Fitwel Building Certification
Fitwel has a vision for the future where every building is enhanced to support the wellbeing of its occupants, and surrounding communities. It is a unique building certification that positively impacts occupant health and productivity through an integrated approach to workplace design and operations.
Development
The Fitwel certification scorecard was developed and tested by experts in public health and design over a five year process completed in 2015. The General Service Administration (GSA) led the pilot test of the certification on a randomly selected portion of its portfolio of buildings. These buildings included rural, suburban and urban locations, as well as a diverse mix of uses including, courthouses, laboratories, and office buildings.
All of Fitwel’s components, including the strategies, scoring algorithm, and digital interface, were evaluated as part of this pilot test. Refinements were made, ensuring its feasibility, ease of use, and rigor.
The Center for Active Design is the operator for Fitwel.
Certification
The Fitwel certification process is simple. First register a building on Fitwel’s Digital Scorecard. Once a building is registered, users can complete the scorecard and garner an immediate benchmark for the building.
When the building is ready to be certified, users are asked to upload verification documents and submit for review. After a review is completed, a Fitwel rating is designated for the building. Note that only Fitwel Champions and Ambassadors have early access to Fitwel’s Digital Scorecard, prior to the full public launch.
Champions
Champions are companies who commit to applying Fitwel to the entirety or a portion of their portfolio. Champions are industry leaders, committed to advancing the building industry to support and promote health.
Ambassadors
Ambassadors are individuals who are leaders and active participants in Fitwel’s healthy building movement. After taking the online-training, Ambassadors become well-versed on the connection between design and health and have a clear understanding on how to integrate Fitwel’s strategies within buildings.