Frequently Asked Questions

The IMMUNE Building Standard, through the Healthy by Design Building Institute (HDBI) in Brussels, is an evidence based, third-party certified rating for the built environment, focusing on providing building operators with the tools and strategy to monitor, communicate and adjust the health of the indoor physical space, with an efficient response protocol in case of viral, bacteriological, or toxicological events. 

The IMMUNE Building Standard™ is based on a practical investment in a Healthy by Design System (HbDS), incorporating a network of devices and available technologies, specialized equipment, dedicated personnel, and new amenities, promoting operational and health rules focused on the physical space where occupants and visitors interact. 

The IMMUNE Building Standard™ is a collaborative  standard developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemics, in a very short timeframe, following a one million euro initial investment in research, development and implementation.

Pioneered by Liviu Tudor, European business-property entrepreneur and president of the European Property Federation, IMMUNE™ was developed in Romania in 2020, mid Covid-19 pandemic, together with an international team of experts in health, technology, architecture, constructions, engineering, and facility management, as a blueprint to improve the immunity of office buildings against health risks.

We invite collaboration, support, and contributions from a variety of experts and qualified people to help further update the criteria to reflect emerging findings as the scientific evidence base around Covid-19 continues to unroll.

IMMUNE™ is centered on an Assessment Scoring Index consisting of a set of 135 recommended measures, technical solutions, and facility management practices to certify the level of resilience of a building to present and future health challenges. Any building owner or tenant can consult the list of measures and implement them - entirely or partially, as needed - in their workspace and follow the Assessment Scoring Index to independently evaluate the level of resilience of the assessed building against health threats. 

To receive an IMMUNE™ certification, an authorized assessor - an independent third-party company specialized in the field of sustainable building design, development, and certification - needs to evaluate the building using a Scorecard. Each measure earns a number of points and, based on the total score, a building will be awarded with one of the three IMMUNE™ labels, in order of importance: Strong – equivalent of 3 stars / Powerful – equivalent of 4 stars / Resilient – equivalent of 5 stars.

As an inaugural edition, the present version of the IMMUNE™ standard will remain under constant, frequent review. As the medical, scientific, architectural, and engineering bodies develop new research for a better, in-depth understanding of the Covid-19 pandemic, the IMMUNE™ standard will also grow and evolve by including and standardizing more measures to combat existing and future health risks.

The IMMUNE™ Assessment Scoring Index stands as the Scorecard used by the assessor to evaluate the resilience of the assessed building. The Index extensively evaluates architectural engineering, technology, design and two levels of operational practices - perpetual and ready-to-activate - and offers a rigorous, solid structure of measures, policies, protocols and relevant answers to help property developers and landlords achieve the resilience of a building. The Index is structured by the following seven modules:

  • Legislation, Governance and Compliance Measures
  • Exterior Measures for Building Accessibility
  • Outdoor Space De-densification
  • Building Receptions and Common Areas Prevention Measures
  • Office Area Prevention Measures
  • Restrooms Specific Prevention Measures
  • Facility Management Measures

Healthy by Design® is a comprehensive playbook for helping developers and landlords to implement a coherent system for the built environment to withstand present and future health challenges and minimize their impact. Healthy by Design® is more than a proprietary, innovative concept, it is ultimately the real-estate industry's response to a shift in our society's culture, to a new mindset that emerged organically following the harsh impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Health has rightfully become nowadays one of the primary, fundamental concerns for companies, individuals and communities worldwide. As a direct consequence, it is now mandatory for developers to address this new reality by identifying and implementing overarching solutions to secure the health and safety levels of their developments.

Yes! Upgrading existing buildings and facilities to become IMMUNE™ compliant is our short term objective. The process starts with an evaluation performed by an Assessor, an independent third-party company specialized in the field of sustainable building design, development, and certification. The Assessor is trained by the Accreditor to verify how the architectural engineering and design measures were implemented in the assessed building and how the Facility Management (FM) team is implementing the operational practices.

Health and safety requirements have become paramount for any development, especially following the structural economic and social changes generated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to reach such desiderate, we strongly believe that every building will have to incorporate by design clear measures, technologies, policies and protocols to deliver and secure a safe environment to their tenants. This is more than a trend, but rather an element of "hygiene" that has become an absolute must-have in the industry.

The objectives of the IMMUNE Building Standard™ are:

  • To implement a mandatory set of requirements in the built environment focused on health and safety.
  • To offer a clear guide to ensure compliance with such measures, preventing risk and management of present and future health adversities such as viral crises.
  • To instruct, educate, and prepare facility management teams to act with efficacy in case of a pandemic threat.
  • To efficiently protect visitors and building occupants, in the present and future.
  • To ensure a productive space for people, spaces where they conduct activities that are Healthy by Design®.
  • To promote widespread adoption at a time of global crisis by developing IMMUNE™ as a platform for buildings to model and implement. The platform invites collaboration, support, and contributions from a variety of experts and competent people to further update the criteria.

IMMUNE™ was initially designed for office buildings, and now has been extended to industrial and residential. The standard is under constant development, with the aim to extend its outreach to other types of buildings, like retail, hospitality, healthcare or education in the future.

The standard can be used and implemented by any international building assessment and certification entity to certify buildings and facilities at any stage of their life cycle, such as new, in-use, or regeneration projects.

The IMMUNE™ certification validates the resilience of a building or facility. It is a mark of its unique ability to efficiently prevent and fight against health risks, minimizing the impact of potential bacteriological or toxicological threats.

An IMMUNE™ label communicates vision and leadership in facilities operations and management, it builds a strong reputation in the industry by promoting market share and creating a best in class service and, most importantly, boosts confidence and trust among existing and future tenants and the broader community due to the secure health environment it nurtures.

Get in touch with us and let's discuss your vision! 

The IMMUNE Building Standard™ is the only building certification in the world specifically designed for minimizing health risks in the built environment.

We welcome feedback, comments, questions and insights that will help develop The IMMUNE Building Standard™. We look forward to any ongoing collaboration that can further develop the standard so please contact us at contact@immune-building.com for any inquiries.

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