Project Team - WELL Certification of "TD23"
Project Owner/Developer: TD Bank Group
Architect: HOK
Mechanical Engineer: HH Angus & Associates, Ltd.
Electrical Engineer: HH Angus & Associates, Ltd.
Project Manager: BGIS (Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions)
Contractor/Builder: Claybar Construction
Commissioning Authority: IWBI (International WELL Building Institute)
Wellness Strategy Consultant: Delos
Landlord/Building Owner: Cadillac Fairview
Landlord/Building Owner's Rep: Jones Lang LaSalle
Situated within the LEED Platinum certified Toronto-Dominion Centre (TDC) in downtown Toronto, which comprises of six LEED EB:O&M Platinum towers, “TD23” is TD Bank Group's newly renovated office space and the first WELL Certified™ project in the world under version 1 of the WELL Building Standard.
The WELL Certified™ Gold project promotes health and wellness by incorporating WELL features throughout its design, as well as implementing programs to improve occupant wellbeing. WELL is designed to work harmoniously with LEED and a number of overlapping features exist between the rating systems. In addition, third-party certification for WELL is provided through the International WELL Building Institute's (IWBI) collaboration with Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the same organization that administers LEED certification.
The following case study was written using responses previously provided for a LEED Spotlight in June 2016, and is the result of interviews with Martha MacInnis, Design Director, Enterprise Real Estate of TD Bank Group and Adrienne Cressman, Embedded Energy Manager of Cadillac Fairview.
WELL delivers a wealth of health and wellness features
The newly renovated TD workspace supports 170 employees and encompasses 25,000 square feet of corporate office space. The project achieved all of the WELL precondition features, as well as 25 additional optimization features, and includes:
- Enhanced air and water filtration
- Abundance of daylight and lighting systems to support circadian rhythm
- Nutritious vending offerings and regular provision of fruit and vegetables
- A Tranquility Lounge where employees can rest and escape open workspace
- Biophilic artwork throughout the space
- Adjustable height workstations
- Wellness library and messaging throughout
Early preparation, innovative thinking and teamwork lead to WELL success
For TD Bank Group, pursuing WELL certification required that the project team be aligned on the goals and intent of the design from the very beginning. A project kick-off meeting, including all parties from the landlord to the occupant to HR, was crucial in identifying goals, gaps and opportunities with regards to WELL requirements. By bringing the team together early in the process, they were able to achieve WELL features that went above and beyond their typical project scope due to landlord participation, occupant engagement and identification of existing policies and resources.
“Depending on the base scope and budget of the project, the cost and effort to achieve certification will depend largely on location of the project (i.e. ambient air and water quality, access to public transportation, active space etc.); base building conditions and landlord participation (i.e. mechanical systems, building features); existing design standards, if applicable (i.e. height adjustable desks, lighting); and occupant engagement programs (i.e. nutritional provisions, fitness),” says Martha.
They also found that the WELL Building Standard can be both prescriptive and interpretive in its requirements. “While there are some features that are very specific in the thresholds and requirements to be met, each feature is explained with background and research to support the health intention behind the requirement. We were able to achieve several features by demonstrating an alternate solution for attaining the desired health intent of the requirements while in keeping with the scope and budget of our project.”