RO is pleased to announce that they are the first Company to have secured Fitwel certification for a multi-tenanted building in Europe, at the Dakota building in Weybridge, Surrey. Fitwel is a simple, easy to apply healthy building measure that is quickly gaining traction in the UK and Europe.
The Dakota building is the first UK Fitwel certified scheme outside of London and it is also the first time a multi-tenanted building has secured the certification in Europe. This innovative building certification was achieved with guidance and support from 360, the workplace consultancy within the Fourfront Group.
Dakota, which comprises around 39,461 sq. ft. office space across four floors is a Grade A, multi-let workplace prominently positioned at the entrance to the internationally renowned Brooklands, which is rich in history and offers a modern business environment. Brooklands has already attracted major national and multinational companies including Sony Europe, Proctor & Gamble, Mercedes- Benz, JTI UK, Cameron Oil & Gas, Daikin, Experian, Royal Caribbean International, Samsung and Regus.
David Kershaw, General Manager, RO Real Estate said:
Gaining Fitwel certification sets the RO and the Dakota building apart – no space outside of London and no multi-tenanted space in Europe has this certificate. At Dakota we have delivered an impressive contemporary office building with imposing scale and prominence situated in a prime location with great parking and transport links. We have designed everything to exacting standards and with wellbeing in mind, resulting in flexible, open-plan floors and suites, that can positively contribute to the employee feel good factor (which can lift productivity and aid staff retention).
We are really pleased to be leading the way in this exciting, innovative initiative that champions health and wellbeing and are grateful to Georgia Elliot Smith, Fitwel ambassador in the UK and Centre for Active Design for their hard work to make this happen.
Fitwel is rooted in the concept that healthy buildings encourage wellbeing for their occupiers and their employees, visitors and guests. Hence, the rating system is applied to buildings as a part of employers’ wellness commitments. The Fitwel standards provide a route map, backed by scientific research, for making positive changes that are statistically likely to improved wellbeing. As a points-based system, they satisfy developers and occupiers’ demand for data and evidence.
Whilst Fitwel has been embraced by developers and workplace strategists, only very few projects have so far achieved Fitwel certification in the UK.
Nick Moore, Head of Investment at RO Real Estate added:
"At the RO we pride ourselves on creating unique, inspiring workplaces and improving the built environment.
As a family run business, relationships are integral to everything we do and we were keen to ensure that the building would be a perfect business environment for our future tenants. Whilst we recognised that wellbeing is increasingly crucial to modern living and therefore occupiers, it wasn’t till we heard of the Fitwel standard that we could begin to quantify whether we had fully incorporated this into our design.
It has taken six months to fully integrate the Fitwel standard and ensure that Dakota remains an inspiring workplace. I am really proud of what has been achieved and we are now adopting the key principles throughout our portfolio, with the next scheme already in the pipeline."