In the spirit of Earth Day, this April we are turning our attention to the way the natural environment plays a key role in ensuring human health and wellbeing. Biodiversity, encompassing a vast variety of living organisms, is fundamental to our daily lives.

As investors continue to emphasize the importance of health, leading organizations including QuadReal are benchmarking their portfolios using the Fitwel Standard to transform data and ESG metrics into tangible findings. The process followed by QuadReal and the Center for Active Design in Health Drives Value for Real Estate illustrates the power of using Fitwel to benchmark a portfolio’s optimization for health and wellness strategies, providing a clear gap analysis and a recipe for future investments. We include the compelling findings in our second issue of Building Health: Expanding the Evidence.

In the spirit of awards season, including the recently announced 2024 Best in Building Health Awards, this March we are turning our attention to the historical achievements in environmental design, policy, and engineering for health.

There is a proven link between health and value. The research team at the Center for Active Design has been undertaking a years-long process to examine two critical questions facing the real estate industry: what is the quantifiable value of health? and how can climate change and quality of life coexist? Learn about our new framework connecting health-promoting goals to economic value creation in our second issue of Building Health, Expanding the Evidence.

If you weren't able to tune in to Social Synergy: Shaping up the ‘S’ in ESG webinar with Fitwel’s industry partner, EVORA Global, we've compiled the key takeaways. Hear directly from the experts who are laying the groundwork for understanding the critical – and valuable – role that health-promoting strategies play in real estate: Grace Dickinson, MPH, MSUP, Associate Director, The Center for Active Design, and Sarah Coughlan, Director and Head of Social Wellbeing at EVORA Global.

Our research team at the Center for Active Design has been undertaking a years-long process to examine two critical questions facing the real estate industry: what is the quantifiable value of health? and how can climate change and quality of life coexist? In our second issue of Building Health, we delve deeper into these topics, spotlighting the value of investing in Social to meet the demands of today and tomorrow.

Climate and health are inextricably linked. In a monumental step forward, this message was echoed in many of the publications and conversations surrounding COP28. Building on this consensus, our team compiled five key takeaways from this landmark conference, highlighting how built environment interventions can combat climate change while also prioritizing health for all.

In this month’s Center for Active Design Insights, we took a look back at the three research themes and trends we’ve noticed throughout the year, and what we’ve learned as we turn toward 2024.

ESG or Environmental, Social, and Governance investing and reporting is an effort to integrate non-financial risk and value factors into financial decision-making processes. Learn how Fitwel’s Certified Metrics tool can help support your ESG goals.

The return to school brings the usual uptick in colds, stomach bugs, flu, and COVID-19, all of which spread more easily indoors. As the northern hemisphere cools, many of us return indoors where contagious diseases spread more easily. Fortunately, building managers, owners, and occupants can prevent contagious disease transmission with these critical strategies.

Following some of the hottest months in the northern hemisphere's history, it's difficult to imagine too much water could be a pressing concern. Yet with the tropical storm season underway, it’s imperative to consider yet another climate risk: flooding.

With global temperatures hitting record highs this summer, staying cool, healthy and safe has never been more important — especially in cities. Learn how the urban heat island effect affects our social mental and physical health, and what to do about it.