Toronto-Dominion Centre’s 222 Bay Street is Recognized as a Global Leader in Healthy Office Buildings
TORONTO, May 1, 2017 /CNW/ – Cadillac Fairview is pleased to announce that Toronto-Dominion (TD) Centre’s 222 Bay St. tower is the first existing building in North America to achieve a Gold level certification under the stringent WELL Building Standard™ (WELL).
Grounded in medical research and administered by the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™), WELL is the first standard to integrate human health and wellness in the design, construction, maintenance and operations of buildings. Features of the standard are structured under 7 Concepts – Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind.
Toronto-Dominion Centre. Photo: Phillip Castleton
“Buildings are living and breathing human environments that have a material impact on the mind, body and spirit of people who live and work in them,” said David Hoffman, General Manager, Toronto-Dominion Centre. “Through smart investments in building design and operations that enhance human health and wellness, TD Centre is delivering significant new value for our tenants, supporting the productivity and competitiveness of their businesses.”
Occupants at the property benefit from design and operational elements delivering enhanced air quality, pollutant reduction, water quality testing and thermal comfort, as well as on-site amenities that support physical fitness and accessibility.
Benefits of a WELL building
A growing body of research demonstrates the business case for office buildings that support the health and well-being of their occupants. For example, buildings with improved air quality and ventilation not only mitigate the health risks of exposure to CO2, VOCs and other indoor air pollutants, but studies suggest they can also improve employee productivity by up to 11 per cent, according to the World Green Building Council. Meanwhile, buildings that promote the physical fitness of their occupants can help reduce absenteeism, with the Public Health Agency of Canada finding that physically active employees take 27 per cent fewer sick days.
“With staff wages and benefits typically accounting for 90 percent of a business’ operating costs, any improvement in employee health and productivity can have a profound effect on the bottom line,” explained Sal Iacono, Executive Vice President, Operations, Cadillac Fairview. “We’re tremendously proud of TD Centre’s WELL Certification, which reflects Cadillac Fairview’s ongoing commitment to help advance the commercial success of our clients in new and meaningful ways. This recognition also further demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility, which is a driving force within the Company that guides business decisions.”
Certification highlights
Pursuit of Gold-level WELL certification required meeting the standard’s 30 Preconditions and additional Optimization Features. Some of the key design, operational and programming elements that contributed to the certification include:
- Building HVAC systems and operational protocols that enhance air quality delivered to tenant spaces, including high grade air filtration, HVAC maintenance protocols, ongoing commissioning of building systems that impact air quality, and controls around the introduction of indoor air pollutants from building materials.
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Toronto-Dominion Centre. Photo: Richard Haywood
Promotion of stairwell use and upgrades like painting, lighting and installation of motivational nature scenes to provide pleasant vertical paths of travel for occupants. Occupants are also able to join classes that provide exercise techniques for getting the most out of stairwell usage.
- Supporting occupants in healthy food choices during the work week through lunch n’ learns, expert assessment of healthy meal options at TD Centre, and a series of nutritional communications installed in lobbies, posted in elevators and shared with tenants for distribution to their employees.
“Today’s top employers understand how real estate can impact the performance of their employees,” said Barbara Ciesla, Senior Vice-President at Jones Lang LaSalle, who consulted on the project. “TD Centre’s achievement of WELL Certification lays a strong foundation for tenants looking to pursue further strategies of health and wellness in their workplaces.”
“The achievement of WELL Certification provides the opportunity for the 222 Bay Street tower to stand at the forefront of innovation in the sustainable and healthy building movement and supports TD in helping us to continue to provide a healthy workplace for our employees,” said Gerry Guidice, Head of Enterprise Real Estate at TD Bank.
This unique accomplishment is yet another industry first that builds upon TD Centre’s track-record of bold leadership and relentless innovation. Since introducing the modern workplace to Canada, TD Centre has continuously raised the bar for building design and operations, from its pioneering Occupant Engagement Program to earning Canada’s first and only multi-building LEED Platinum certification for environmental performance.
Toronto-Dominion Centre. Photo: Phillip Castleton
“This is an extraordinary milestone for WELL,” said IWBI Chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “It is an exceptional demonstration of leadership by Cadillac Fairview, who has shown the world how existing buildings can put people and their health and well-being at the center of their design decisions. We celebrate this achievement and applaud the expertise of the project team to bring the concept of wellness to the enormous existing building market.”
About Toronto-Dominion Centre
Toronto-Dominion Centre is one of North America’s largest business communities and home to 21,000 office employees. Due to its visionary design, unequaled size, and central location, this cultural landmark has played a significant role in the success of a generation of Canada’s most innovative and extraordinary business leaders. The TD Centre consists of six buildings: 66 Wellington Street West, 77 King Street West, 100 Wellington Street West, 79 Wellington Street West, 222 Bay Street and 95 Wellington Street West.
About Cadillac Fairview
Cadillac Fairview is one of the largest owners, operators and developers of best-in-class office, retail and mixed-use properties in North America. The Cadillac Fairview portfolio is owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, a diversified global investor which administers the pensions of more than 300,000 active and retired school teachers. The real estate portfolio also includes investments in retail, mixed-use and industrial real estate in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
Valued at more than $28 Billion, the Canadian portfolio includes over 38 million square feet of leasable space at 67 properties in Canada, including landmark developments, such as Toronto-Dominion Centre, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, CF Pacific Centre, CF Chinook Centre Deloitte Tower and CF Carrefour Laval.
About the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™)
The International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™) is a public benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health and wellness through the built environment. IWBI administers the WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) – a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of buildings that impact the health and wellness of the people who live, work, and learn in them. It also credentials the growing number of professionals who seek WELL accreditation. www.wellcertified.com
