SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

Asset Classes

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

  1. Conduct an assessment that considers a variety of DEI strategies, and the feasibility of implementing them
  2. Engage a third-party DEI expert to consider in-house assessment and help in the development of a building-specific DEI strategy
  3. 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