Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has introduced a healthy building mark for new commercial, residential and industrial construction projects to help demonstrate indoor environmental quality.

The UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for New Construction should help building owners and industry professionals differentiate their construction projects and support the health and wellness of future occupants. The verification service is available for various construction, redevelopment or tenant improvement projects, including commercial, industrial and multi-family residential buildings.

“People are becoming more aware of how indoor air, water and other factors can affect their health, from potential tenants considering an apartment lease to global companies searching for office space,” said Joel Ritschel, director at UL. “Demonstrating a commitment to better indoor environmental quality can add value for new and redeveloped buildings, helping to differentiate a project among future occupants and meet rising expectations for better health and wellness in the built environment.”

As part of the process towards verification, UL empowers developers to make key choices to optimise indoor environmental health and wellness from the early stages of a project, potentially avoiding more costly and time-consuming changes after completing construction or improvements. Through the programme, users can achieve one of four verification options:

• UL Verified Healthy Building for New Construction Core and Shell
• UL Verified Healthy Building for New Construction Indoor Air
• UL Verified Healthy Building for New Construction Indoor Air and Water
• UL Verified Healthy Building for New Construction Residential

UL verification marks are globally recognised, and the verification process incorporates on-site measurements and visual inspections with a science-driven, expert-led approach to indoor environmental quality. UL collaborates proactively with project teams to help them accomplish their goals and achieve the optimal verification option for their built environment.

The UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for New Construction (www.ul.com/services/ul-verified-healthy-building-mark-new-construction) was designed to work in tandem with third-party certification programmes for sustainable buildings, including the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (Breeam), Energy Star, Fitwel, Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (Leed) and the Well Building Standard.