The office would inevitably have to accommodate three different kinds of people – the ones who are keen to return no matter what, the ones who need a degree of flexibility of working from home, and the ones who may be hesitant or vulnerable. 

Coupled with the absolute necessity for the hospitality sector to welcome guests back to physical premises on a pre-pandemic scale, drives the notion that business leaders and property owners must redesign their infrastructure to combat the most pressing fears, concerns and challenges posed by the pandemic.

Therefore, it became apparent we needed a strong scientific solution to help society get back safely into work and office environments – if we were ever to return back to a pre-pandemic normal. The IMMUNE Building Standard™ was the product of this endeavour, developed in Romania in 2020, mid-COVID-19 pandemic.

The standard has been developed to help buildings including offices, logistics and industrial sites, sports and recreation centres, educational institutions, retail, hospitality and residential properties to re-open and operate safely.

When news of the pandemic first arose, it soon became clear that life as we knew it would change. Over one year on, that early interpretation has proven to be accurate, with the virus radically changing the way we live, work and interact. Excepting some medical facilities, no commercial building was prepared to face a pandemic.

We need to create healthy buildings for people and redesign the offices to regain their trust in coming back to offices. This is why we created the IMMUNE Building Standard™. Listen to the full interview for Times Radio in the context of returning to the office safely.

"People have to feel more confident that the workplace will be safer for them than they will be at home," Tudor says. "We already have green buildings, but we want to work towards healthy buildings as well."

While a proposed return to the office and wider opening of hospitality venues has been deemed a hugely positive step for property stakeholders, it is one that bears obvious and immediate challenges as the UK public remain cautious about a so-called return to ‘normal’ livelihood procedures.

Interview with Mr. Liviu Tudor, President of EPF on how offices can prepare to welcome back employees / safe return to work and AI / Automation at the workplace due to the pandemic.

In this op-ed, Mr Liviu Tudor tells CEO Today that the recovery of city centres and the economy relies on a return to the office but warns that businesses must prioritise their employees’ safety and well-being in doing so.

Interview with Mr. Liviu Tudor on Building H3, fully occupied by Ericsson being awarded the IMMUNE Building Standard™ certification, IMMUNE™- Resilient.

Mr. Liviu Tudor, president of the European Property Federation was invited on the World Business Report at BBC World Service to examine the future of the office in a post-pandemic world and to discuss IMMUNE™.

The IMMUNE Building Standard™ is featured at pages 110 & 111 in the interview with Gavin Bonner.

The building, operated by Swedish telecoms provider Ericsson, is designed to monitor potential health threats and has been specially designed to minimise viral spread, was the brainchild of Genesis Property founder and President of the European Property Federation, Liviu Tudor.

After a nine-month, €375,000 retrofit, an office building in Bucharest, Romania has become the first building to achieve the toughest certification of the Immune Building Standard, developed to guard occupants against communicable diseases like Covid-19.

The achievement of the IMMUNE^TM – Resilient certification follows a nine-month implementation project initiated by Genesis Property, a reputed Class A office developer and a leading member of the European Property Federation. 

Building H3 in Bucharest’s West Gate Business District, fully occupied by Ericsson, earned the IMMUNE -Resilient label, becoming the world’s first building to achieve the highest certification level of the IMMUNE Building Standard.

The standard incorporates a network of devices, technologies, specialised equipment, dedicated personnel and amenities, promoting operational and health rules focused on spaces where occupants and visitors interact.

The IMMUNE Building Standard^TM, 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.

Peggy and Liviu Tudor, founder and president, Genesis Property, discuss the immune building standard. He explains that an immune building is prepared to perform well in the face of a threat, how devices, sensors, machine learning, and big data can help create immune-rated buildings and how the technology can be implemented in preexisting buildings.

The IMMUNE-Strong certification of Prolojik Limited’s headquarters is based on a complex assessment process conducted by Build Green, an independent authorised building assessor and a contributor to the development of the standard.

“The IMMUNE Building Standard is gaining momentum and sees great interest from leaders across the world who seek to reduce Covid-19 effects on built environments and to sustainably contribute to creating the healthy buildings of the future,” said Liviu Tudor, Founder of Genesis Property.

The office building owned by Prolojik Limited, a contributor for the IMMUNE™ standard, achieved the IMMUNETM-Strong label, following the company’s commitment to create a healthier workplace environment for its employees through the implementation of health & safety measures.

This is a clear success indicator of the first open-source standard designed for office buildings and is adaptable to any built environment, with the aim of increasing the resilience of indoor spaces against current and future health threats.

"The principles embodied in the IMMUNE Standard align with our own operational and strategic aims to support the safe and measured return to the built environment, for our own business as well as the clients we support”, said Asela Rodriguez, Prolojik.

David Clements, Chief Executive at FUTURE Designs, says: "Proof of our success is that to date have had zero Covid cases within our factory and assembly facilities. Finally, we want to thank and applaud IMMUNE Building Standard for implementing this most important innovation and scrutinizing us.”

Gavin Bonner, VP Genesis Property and contributor to the development of the IMMUNE Building Standard™ is invited on the business show "Economy XXI" to discuss the importance ofIMMUNE™ and to explore how it works and its benefits for landlords, tenants and communities at large.

Host is Mr. Alexandru Răducanu, Canal 33.

Tudor said: “In the current economy, still facing the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are companies like FUTURE Designs that are laying out a coherent path to recovery."

David Clements, Chief Executive at FUTURE Designs, said: “Our sole goal was to make our place of work the safest possible for all team members and to give them confidence and peace of mind during these extraordinary times."

"From the outset of the U.K. lockdown one year ago, our sole goal as exemplar employers was to make our place of work the safest possible for all team members, to give them confidence and peace of mind during this most extraordinary of times and no expense has been spared in our quest."

The certification marks the Healthy by Design Building Institute’s first major milestone in expanding The IMMUNE Building Standard beyond office buildings, in other real estate sectors that have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

"Our sole goal was to make our place of work the safest possible for all team members and to give them confidence and peace of mind during these extraordinary times”, says David Clements, Chief Executive at FUTURE Designs.

Discussing the IMMUNE Building Standard with Retrofit, a trade publication for architects, facility managers, building owners, contractors and others.

Interview is featured in January - February 2021 edition, pages 30 & 31.

With the coronavirus rapidly transforming the way workplaces operate, Mace has taken extensive action in the past months to implement safety measures across its global offices and construction sites to ensure a safer and healthier workplace environment for its 5,000 employees.

The Facilities Management team at Mace has worked in partnership with colleagues from across the business to allow operations to continue from all our offices, implementing control measures that focus on the wellbeing of all our staff.

The certification demonstrates Mace’s diligence and commitment to implement a Healthy by Design approach, considering a coherent collection of 100+ measures and best practices recommended by IMMUNE™. 

The office building at 155 Moorgate, in London’s historic centre and primary central business district, has achieved the IMMUNE – Powerful certification (equivalent to 4 stars), recognising the successful measures implemented to keep employees safe during a global pandemic.

Maud Santamaria, head of workplace experience at Mace said: “The Immune Building Standard demonstrably recognises the health and wellbeing measures we have implemented at Mace’s HQ in London, keeping our employees safe during the pandemic."

Giving employees the confidence to return to the workplace hinges on assuring them that they are returning to a safe and productive environment. Following implementation of lockdown measures and the closure of commercial buildings worldwide, it was clear the property sector was neither prepared nor equipped to manage a situation of this nature.

Liviu Tudor, EPF President presents IMMUNE™ at Global Real Estate Summit 2020

European Valuer interviews Liviu Tudor, Chairman of Genesis Property, on the IMMUNE building standard and valuation of buildings’ immunity to pandemic threat. Page 15, Nov 2020 issue

Liviu Tudor, President of the European Property Federation, has studied infection control measures in hospitals and created an open source platform for assessing and improving a building’s operations in response to Covid-19.

Just as we have fire safety regulations in place when designing and operating a building, an IMMUNE™ standard would be mandated as part of the wider health and safety. This is not just a marketing label; it is a safety standard that will need compulsory investment.

"Just as we take care of our own immune system and constantly seek to boost it, there is a need for solutions to improve the immunity of the buildings in which we spend most of our time in and to prepare them for the new normality."

For owners and building managers, this is a manual for effectively integrating health precautions into building operations and facility oversight. By assigning an “IMMUNE Steward,” building owners ensure there is a dedicated  professional to implement and monitor activities.

As an inaugural version, the IMMUNE standard will remain under frequent review and constant evolution as the medical, scientific, architectural, and engineering bodies arrive at new conclusions to combat the pandemic.