Arlington Business Park is the first UK business park to be awarded Fitwel certification. They achieved two stars for wellbeing excellence.
Workman successfully guided Arlington Business Park, owned by Patron Capital and APAM, through the Fitwel accreditation process. This achievement marks the UK’s first asset of its kind to attain this certification.
Working together
Arlington Business Park was able to benchmark its health and wellbeing performance. An engaged asset manager, a proactive on-site team, and a centrally controlled project management process contributed to this achievement. Workman’s Sustainability and Wellbeing team administered the process. Subsequently, Arlington Business Park developed a number of strategies to improve its health and wellbeing.
Through an evidence-based 12 section system, Fitwel certifies the wellness credentials of buildings and their surroundings based on criteria such as:
- Policies encouraging the use of stairwells over lifts;
- Access to green spaces;
- Provision of standing desks;
- Indoor and outdoor amenities such as fitness and gym rooms and walking trails.
The Fitwel standard offers a scientifically proven blueprint for implementing positive changes that enhance wellbeing and occupier health.
What we’re saying
Nick Hobbs, Workman’s Sustainability and Wellbeing Manager
“We are seeing an increased focus on occupier health and wellbeing across our managed properties and the wider industry. We take great pride in collaborating closely with Fitwel and the Arlington Business Park team. Together, we successfully undertook the first certification of a UK business park during the accreditation process. For us, not only was it important to gain the Fitwel certification for ABP, but also to use the strategies to make sure we were managing the building with health and wellbeing in mind. Fitwel has enabled us to achieve this.”
Ben Dickins, Real Estate Asset Manager at APAM
“The adoption of this world-leading certification is testament to our strategy of improving employee wellbeing. We achieve this through best-in-class design, tech initiatives, and the development of a strong tenant community. We have recently placed a renewed focus on both mental and physical health, successfully introducing a whole range of new initiatives such as working with StepJockey to implement active design strategies to encourage stair use as well as creating a new garden allotment for occupiers to use, which were greatly received by our business park community.’’
Reena Agarwal, COO Center for Active Design (operator of Fitwel)
“By achieving the highest score for the current Multi-Tenant Base Building Scorecard for Arlington Business Park, Workman LLP, Patron Capital, and APAM have demonstrated global leadership in creating health-promoting workplaces for occupiers. We are thrilled that these Fitwel’s UK users continue to be at the forefront of building health.”
Fitwel has been embraced by developers and workplace strategists and is part of the growing trend to promote healthy workplaces.
In Europe, there is more than 4.6 million sq. ft. of office space currently seeking Fitwel certification. There are also over 130 individuals registered as Fitwel Ambassadors.
