Two out of the 14 buildings under the portfolio of MREIT, Inc., the REIT company of the country’s largest office landlord, Megaworld, etched a historic milestone after each receiving a Powerful (4 stars) IMMUNE™ certification from Healthy by Design Building Institute (HDBI) – the first-ever recognition of its kind in entire Asia.
Both located in Eastwood City, Megaworld’s first-ever township development, 1800 Eastwood Avenue and 1880 Eastwood Avenue office towers were given the certifications during a virtual awarding ceremony attended by key executives from HDBI, MREIT, Inc., and Megaworld.
“We take great pride in becoming the first-ever recipient of the IMMUNE Building Standard™ certifications in Asia. We hope to make this a benchmark across all the properties in our portfolio, and we look forward to accrediting all our assets in the future. As you know, we are into township development, and creating safe working environments not only benefits the office population but also the greater community that surrounds our developments. That’s why it’s a very important step for MREIT to be taking. We are truly honored to be given this recognition,” Kevin L. Tan, president and CEO, MREIT, Inc.
The IMMUNE™ Shell & Core certification awarded by Healthy by Design Building Institute (HDBI) was achieved by the two properties after the implementation, in the shared areas of the building, of a large majority of measures included in the IMMUNE™ Assessment Scoring Index. This is an evaluation tool developed at the initiative of Genesis Property, a leading member of the European Property Federation and renowned Class-A office developer.
Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and launched in 2020 by Genesis Property, the IMMUNE Building Standard™ aims to help mitigate the effects of pandemics and other bacteriological and toxicological health threats by creating and promoting healthy buildings of the future.
“The first IMMUNE™ building in Asia is another major step for the standard, and we are happy to contribute with our know-how in creating healthier workplaces for people all around the world. Megaworld has truly become trailblazers within this particular field and a beacon within Asia,” said Dr. Darren Allen, Director at the Healthy by Design Building Institute.
IMMUNE™ is based on a practical investment in a Healthy by Design System (HbDS), which incorporates a network of specialized sensors measuring the indoor environment parameters such as air, humidity, temperature, or CO2 levels, devices and available technologies, specialized equipment, dedicated personnel such as the IMMUNE™ Steward, and new amenities, promoting operational and health rules. An authorized building assessor performs the evaluation and recommends a property to become IMMUNE™-certified with one of the three labels: Strong (3 stars), Powerful (4 stars), or Resilient (5 stars).
MREIT recently announced the acquisition of an additional four prime properties worth
P5.3-billion. Once this is completed, MREIT's portfolio will cover 18 office properties from four (4) Megaworld premier townships: 1800 Eastwood Avenue, 1880 Eastwood Avenue, and ECommerce Plaza in Eastwood City; One World Square, Two World Square, Three World Square, 8/10 Upper McKinley, 18/20 Upper McKinley, and World Finance Plaza in McKinley Hill; One Techno Place, Two Techno Place, Three Techno Place, One Global Center, Two Global Center, Festive Walk 1B, and Richmonde Tower in Iloilo Business Park; and One West Campus and Five West Campus in McKinley West.