NEWPORT BEACH, California (March 29, 2022) – KBS, one of the largest investors in commercial real estate in the U.S., announces that it has successfully completed the verification of more than 14 million square feet of Class A office space in its real estate portfolios, achieving the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for Indoor Air.
“Last year, we announced the firm’s intention to verify millions of square feet of Class A office properties in our portfolio and we are proud that it only took six months to achieve this goal,” says Marc DeLuca, CEO and Eastern regional president for KBS. “Our strong efforts to secure this verification in a timely manner demonstrate KBS’ dedication to the health and wellness of its tenants and visitors. As companies increasingly look to their landlords to ensure a healthy working environment, we continually seek ways to provide it and anticipate our tenants’ needs.”
For buildings to earn verification, each property must undergo a rigorous process through UL’s Verified Healthy Building Program consisting of desktop audits, on-site visits (including visual inspections and performance testing) and laboratory testing to evaluate the range of building space conditions. Upon becoming a verified UL Healthy Building, properties must adhere to additional monitoring twice a year to continuously confirm excellent indoor air quality performance in order to maintain the UL verification.
Within KBS’ extensive portfolio, 46 properties have earned a UL Verified Healthy Building verification. Some of the properties include:
- Main & Gervais, a 186,303-square-foot property in Columbia, South Carolina
- The McEwen Building, a 175,262-square-foot mixed-use asset in Franklin, Tennessee
- 1000 Continental, a 205,424-square-foot property in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
- Dulles Station East I, a 186,922- square-foot mixed-use asset in Herndon, Virginia
- Salt Lake Hardware Building, a 210,256-square-foot Class A asset in Salt Lake City, Utah
- 515 Congress Ave, a 263,058-square-foot Class A office tower in Austin, Texas
In addition to the Healthy Building verifications, KBS has implemented recent renovations at its properties to provide eco-friendly amenities for tenants, such as modernized HVAC systems and bipolar ionization that can sanitize indoor air more effectively, as well as building apps that activate touch-free entrances and elevators. Other unique amenities include beehive installations at seven KBS property including 3001/3003 Washington Blvd in Arlington, VA, 1000 Continental in Pennsylvania and most recently at
its Carillon property in North Carolina, which helps the bee population repopulate, providing jars of local honey for tenants to enjoy. In addition, these include biophilia inside buildings and water conservation tactics to help lower the firm’s ecological footprint. Additionally, the firm is continually researching new ways to incorporate environmentally friendly amenities at its properties such as achieving sustainability through LEED certification, integrating EV car-charging stations, and internet connectivity through WiredScore status.
“By identifying new ways to incorporate sustainability into our properties, we are providing high-quality office space for tenants looking to attract and retain talent,” says David Jenkins, SVP, Capital Project Management for KBS. “KBS’ commitment to health, wellness and sustainability initiatives shows the company’s dedication to delivering a top-tier work environment for tenants, property management staff and visitors.”
For a list of all KBS verified properties click here.
For more information on how KBS is providing tenants with healthy indoor work environments, click here.