Last week we launched a new venture, teaming up with Ekkist to create AirRated, a certification programme providing an easily recognisable, international benchmark for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).
It has been an exciting few months, as we have been busy carrying out our three pioneering case studies. At our official launch party last Thursday, we were delighted to award AirScore plaques to our inaugural clients, covering the three key sectors; residential, public and commercial.
For residential, we monitored and advised Landsby West, a Tipi BTR scheme by Quintain at Wembley Park. Within the public and commercial sectors, awards were given to the MET Office Building in Exeter, and The Office Group’s Summit House respectively.
Following a hugely successful launch at The Shard, we very much look forward to expanding our client base, helping owners and occupiers alike to better understand and improve their air quality.
There has never been a more important time to monitor IAQ, and our aim is to create an internationally accepted industry standard for measuring and classifying air quality across the built environment.
What is an AirScore?
An AirScore is the AirRated certification, which is underpinned by leading medical and scientific research, alongside industry best practice guidelines.
An AirScore is generated following a monitoring period of three weeks and is valid for a period of 12 months. The score is comprised of five fundamental parameters that must meet a minimum threshold requirement for 95% of survey hours in order to pass. These are: CO2, PM2.5, TVOCs, Temperature and Humidity. The ratings are tiered, ranging from ‘AirScore Certified’, ‘Silver’, ‘Gold’, and the highest level, ‘Platinum’.
Following the AirScore review, our in-house environmental scientists advise clients on strategies for improving their indoor air quality environments and on communicating this to prospective buyers, tenants or building occupants.
Why is it so important?
In recent years, the quality of indoor air has declined significantly. The reasons for this are far-reaching, from buildings becoming increasingly air-tight in order to improve energy efficiency, to the introduction of many new synthetic building materials. Whilst awareness regarding outdoor quality is undoubtedly improving, there remains a distinct lack of awareness regarding Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).
Air quality is a vital determinant of our overall health and considering the fact we spend up to 90% of our lives indoors, we believe that IAQ needs to become a priority.
The Wellness Market
Forward-thinking property owners are starting to look at ways to future-proof their portfolios. Through alignment with global standards and accreditations, AirRated has the unique ability to position itself to compliment all-encompassing, building-wide standards. Our certification is both a complementary accreditation and precursor for certifications such as the WELL Building Standard and Fitwel.
Increasingly, the industry is also recognising the importance of well-being initiatives in real estate, from both a CSR and ESG perspective, as well as the value-add proposition.
“There is clearly an opportunity for organisations to begin to think differently and use their physical premises for competitive gain. This is true from investors right through to occupiers, whether companies are trying to command a higher price for a high- performing building or looking to take the kind of space needed to help drive business success.” (UKGBC)
Contact us
If you are interested in obtaining an AirScore, get in touch with AirRated today.