits and Process of Fitwel accreditation for real estate assets
Achieving Fitwel offers numerous benefits to organizations and building owners, demonstrating a tangible commitment to occupant health and well-being.
It provides a clear, structured pathway to elevate building performance through straightforward and actionable design, policy, and operational strategies.
Here are some key advantages and how the process works:
Enhanced Occupant Well-being: By implementing strategies to improve air quality, increase access to natural light, promote physical activity, and more, organizations create an environment that supports the physical and mental well-being of their employees.
Straightforward Certification Process: it provides a flexible framework for improving buildings, making it easy for developers, facility managers, and architects to pursue certification. Fitwel’s flexible scorecards provide clear goals to improve health outcomes, empowering designers to creatively implement these strategies in ways that best suit a building’s unique needs.
Strategic Prioritization of Health: it places well-being as a key strategic priority for organizations. By focusing on areas such as workplace ergonomics, physical activity, community support, and emergency preparedness, companies can address the broad spectrum of factors that influence occupant health.
Fitwel Cert Levels
The system is structured into three levels, with scores assigned based on a building's incorporation of health-promoting strategies across various categories:
1 Star (90-104 points): This level verifies foundational policies, programs, and design considerations that are in place to encourage positive health behaviors and outcomes.
2 Stars (105-124 points): This level reflects an enhanced commitment to active design and workplace wellness, indicating moderate but impactful health strategies.
3 Stars (125-144 points): Achieving three stars denotes a sector leader in health, showcasing a comprehensive integration of physical, mental, and social well-being strategies throughout the building.
This tiered system allows organizations to achieve different levels of recognition, depending on their efforts to improve workplace wellness and the number of points accumulated.
Building Design and Fitwel for building health and wellbeing
The Fitwel system encourages a wide range of design interventions to foster health and wellness. A building’s design plays a critical role in enhancing the physical, mental, and social well-being of its occupants. Several key design considerations evaluated during Fitwel certification include:
Stairwell Design and Accessibility: Promoting physical activity is a key component of Fitwel. Thoughtfully designed stairwells that are easily accessible and aesthetically pleasing can encourage employees to choose stairs over elevators, supporting daily exercise goals.
Outdoor Spaces: Access to outdoor spaces or gardens can enhance employee well-being, provide a change of scenery, and foster a stronger connection to nature, reducing stress levels and improving mood.
Indoor Environment: Air and water quality are evaluated as part of the certification. Ensuring clean air and providing access to filtered water are key aspects of supporting occupant health.
Food and Amenities: The availability of healthy food options in prepared food areas, nutritious snacks in vending machines, contributes to a more holistic human health strategy and is one of many recognized healthy building practices.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Fitwel Certification
Fitwel certification is not only an effective means of improving the human health of occupants but also has substantial benefits for businesses in terms of employee performance and retention.
Studies have shown that work environments that support health and wellbeing help reduce absenteeism, boost productivity, and increase overall employee satisfaction.
Fitwel also guides organizations in identifying areas for improvement and assists in developing targeted strategies to address these challenges, fostering a more vibrant, engaged, and motivated workforce.
From a real estate perspective, this is a valuable asset that enhances building value, perhaps not on the same level as a LEED or BREEAM Green Building certification, or indeed WELL certification but valuable nonetheless.
Comparison to Other Certification Systems
Fitwel is one of several healthy building certification systems, but it has unique qualities that make it an attractive option.
Unlike systems like WELL or LEED, which can be complex and require substantial investment, Fitwel focuses on accessible, practical, and materials-based strategies that are often easier to implement and more affordable.
Its cost-effectiveness and practicality make it particularly appealing for projects that want to make impactful improvements without the resource intensity required by some other certifications.
While WELL has a detailed approach that covers aspects like nutrition, fitness, comfort, and mind, Fitwel takes a more straightforward approach, providing value through practical design and policies.
LEED, primarily focused on environmental sustainability, complements Fitwel’s health-oriented objectives by ensuring that the building’s overall environmental impact is also taken into account.
These certifications can sometimes be pursued in tandem to create a fully sustainable and health-supportive environment.
Implementation and Maintenance
Fitwel’s accreditation process is designed to be straightforward and achievable within 12 to 16 weeks. Certification remains valid for three years, and organizations must undergo recertification afterward to maintain their status.
The recertification process ensures that standards are being upheld and that the building continues to operate in alignment with the principles set forth during the initial certification.
Maintaining a Fitwel-certified status involves the ongoing evaluation of building policies, programs, and operations.
Regularly revisiting and updating strategies in areas like indoor air quality, social well-being, and physical activity promotion ensures the building remains aligned with the certification’s standards and keeps evolving to meet new health challenges.
Future of Fitwel Certification
As awareness of building health and wellness continues to grow, the demand for such certifications is expected to increase. The focus on employee health as a core part of corporate social responsibility and DEI has placed Fitwel in the spotlight as a key tool for the creation of healthier workplaces.
Conclusion
In an era where workplace wellness is of paramount importance, Fitwel certification is a worthy investment for organizations looking to prioritize health, enhance their brand, and create thriving, health-forward workspaces.
At Biofilico, we advocate for certifications like Fitwel, which align with our mission to design spaces that foster well-being and sustainability—making the world a healthier place, one building at a time.