Clark Construction Achieves Fitwel Certification in Offices Nationwide

BETHESDA, MD – Clark Construction Group today announced that it has achieved Fitwel certification in six of its corporate offices across the nation. With this milestone, Clark has demonstrated that it is committed to providing best-in-class and healthy workspaces for its employees.

Fitwel, an evidence-based healthy building certification, aims to support healthier workplace environments and improve occupant health and productivity. Fitwel was created as a joint initiative between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the General Services Administration (GSA), and is operated by the Center for Active Design (CfAD).

Clark, which last year became the first general contractor to achieve Fitwel Champion status, certified its offices in:

• Bethesda, MD
• Chicago, IL
• Irvine, CA
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA

As a Fitwel Champion, Clark implements Fitwel best practices in order to better support the health and wellbeing of its employees. In addition to leveraging the Fitwel platform for its own offices, Clark also serves as a knowledgeable advisor to clients based on firsthand experience with the Fitwel certification program.

“At Clark, we are focused on providing the optimum experience at work from a mental, social, and physical health perspective,” said Fernando Arias, director of sustainability at Clark. “Fitwel has given us the tools we need to embrace the concept of healthy buildings and use innovative thinking to expand on the success of the certification efforts.”

Throughout 2019, Clark made a wealth of improvements to its corporate offices. Chief among them has been a focus on upgrading communal spaces to better foster community, dialogue, and social interaction. Office kitchens have been updated with better access to huddle spaces and healthy food options, and work station renovations have led to the incorporation of ergonomic furniture like standing desks and portable foot pedals to encourage stretching and exercise.

In addition, Clark also implemented new and improved signage to better showcases the company’s commitment to employee health. Clark enacted a new tobacco-free workplace policy, adding “no tobacco use” signage to its offices. New signage was also installed in bathrooms to communicate the importance of effective handwashing to health.

“We are proud to recognize Clark’s industry leadership through Fitwel certification of their workplaces nationwide,” said Joanna Frank, president and CEO at the Center for Active Design. “By taking an efficient and systematic approach to certification, Clark is setting an example for how to apply Fitwel at scale to successfully create healthy environments for their own employees, and translate that knowledge to clients.”