IREM Headquarters Awarded Prestigious WELL Certification
CHICAGO (November 14, 2016) – The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®) announced today that it has been awarded WELL Certification at the Silver level for its Chicago, IL Headquarters by the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™). The prestigious distinction was awarded through IWBI’s WELL Building Standard™, which is the world’s first building standard to focus on enhancing people’s health and well-being through the built environment. IREM® is the first association in the United States, as well as the first project in Chicago, to receive the WELL Certification. Nationally, IREM® the 9th certified project and the 12th overall/globally.
The WELL Building Standard™ is a performance-based certification system that marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research. IREM® headquarters earned the silver level rating based high levels of performance across seven categories of building performance—air, water, light, nourishment, fitness, comfort and mind.
“In both design and operation, real estate exteriors and interiors have a direct impact on people’s lives and well-being. IREM® embraces the WELL Building Standard as an extension of our values,” states Christopher Mellen, CPM®, ARM®, 2016 IREM® President, The Simon Companies, Braintree, MA, “We see this certification as a way to ensure our headquarters office plays a positive role on employees and members.”
Working in conjunction with GNP Realty Partners, AMO®, IREM® achieved its WELL Certified™ Silver rating, in part, by incorporating the following office technologies and project features:
- Specially-tuned LED ceiling ambient lighting, optimized at 4000k color temperature for the truest, most comfortable natural light – a feature critical to maintaining the human circadian system while reducing space energy costs
- Ergonomically crafted work areas with the ability to alternate occupants from sitting to standing positions, providing people with greater flexibility throughout the work day
- A demand-controlled air delivery system that utilizes CO2 detection sensors to optimize fresh air for all occupants
- ENERGY STAR, ergonomically adjustable and dimmable LED task lighting at all workstations and offices, providing additional ambient lighting to occupants on demand
- WattStopper occupancy sensors that utilize passive infrared technology to provide energy-efficient control of lighting and plug loads
- Knowledge-based environmental cues that encourage occupants to consume whole, natural foods and cuisines
- ENERGY STAR kitchen appliances
- ENERGY STAR computers, monitors, printers, and server equipment
“We are committed to developing an environment and workplace where our staff are truly able to perform at their best in respects to their overall wellness,” says IREM® HR Director, Stacy Prichisky, “For over 80 years, IREM® has set the standard for best practices in real estate management, and it is our hope that our many members follow our lead and embrace sustainability and wellness initiatives on their properties.”
“Workplace well-being is an exploding industry and we’re excited to be one of the first in the industry to embrace the standard, but more importantly, to execute it,” says John Gagliardo, vice president of Project Management & Development for GNP Realty Partners, AMO®. “While we have been heavily involved in LEED certification, which focuses on green building efficiencies, WELL is all about the people within a building. It’s a model we believe is the future of the real estate industry and are very pleased to have been a partner with IREM® in this important endeavor.”
To be awarded WELL Certification by IWBI™, IREM® headquarters underwent rigorous testing and a final evaluation conducted by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the third-party certification body for WELL, to ensure it met all WELL Certified™ Silver performance requirements.
“On behalf of the National Association of REALTORS®, I would like to congratulate our colleagues at IREM® for receiving this distinguished certification,” said NAR CEO Dale Stinton. “Our organizations share a similar commitment to improving workplace well-being through environmental sustainability, and the WELL Certification is a gold standard in healthy building performance. The market for green buildings is growing and today’s consumers want work and living spaces that are healthier, more resource efficient and sensitive to their environment.”
The IREM® Headquarters office is in the REALTOR Building on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The REALTOR Building is LEED O&M: Existing Buildings Gold, ENERGY STAR certified, and an IREM® Certified Sustainable Property. The IREM® office is also LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors Gold. IREM®, along with GNP Realty Partners and the National Association of REALTORS®, won a 2016 Green Lease Leaders: Team Transaction award for the office project.
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About IREM®
IREM®, founded in 1933, is an international community of real estate managers dedicated to ethical business practices, maximizing the value of investment real estate, and promoting superior management through education and information sharing. An affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®, IREM® is the home for all industry professionals connected to real estate management – and the only organization serving both the multi-family and commercial sectors. IREM® offers a variety of membership types for professionals of every experience level, from on-site managers to high-level executives. Today, IREM® membership includes more than 19,500 individual and 560 corporate members. IREM® credentials, earned by meeting high standards of education, experience, and ethical business practices, include: CPM®, ARM®, ACoM, and AMO®. To learn more about IREM®, visit www.IREM.org. Twitter @IREM_info
About GNP Realty Partners
GNP Realty Partners is a privately held, full-service real estate firm representing office, industrial, residential association owned and retail assignments throughout the Chicago area and the Midwest. A superior level of service in multi-family, association, commercial real estate management; leasing and brokerage; project management, construction and development enables GNP to translate industry best practices into daily process and procedures. GNP prides itself on providing customized approaches to each client and every project, beginning with owner-defined goals and working from the inside-out. GNP’s transformative real estate services continues to add value to clients’ assets, allow city and suburban dwellers to live more meaningfully, foster business teams to perform more collaboratively, promote organizations to create positive environmental change, and inspire organizations to focus on enhancing people’s health and wellbeing. GNP Realty Partners is an Accredited Management Organization® (AMO®), indicating the highest standards in the areas of education, experience, integrity and fiscal stability have been met. For more information, call 312-329-8400 or visit www.gnprealty.com.
About the International WELL Building Institute™
The International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™) is a public benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health and well-being through the built environment. Public benefit corporations like IWBI are an emerging U.S. structure for corporations committed to balancing public benefits with profitability – harnessing the power of private capital for greater good. IWBI administers the WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) – a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of buildings that impact the health and well-being of the people who live, work, and learn in them. Fulfilling the vision of IWBI Founder Paul Scialla, IWBI has a pioneering altruistic capitalism model that will address social responsibility and demonstrate a sustainable model for philanthropy. IWBI has committed to direct 51 percent of net profits, after taxes, generated by registration fees, certification fees and recertification fees received from real estate projects applying for WELL Certification toward charitable contributions and impact investment focused on health, wellness and the built environment. IWBI was established by Delos in 2013 pursuant to a Clinton Global Initiative commitment to improve the way people live by developing spaces that enhance occupant health and quality of life by sharing the WELL Building Standard globally. www.wellcertified.com
About the WELL Building Standard™
The WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact the health and well-being of the people who live, work, and learn in the buildings. WELL focuses on seven categories of building performance: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind. Pioneered by Delos, the WELL Building Standard is grounded in evidence-based medical research that demonstrates the connection between the buildings where we spend more than 90 percent of our time and health and wellness impacts on us as occupants. The WELL Building Standard is administered by the International WELL Building Institute™ and third-party certified by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). www.wellcertified.com
