The Meridian Group and Buro Happold Maintain Fitwel Viral Response Module Highest Rating for Second Year

Best in Building HealthHealthy Building ProfilesStrategies & SolutionsViral Response Module
Written By Marcos Reynaga

Having earned an impressive 99 points out of 100 for the Viral Response Module in 2021, The Meridian Group’s dedication to ensuring health and safety in their buildings continues to remain strong. This year, they once again hold the record for the highest score – a testament to their deep commitment to ensuring the health and safety of their occupants for the long term.

AT A GLANCE

Awards:

 

Highest Scoring Module

Project: Buro Happold (formerly Paladino and Company) / The Meridian Group | The Meridian Group, Bethesda, MD

The Meridian Group (TMG) of Bethesda was one of the first in the Washington, D.C. metro area to obtain Fitwel's Viral Module certification for its building portfolio. They worked with one of their tenants, Paladino and Company, a sustainability and green building consulting firm that was acquired by Buro Happold in 2021, to achieve VR module certification during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating their commitment to ensuring the health and safety of their building’s occupants. This is the second year in a row that they have received the Highest Scoring Module as part of our Best in Building Health awards!

Learn more about their achievements and aspirations below.

Emily Siegel
Senior Associate, Leasing & Marketing

What Fitwel strategies did you use to achieve your healthy building goals?
ES: Our strategies included enhancing indoor air-quality policy, testing and monitoring protocols; a plan for surface hygiene stations; an enhanced cleaning, disinfecting and maintenance protocol; Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) guidelines; and a contagious disease outbreak preparedness plan.

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How have you seen Fitwel positively impact your property's tenants?
ES: Overall, Fitwel has positively impacted our tenants because they know they can come to work knowing they are in a building that has taken action to make it as safe as possible. The Fitwel Viral Certification has helped TMG show investors our commitment to enhancing our tenants’ wellbeing. Fitwel’s certification has positively impacted the tenants of 3 Bethesda Metro Center because they can come to work knowing they are in a building that has taken action to make it as safe as possible. The Fitwel Viral Certification has helped TMG show investors its commitment to enhancing tenant wellbeing.

How does Fitwel with TMG’s mission?
ES: At TMG, our mission is to enrich communities through dynamic development strategies and thoughtful repositionings. Our ESG approach is differentiated through our transparent measurement and reporting across our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) focus areas. We believe that what gets measured gets managed, and therefore continuously track performance through reporting frameworks like Fitwel’s VRM and make improvements to meet and exceed the expectations of our investors, tenants, and employees.

Amanda Cunningham
Associate Principal, Buro Happold | US Sustainability

What was Buro Happold’s role in this project and how does Building Health align with their mission?
AC: During the certification effort, Buro Happold provided oversight, quality control and technical advice. The firm also supported the development and update of Meridian’s policies and managed the submission to the Center for Active Design. 

We are proud to work with The Meridian Group on this critical effort. Addressing health and mitigating viral transfer is one example of how we must respond to the new realities of potential pandemics. Fortunately, there is so much we can do to promote health and transparency in buildings where we live and work.

About The Meridian Group
The Meridian Group is a real estate investment and development firm based in Bethesda, Md. Since its inception in 1993, Meridian has acquired and developed more than 14 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, mixed-use, and land with a focus on the metropolitan Washington, DC market. To learn more, visit Meridian’s website at www.tmgdc.com.

About Buro Happold
Buro Happold is an international, integrated consultancy of engineers, designers and advisers. For over 45 years, Buro Happold has built an unrivaled reputation by delivering creative, value-led solutions for the benefit of people, places and the planet.

Described by clients as ‘passionate’, ‘innovative’ and ‘collaborative’, Buro Happold is synonymous with the delivery of exceptionally complex projects on every continent, working with the world’s leading architectural practices and organisations, such as the United Nations, UNESCO and C40 Cities. Find Buro Happold online at www.burohappold.com.

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Marcos Reynaga
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