World’s first IMMUNE certified residential building unveiled in London

The world’s first residential property to be certified with the IMMUNE Building Standard has been unveiled in London, UK.

One Palace Place in London, a luxury residential building managed by Navana Property Group, was awarded the IMMUNE - Strong label by the Healthy by Design Building Institute (HDBI), marking the first residential property to receive this distinction.

An initiative by Genesis Property, a leading member of the European Property Federation and a renowned Class A office developer, the award was in recognition of Navana Property Group implementing the recommended measures of the IMMUNE standard across the built environment at One Palace Place to create a healthier living environment for residents.

Located in the prestigious borough of Westminster, One Palace Place incorporates 35 private apartments with a 24/7 concierge for residents, alongside a 312-seat theatre, a 120-seat studio, as well as a restaurant and bar open to the wider public. The achievement of the IMMUNE certification reflects how Navana Property Group successfully implemented a large majority of the 135 measures included in the IMMUNE Assessment Scoring Index.

They include:

• aligning its policies to the IMMUNE standards at a corporate level, especially in areas such as business continuity, recovery, and wellbeing
• providing additional training to its onsite team and the dedicated IMMUNE Steward
• increasing the cleaning frequency of high touch and footfall areas such as access and exit routes, the entrance, lifts, stairwells, doors and handles with supporting signage
• enhancing sanitation regimes within the building both for its staff, residents, visitors, and contractors to keep them protected
• providing PPE equipment
• installing 8 automatic hand sanitisers in the main entrance and lift lobbies on each floor of the building.

Build Green, an independent authorised building assessor and a contributor to the development of the IMMUNE Building Standard, performs the evaluation and recommends a property to become IMMUNE - certified with one of the three labels: Strong (3 stars), Powerful (4 stars) or Resilient (5 stars).

The IMMUNE Building Standard was developed in 2020 to combat effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to design healthy indoor spaces, including offices, industrial buildings, and starting this year, residential buildings. By covering residential buildings, the standard marks a new major expansion milestone, boosting its contribution to the resilience of a wide range of built environments against the health threats of today and beyond.

The IMMUNE Building Standard is based on practical investment in a Healthy by Design System (HbDS), which incorporates a network of specialised sensors that measure the indoor environment parameters such as air, humidity, temperature, or CO2 levels. Data on the building’s performance is collected in real time, empowering the building operator to verify and adjust the condition of the building to a healthy performance level to provide occupants with the space and confidence for a healthy living experience. Every IMMUNE certified building incorporates advanced technologies, specialized equipment, and dedicated personnel, an IMMUNE Steward, to manage the building’s operations and health parameters, as recommended in the standard.

“This is another major step in our journey that started in April 2020, shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we researched and developed the IMMUNE Building Standard as a blueprint for healthy buildings of the future,” said Liviu Tudor, Founder of Genesis Property and President of the European Property Federation.

“We've come a long way since and we have leveraged relevant expertise in creating healthier built environments where people spend most of their time indoors be it at home or at work. Our track record with this innovative standard and Navana’s visionary approach led to the first IMMUNE certified residential building in the world, paving the way for our post-pandemic homes.”

Mark Fitzgerald, managing director of Navana Property Group, explained: “Last year people probably spent more time at home than ever before, but while we’ve seen changes in the way offices, transport hubs and shops are managed to keep people safe, there’s been little discussion about what should happen in a multi-residential setting.

“People want reassurance, particularly as we learn to live with COVID-19 and prepare for possible future outbreaks. This is not about creating sterile spaces, but about making sensible design and management changes. IMMUNE certification shows our commitment as a professional property and asset manager to do everything we can to keep our customers healthy and well.”