Alpin Limited announced today that it has been awarded WELL Silver certification for New and Existing Interiors by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).
The prestigious distinction was awarded through IWBI’s WELL Building Standard (WELL), which is the premier building standard focused on enhancing health and wellness.
Created through seven years of rigorous research and development working with leading physicians, scientists, and industry professionals, WELL is a performance-based certification system that marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based scientific research. Alpin Limited earned the distinction for its Masdar City headquarters based on seven categories of building performance— Air, Water, Light, Nourishment, Fitness, Comfort and Mind.
Jourdan Younis, Director, Alpin said, “The principles of WELL are at the core of our values at Alpin. When we first began exploring WELL certification for our Abu Dhabi office, we performed a gap analysis to see how our current office and business practices measured up against the standard. We found that even though we were about 80 percent ready for certification, there were fundamental areas where we could improve, and WELL helped to guide us along this path. I have to say that it was a very positive experience and something that brought us closer together as a team.”
WELL is a natural complement to Alpin’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for Commercial Interiors and the Alpin Healthy HR campaign, a wide-ranging initiative committed to enhancing employee wellbeing.
The company has become the regional authority on WELL Building Standards by investing in the in-house accreditation of its employees as WELL Accredited Professionals (AP).
“As Abu Dhabi’s flagship sustainable urban community, sustainability is a way of life in Masdar City and Alpin is demonstrating another important aspect of green building by focusing on how companies can advance health, wellbeing and productivity in workplaces,” said Khaled Ballaith, Director, Energy Services at Masdar.
WELL is grounded in a body of evidence-based research that explores the connection between the buildings where we spend approximately 90 percent of our time, and the health and wellness impacts on us as occupants of these buildings. To be awarded WELL Certification by IWBI, Alpin Limited underwent rigorous testing and a final evaluation carried out by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which is the third-party certification body for WELL, to ensure it met all WELL Certified Silver level performance requirements.
Masdar City is pioneering a ‘greenprint’ for sustainable urban development focused on sustainable transportation initiatives, optimising waste management, reducing energy use, water consumption and carbon emissions.
The city contains one of the largest clusters of low-carbon buildings in the world. At a minimum, each building must achieve a 3-Pearl rating according to the Estidama Building Rating System rating introduced by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities, or a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certificate.
About Alpin’s WELL Silver certification
Project features that helped Alpin Limited achieve its WELL Silver certification include:
● An advanced high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration system to ensure the highest air quality for team members.
● A reverse osmosis filtration system for high-quality drinking water.
● Efficient task lighting in tune with the human circadian rhythm.
● Ergonomic workspaces with sit-stand desks, stability balls, adjustable monitors and active work spaces.
● A healthy noise level.
● HR policies supporting active living including a gym on campus, and an in-house Alpin Healthy program.
● Provision of organic fruits and vegetables.
● Active promotion of art throughout the building.
● HR policies which promote an inclusive work environment with flexibility for working parents.
About Alpin Limited
With clients in Europe, the United States and the Middle East, Alpin Limited provides sustainable clean tech consultancy services, including commissioning, building information models (BIM) and green building planning. The company’s headquarters are located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
Contacts:
NAREG OUGHOURLIAN
nareg.ou@alpinme.com
About Masdar City
Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City is one of the world’s most sustainable communities. It is made up of a rapidly growing clean-tech cluster, business free zone and residential neighbourhood with restaurants, shops and public green spaces. Masdar City is a working model for cities around the world based on the three pillars of environmental, economic and social sustainability, and continues to push the boundaries of innovation. The sustainable city is home to the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency, several Fortune 500 companies, hundreds of local businesses and entrepreneurs, and a leading graduate-level research institute.
Contacts:
E-mail: press@masdar.ae
Tel enquiries in Arabic: +971 2 653 3333
Tel enquiries in English: +971 2 653 6014
For more information please visit: http://www.masdar.ae and connect: facebook.com/masdar.ae and twitter.com/masdar
