Health and safety honor for city apartments

Ti Gong

Central Residences II, a high-end serviced apartments project in Changning District, has been awarded a WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Maintenance, the first apartment project in China to receive such an accolade.

The WELL HSR through the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all new and existing building and spaces focusing on operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans.

“The health and safety of our residents always remains our top priority and that's why we have decided to bring the WELL HSR seal to Central Residences II," said Tony Wang, general manager of Kerry Properties Development Management (Shanghai) Co Ltd. "Among all critical health and safety issues, we have specifically focused our attention on a couple of areas which mainly include the air and water quality, surface contact reduction and cleaning practices improvement."

On Huashan Road, with major commercial precincts including West Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road and Xujiahui nearby, the 214-unit project is most popular with expat clients, particularly families, who account for nearly 80 percent of its residents.

"Kerry Properties is always committed to undertaking its social responsibility,” Wang said. "By providing a safe and healthy environment, we are contributing our part in the global fight against the pandemic by instilling sense of security, confidence and trust in our residents, staff, visitors as well as the broader community."

The WELL HSR, launched in July 2020, was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and specific interventions at a building and organizational-scale that can help to reduce the risk of transmission.

"The WELL HSR has received very positive feedback from the China market with continuously growing number of projects, especially in first-tier cities including Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, filing their applications for the rating," said Richard Chang, vice president of IWBI Asia. "Interest from office buildings and shopping malls seems to be the most strong in Shanghai, while we've also seen robust demand from different types of real estate projects including F&B outlets, sports stadiums, medical facilities and postnatal care centers, among others, in some other parts of the country."

Since its worldwide launch, more than 70 projects in China have registered with WELL HSR and over 20 have earned the seal, according to IWBI figures.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought profound changes to almost every industry including the property management sector," said Wu Yicheng, chairman of Yihua Real Estate Management (Shenzhen) Ltd, which has provided consultancy services for seven projects in China including the Central Residences II during their WELL HSR journey. "To some extent, their professionalism and sense of responsibility is best delivered through some backstage pandemic control and prevention measures that might not be immediately spotted by tenants and visitors."

In addition to Central Residences II, Kerry Properties is also planning to have Kerry Everbright City Phase I, a four-story retail podium near the Shanghai Railway Station, obtain the WELL HSR certification. The 42,000-square-meter development will embark on an 18-month facelift soon before re-opening around the end of next year, according to Wang.