The interior improvement of Arup’s Boston office is the first project in New England to achieve a WELL Building Standard and the 14th project globally to receive WELL Gold status.

The team met high standards for energy savings, material sourcing and water efficiency. In addition to achieving Fitwel 3-Star certification, a global health accreditation system to improve building occupant health and productivity, the project is also targeting LEED v4 for Interior Design and Construction Platinum certification.

While pursuing the sustainability and well-being certifications, the team focused on occupant health and experience as well as the chemical content of building materials. Working with the building’s facilities and maintenance departments, the designers changed operations procedures to meet those required under the WELL standard and worked with the landlord to install a more-efficient air handling unit to meet LEED requirements.

Design charrettes allowed Arup employees to determine details of the new workspace. Employee suggestions led to an increased number of collaboration areas. The open plan layout is interspersed with amenities. Workstations line large windows that offer city views.

The five-month project came in on schedule and within budget. The team says using elements of integrated project delivery, such as coordination meetings at critical project milestones, allowed each trade to help shape the office.

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