Spinnaker Group Achieves WELL Health-Safety Rating
Spinnaker Group, one of the most respected leaders in the
green-building movement, has earned the prestigious WELL
Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management
through the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) for
the company's proactive and progressive initiatives to help
protect the health and safety of its employees, customers and
guests. This rating applies to its headquarters at 1177 Clare
Avenue, #7, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party
verified rating for all new and existing buildings focusing on
operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder
engagement, and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19
environment now and into the future.
"Our company's longstanding mission is 'to provide best-in-class sustainable consulting services to design, construction and operations teams in order to foster improved human health, well-being and resilience for buildings and communities across the globe'," said Jonathan Burgess, Spinnaker Group's President and CEO. "Our mission aligns closely with the IWBI's focus on the positive impact that our buildings and communities can have on human health and wellness. This noteworthy achievement is an important recognition to impart confidence in those who use and visit our headquarters. It’s also yet another validation of how Spinnaker Group values and promotes overall well-being."
"Spinnaker Group has long been a leader in all things sustainable, and its achievement of the WELL Health- Safety rating for its headquarters is another example of its leading-edge commitment," said IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon. "Spinnaker's mission is closely aligned with ours and we’re grateful for their work in helping us make people-first places available to everyone, everywhere."
In its efforts to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating, Spinnaker Group has implemented features such as improved cleaning practices, regular testing of indoor air and water, increased fresh air circulation and filtration, bolstered emergency resilience, and improved employee resources related to health and wellness. Many of Spinnaker Group's existing practices and benefits also aligned to the rating's standards, making the application process more efficient and streamlined.
Since 2015, Spinnaker Group has been instrumental in the early adoption of the WELL Building Standard across the State of Florida and US Caribbean islands. Burgess was amongst the first group of 200 people in the world to obtain their WELL AP credential, who then went on to serve as WELL Faculty. For his WELL education and project delivery efforts, he was awarded the first annual Leadership Recognition Award from the International Well Building Institute in 2018.
More recently, Spinnaker Group's Vice-President of Sustainability, Margaret Fitzsimons, has been leading the company's WELL v2 and WELL Health Safety consulting efforts across 22 projects that are either already certified or are in the process of pursuing WELL.
"Our role as green-building consultants allows us to
support IWBI's efforts by participating in integrated
conversations with some of the top design, construction,
operations professionals and owners globally, and at
the same time connect locally with the buildings'
end-users to hear their personal stories about why
this is important work," notes Fitzsimons.
Founded in 2003, the award-winning Spinnaker Group
helps facilitate the delivery of the highest quality,
sustainable building projects. Using an integrated
team approach with a diverse range of clients, the
firm has more than 160 LEED Certified projects under
its belt and more than 700 million sf of commissioned
building space worldwide. In addition to tapping
USGBC's LEED and other rating systems as anchors
of its sustainable consulting services, Spinnaker's diverse team of design and construction professionals offer project management, energy modeling, fundamental and enhanced building commissioning, neighborhood planning, operations and maintenance consulting, indoor air quality testing, and life-cycle analyses for all types of building projects. Learn more at www.SpinnakerGroup.com.
Created by IWBI, the WELL Health-Safety Rating is informed by guidance developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), global disease control and prevention centers and emergency management agencies, recognized standard-making bodies such as ASTM International and ASHRAE, and leading academic and research institutions. IWBI has leveraged insights from its Task Force on COVID-19, established at the outset of the pandemic to help business and building leaders integrate actionable insights and proven strategies in the fight against COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.
To learn more about the WELL Health-Safety Rating, visit https://www.wellcertified.com/health-safety. Employees and customers on site of Spinnaker's headquarters building can scan the QR code on the WELL Health-Safety Rated seal and feel more confident when directed to a webpage highlighting the essence of the seal.
