Why One Law Firm Picked Fitwel Over Other Certifications

Steptoe recently became the first US law firm to earn a Fitwel rating for its headquarters office space in a Washington, DC building owned by Boston Properties—a process that Savills recently chronicled in a blog post. 

Operated by the Center for Active Design, Fitwel is a certification system developed by the US  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US General Services Administration that is committed to building health.

Vince Falcone Steptoe’s senior director of Facilities and Administration, US Offices, told Savills that his firm chose Fitwel over WELL because it was easier to achieve after the tenant moves in.

Falcone says Fitwel’s fee was also very affordable compared to WELL. In 2019, certification costs were approximately $10,000, plus advisory fees to UL. He says UL did all the heavy lifting for the process.

Falcone says Steptoe started its renovation in 2015 by hiring Studios as the design firm and HITT as the general contractor. In these early stages, Fitwell didn’t yet exist. It became an option for the law firm after it finished its renovation.

While Falcone says it would have been helpful to know the rating criteria at the start of its renovation, Steptoe could achieve a 2-Star Rating through good design. He says the company didn’t need to throw a lot of extra money at the project to achieve extra points.

Overall, Falcone says the process of pursuing Fitwel took about six months and included collecting a lot of data and information.

Falcone says most of the certification grading was based on items the firm had already put in place, including sit/stand desks, showers and glass partitions to let in more natural light.

A Growing Trend 

After the pandemic, many observers think certifications like Fitwel and WELL will become more popular as employers want to show employees that a building is sustainable or healthy.

Namely, these certifications show that buildings meet science-backed standards for health, like air quality, access to daylight or opportunities for employees’ mental relief and physical movement. And while tenants certainly paid attention to these certifications in pre-pandemic times, they are now viewed in a more urgent light, according to JLL.

“The pandemic has been a game-changer in terms of attitudes towards building wellness, health and hygiene, and as a result, we are likely to see certifications across national and international programs grow exponentially,” according to David Barnett, JLL research manager.