Alexandria Real Estate Equities becomes first real estate investment trust to be named a First-in-Class Fitwel Champion

In addition to being the first company to receive Fitwel certifications for its buildings, Alexandria Real Estate Equities recently announced it has become the first and only real estate investment trust to be named a First-in-Class Fitwell Champion. Among the company’s buildings that have received Fitwel certifications, five have earned a three-star Fitwel rating, the highest rating achievable.

Fitwel is an evidence-based building standard developed by experts in the fields of public health and design, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the General Services Administration. Fitwel’s purpose is to foster positive impacts on building occupant health and productivity by improving workplace design and instituting new workplace policies. The ratings program is operated by the Center for Active Design.

When undergoing a Fitwel certification evaluation, every aspect of the building and office environments are taken into consideration, such as proximity to public transit, access to fitness facilities, the design of outdoor spaces, indoor air quality, and healthy food options.

Research from the CDC has shown buildings that promote occupant health through programs, policies, and environmental changes can not only improve and support employee health, but also increase productivity and garner potential savings in healthcare costs.

The Building Team, led by local firms Caldwell Associates Architects and Greenhut Construction, had to tackle several difficult problems to make the historic building meet current Defense Department standards having to do with anti-terrorism, force protection, blast-proofing, and progressive collapse.

City Hall, as viewed through historic City Hall Park . Designed by architects Jo

| Oct 4, 2012

2012 Reconstruction Awards Platinum Winner: City Hall, New York, N.Y.

New York's City Hall last received a major renovation nearly a century ago. Four years ago, a Building Team led by construction manager Hill International took on the monumental task of restoring City Hall for another couple of hundred years of active service.

| Oct 4, 2012

BD+C's 29th Annual Reconstruction Awards

Presenting 11 projects that represent the best efforts of distinguished Building Teams in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovation and addition projects.

| Oct 4, 2012

Integrated security systems—replacing legacy systems

To a large degree, building security is driven by the integration of a variety of electronic security systems. The market and engineering of these systems exploded in the post-9/11 era and has shown few signs of tapering off.