UL recently announced that FourFortyFour South Flower in downtown Los Angeles has become the first building globally to earn the UL Verified Healthy Buildings Mark for Indoor Air and Water.
Part of the Coretrust Capital Partners portfolio, the landmark 48-story, 915,000 square foot, stainless steel and glass office tower, home to key tenants Haworth, Industrious, Morgan Stanley and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, recently earned the verification by “demonstrating excellent Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Indoor Water Quality.”
To achieve the UL Verification Mark, Coretrust hosted onsite visits, which included UL visual inspections as well as Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and water quality performance testing and assessment and recommendations for improved management of all building systems.
“By being the first ever to earn the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for Indoor Air and Water Quality, Coretrust has taken a significant step in advancing indoor environment health,” said Sean McCrady, director of asset and sustainability, real estate and properties at UL.
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“This is a critically important effort as FourFortyFour South Flower stakeholders — from tenants and staff to visitors — have placed a heightened importance of building health and wellness as a key factor in the gradual return to in-person work,” he said.
“Coretrust’s bold action demonstrates a commitment to putting the health and well-being of building occupants and their guests first,” said McCrady. “We thank them for putting their trust in UL to deliver on that promise.”
Backed by more than a century of safety work based on science and data, UL’s Verified Healthy Building Program was developed over the past year to address the urgent response necessary to help prevent COVID-19 transmission and create a better building space into the future.
More On UL Verified Healthy Buildings Program
The UL Verified Healthy Buildings program utilizes testing methods to verify both indoor air and water quality and are aligned with industry-recognized, third-party organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), among others.
Where lab sampling is necessary, testing methodologies are informed by the EPA Compendium of Methods, American Society for Testing and Materials D5197, a standard test method for determination of formaldehyde and other carbonyl compounds, and EPA TO-17 for air sampling, and EPA methods for water.
“The health of our building community has always been our top priority, and it is now top-of-mind with tenants as they make plans for returning to work,” said Thomas Ricci, managing principal at Coretrust Capital Partners.
“To demonstrate our commitment to our occupants, we recently underwent an extensive verification process to earn the UL Verified Healthy Building for Indoor Air and Water Mark,” he said.
“One of the most respected names in safety, security and sustainability in buildings, UL’s program demonstrates FourFortyFour South Flower has excellent indoor air quality as well as water quality for both human consumption and prevention of waterborne pathogens,” said Ricci.
To achieve the UL Healthy Building for Indoor Air and Water Verification Mark, Coretrust participated in a desktop audit in addition to undergoing on-site visits, which included visual inspections and performance testing.
To maintain verification, surveillance will continue twice a year to ensure FourFortyFour South Flower continues to have exceptional indoor air and water quality performance.
The UL verification is key to Coretrust’s safety assessment and preparation strategy as it looks forward to the gradual return of tenants’ in-person workforce, pending the lifting of COVID-related public health directives.
Throughout the pandemic, Coretrust has worked to achieve the UL Verified Healthy Buildings Mark while implementing new practices designed to enhance safety and minimize risk for tenants, visitors and staff when returning to the building.
This included the installation of Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVCGI) in-duct air purification lamps, upgraded MERV-14 rated air filters, more frequent daily fresh air purges, continuous elevator air purification through bipolar ion generators within each cab, and touchless systems in elevators, parking entry and restrooms.
These technologies also are in place at other Coretrust properties that have received UL Healthy Building Verification Marks, including the PASARROYO Campus in Pasadena, Calif. and 2 Liberty Place in downtown Philadelphia.
“Since founding Coretrust, we are continually working to improve on the health and safety of the buildings in our 2.5 million square foot office portfolio,” said Ricci.
“The UL Healthy Buildings Verification at our properties in Los Angeles, Pasadena and Philadelphia underscores our commitment to health and safety, distinguishes our properties and helps build confidence and trust as workers return to the office,” he said.
New FourFortyFour South Flower tenant Syska Hennessy cited the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for Indoor Air and Water Quality as a key reason for choosing its new office space.
“Our firm puts a premium on health and environmental quality in our engineering and design work,” said John Passanante, managing director of Syska Hennessy, Western Region. “The UL Verification at FourFortyFour definitely helps differentiate and reinforce our brand.”
