Corporate Real Estate Journal Volume 13 Number 2
Beyond sustainability: Decarbonisation, health and wellness 20 storeys above Times Square Received (in revised form): 16th August, 2023 Jonce Walker Global Director of Sustainability and Wellness, HLW, USA
Jonce Walker, LEED AP, CSBA, Fitwel Ambassador, is the Global Director of Sustainability and Wellness at HLW where he oversees the coordination of a holistic, integrated design process, from managing BEYOND, HLW’s in-house sustainability, resilience and building performance consultancy, to reinforcing the company’s pledge to the AIA 2030 Commitment, which advocates for carbon-neutral construction in the next ten years. Utilising nearly two decades of experience in both the public and private sectors, Jonce is responsible for weaving sustainability into each stage of design, working to transcend project goals to maximise value for clients, repair ecology, reduce carbon and improve end-user health and wellness.
Abstract This paper details the process of creating a new sustainable workplace for Schrödinger’s New York City office, occupying four floors of 1540 Broadway in Times Square. The paper discusses how the project brought together a collaboration of stakeholders from Schrödinger’s leadership and HLW, including the team’s internal sustainability consultancy, BEYOND, to develop a workplace that prioritises health, well-being and the environment equally. The paper details the ambitious goals for both creativity and performance while explaining the process of pursuing three different rating systems — LEED v4 ID+C Gold, Fitwel 2 Stars and WELL Health-Safety — to solidify Schrödinger’s commitment to promoting an inspirational and ecologically conscious workplace culture.
Keywords: decarbonisation, sustain ability, workplace, wellness, certification INTRODUCTION Overlooking ‘the crossroads of the world’, Times Square, Schrödinger’s new New York City office, occupying four floors of 1540 Broadway, is a reprieve from the hustle and provides a haven of wellness and sustainability. The new workplace brought together a collaboration of stakeholders from Schrödinger’s leadership and architecture company HLW, including our internal sustainability consultancy, BEYOND, to develop a workplace that prioritises health, well-being and the environment equally. Our multidisciplinary team set ambitious goals for both creativity and performance, pursuing three different rating systems — LEED v4 ID+C Gold, Fitwel 2 Stars and WELL Health-Safety — to solidify Schrödinger’s commitment to promoting an inspirational and ecologically conscious workplace culture. During our process for the project, Schrödinger was very interested in learning about how we could advance wellness and sustainability at the same time. We took the time to review all the important attributes of these three rating systems with Schrödinger and ensured that the path we chose together was weighed through a triple-bottom-line lens. Interventions that addressed environmental impact were just as important as employee wellness and returning to work
Jonce Walker
HLW, 5 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001, USA Tel: +1 212-353-4600; E-mail: jwalker@hlw.com Corporate Real Estate Journal Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 181–191 © Henry Stewart Publications, 2043–9148
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