Ontario Construction News staff writer
CIBC has been awarded WELL Certification at the platinum level for its new global headquarters from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). The bank’s Toronto workspace at CIBC SQUARE as the largest workplace to achieve WELL Certification at the Platinum level across all sectors in Canada and in the financial sector, globally.
WELL Certification at the Platinum level represents the highest level of health achievement across WELL’s 10 core concepts that include: air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community.
“We are very proud to be recognized for our incredible new workplace at CIBC SQUARE,” said Veni Iozzo, executive vice-rpesident, Enterprise Real Estate and Workplace Transformation. “Much attention to detail went into designing our space with a commitment to providing our employees with the best health and wellbeing amenities and standards.”
Mike Yorke toured the construction site in November with CTBUH’s Toronto chapter.
“A fantastic investment in the city with visionary architecture and construction practices,” Yorke commented on social media following the tour.
Performance features include:
- Dedicated spaces designed to enhance employee wellness including wellbeing rooms, reflection rooms, rejuvenation corners and a lactation suite
- Sit-stand workstations located along windows so all employees have access to natural light
- Healthy nourishment options available to all employees in their workspaces
- Annual monitoring and testing of air, water and thermal quality standards
- Accessibility and universal design elements that exceed standards
“Leaders in the financial sector understand the value of creating healthy spaces for their clients and more resilient workplaces for their employees,” said Rachel Hodgdon, president and CEO, IWBI. “We applaud CIBC’s achievement of WELL Certification at the highest level, signaling their commitment to people-first places.”
In addition to achieving WELL Certification at the Platinum level from the IWBI, CIBC’s workspace at CIBC SQUARE is also LEED Platinum Certified, the highest level of achievement under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system.