In desperate times people move fast. The world could be on the cusp of the fastest vaccine delivery in history for Covid-19 if current tests prove successful. The process of developing global standards is usually a particularly slow process, but the pandemic has similarly spurred the property industry to find a way to assess a building’s ability to withstand health risks.
In July, Liviu Tudor, head of the Brussels-based European Property Federation and founder of Genesis Property, launched the IMMUNE building standard. This open-source global certification has been designed to create a pandemic-proof built environment as people return to the workplace. Tudor kickstarted the project in April 2020 and the team has been inspired by hospital ‘clean rooms’.
The IMMUNE standard lists more than 100 measures that can be implemented in an existing building – crucially, the standard doesn’t just focus on building new, low-risk properties. The measures address facilities management and technical solutions to certify all aspects of a building’s lifecycle with the aim to address current and future health challenges. Currently, the standard focuses on office buildings, but Tudor’s team says that it can be adapted to other building types including hospitality, retail, healthcare, educational and research.
For example, the workplace of the future could include a quarantine room, a specially designed and equipped room where people can go if they feel ill. An emergency IMMUNE ‘warehouse’ manned by an IMMUNE ‘steward’ could be stocked with suitable PPE to distribute if necessary. Digital screens around a building could display immunity-boosting indicators such as indoor air quality versus outdoor air quality. More minor changes to a property could include antimicrobial paint, bathrooms equipped with bio sanitisers and rounded corners to minimise bacterial deposits in toilet cubicles.
All these measures point towards creating a much greater awareness of the impact of our built environment. Already many businesses were taking steps to understand how property impacts staff health and how to create an atmosphere of ‘wellness’, but Covid-19 has shone an even stronger light on this area. If we are to return to the workplace, safely and comfortably, employers need to demonstrate they are doing all they can to mitigate risk.
Adoption of the IMMUNE standard, if it proves popular in the property industry, will undoubtedly take time. Already, however, the set of measures provide food for thought for all property owners if nothing else. At Mayer Construction, we’re talking closely with all our partners to understand how we can create commercial and residential developments that provide the environment today’s clients need and expect.