SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS
Asset Classes
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Offices
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- Not applicable
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Enclosed Shopping Centres
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- Not applicable
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Open Air Retail
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- Not applicable
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- Not applicable
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Light Industrial
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- Not applicable
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Multi-Unit Residential Buildings
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- Not applicable
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- Not applicable
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Health Care Facilities
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- Not applicable
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- Not applicable
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Universal
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- Not applicable
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Focus Area
Accessibility and Wellness
Topic
Equity and Inclusivity
Question #
A3.1 – DEI Assessment
Question
Have the building features been evaluated against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) aspects to inform an implementation plan?
Applicability
All asset classes
Owner/landlord occupied building
Tenant occupied building
Answer & Scoring
- Yes = Points as indicated below
Select all that apply:
- In-house assessment conducted = 1 point
- Third-party DEI expert engaged = 2 points
- Implementation plan developed = 3 points
- No = 0 points
Max of 3 points
Requirements
- Conduct an assessment that considers a variety of DEI strategies, and the feasibility of implementing them
- Engage a third-party DEI expert to consider in-house assessment and help in the development of a building-specific DEI strategy
- Develop a long-term DEI implementation plan based on the building-specific DEI strategies identified in the in-house assessment and through consultation with DEI expert
Strategies to consider include:
Amenities:
- Universal washrooms
- Baby feeding room
- Infant change tables in washrooms for all genders
- Family washrooms
- Gender neutral washrooms
- Provision of free female hygiene products
- On-site childcare
- Prayer/meditation/restorative room
- Spaces provided for community events/meetings
- Outdoor place of respite
- Safety and security measures (e.g., lighting, areas of refuge, safe walk programs, visible entries and exits)
- Training for tenants or employees (e.g., anti-racism, LGBTQIA+)
- Other
Sense of Place:
- Ancestral land acknowledgement
- Historical community acknowledgement (e.g. slavery, ethno-cultural)
- Hosting events to celebrate location and connection to the community
- Public art or interior/exterior design elements, such as murals to reflect and celebrate ancestral land use and community
- Art by local Indigenous artists
- Conservation of heritage features
- Outdoor publicly accessible and safe amenities
- Installations or permanent displays recognizing the local geography or environment
- Other structural or social strategies to enhance sense of place
Documentation
- In-house assessment of DEI strategies
- Letter confirming engagement of third-party DEI expert, with their credentials
- Long-term DEI implementation plan
Suggested Lead
In-house
Value
- Diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) elements are building features that allow different groups of people to harmoniously use the building
- DEI elements allow more people to access the building and makes building occupants feel more welcome
- Perform an in-house assessment of the DEI elements at the project
- A third-party DEI expert can be engaged to provide a more detailed review of DEI elements or if building management teams do not have the resources to complete the review
- Based on the results of the review, implement corrective actions to improve DEI features at the building
Description
Inclusivity addresses equity of building use by different groups of occupants, providing a spectrum of amenities to support varying needs. This can include welcoming other users through building elements, such as universal washrooms and family washrooms, or providing signage in different languages.
Promoting inclusiveness within buildings can ensure that efforts to improve building wellness impact all building users equally. It is an opportunity to consider diversity and equity in planning and programming, to include components that support underrepresented, minority, and less visible user groups.
References
None
Adapted BB 3.0 Question
New in BOMA BEST 4.0