First Mid-Atlantic only developer, owner, and operator with portfolio including both residential and commercial properties is the latest Fitwel Champion
Rockville, MD – January 11, 2018 – Washington, D.C. based real estate developer and recognized sustainability leader, The Tower Companies, announced today that it has made a commitment as a newly recognized Fitwel Champion.
The Fitwel Certification System is a cost-effective, high-impact, evidence-based building certification system that was developed by experts in public health and design, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the General Services Administration (GSA), to foster positive impacts on occupant health, wellbeing, and productivity through improvements to building design and operations. Operated by the Center for Active Design (CfAD), Fitwel evaluates a variety of health-promoting features in workplace and residential multi-family properties, such as proximity to public transit, access to fitness facilities, design of outdoor spaces, indoor air quality, and healthy food options.
“We’re excited about our partnership with the Center for Active Design and applaud their efforts to advance building standards,” said Jeffrey Abramson, partner at The Tower Companies. “For generations, we have strived to create a positive and meaningful impact on people, community, and business. We feel a strong sense of responsibility and commitment to build and operate healthy buildings, and in doing so, our goal is to inspire the industry to do the same.”
As a Fitwel Champion, The Tower Companies joins a respected group of leading organizations dedicated to supporting and improving health and wellness standards in the built environment. This is an excellent partnership for The Tower Companies, whose development and operational goals align very closely with the Fitwel Strategies.
“We commend The Tower Companies for its commitment to create healthier spaces in which their residents and clients will live and work,” said Lisa Creighton, Vice President, Development and Strategy, Center for Active Design. “At CfAD, we seek to transform design and development practices to support health, and Tower’s commitment to Fitwel will help us realize that mission within the mid-Atlantic region.”
Tower is already pursuing its first Fitwel Certification for a new multi-family property, The Pearl, and will expand best practices across its portfolio in 2018.
About The Tower Companies:
For three generations, the family-owned Tower Companies has maintained a commitment to responsible development and continues to envision a world where buildings inspire and enrich the lives of their occupants and create positive social change. The sustainable building leader owns, develops, and manages over 5 million square feet in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area consisting of office buildings, office parks, lifestyle centers, regional malls, eco-progressive live-work-play communities and hotels, with an additional 8 million square feet in the development pipeline. In 2004, The Tower Companies was the first in the United States to certified LEED® a multi-family community, Blair Towns, and since then, 90% of commercial and multi-family residential properties are LEED® and ENERGY STAR® certified. In addition, Tower publically reports GHG emissions to The Climate Registry and offsets 100% by purchasing renewable energy and carbon credits. Looking to the future, through a partnership with the Department of Energy, The Tower Companies has pledged to reduce energy and water consumption by 20% by 2020. The Tower Companies has been acknowledged as an international authority in the industry, and has been recognized for its commitment to sustainability and energy independence by numerous national organizations and federal agencies, including US Green Building Council, US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Environmental Protection Agency and more. Learn more at www.towercompanies.com.
About Center for Active Design and Fitwel:
The Center for Active Design, an international non-profit uses design to foster healthy and engaged communities was awarded the exclusive operating license in 2016 with the mandate to expand Fitwel globally to the private sector. Fitwel is the world’s leading certification system that optimizes buildings to support health. Generated by expert analysis of over 3,000 academic research studies, Fitwel is implementing a vision for a healthier future where all buildings and communities are enhanced to strengthen health and wellbeing. Fitwel was created as a joint initiative led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention together with the General Services Administration. Twitter: @active_design + @fitwel
