- Enra Specialist Finance achieve new AirScore 365 award for consistent high performance of indoor air quality at The Hyde, Watford
- The award is given to organisations that undertake continuous indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring and maintain high levels of performance across a 12 month period
- AirRated’s AirScore is an accreditation that uses a data-driven approach to help building occupiers identify healthy and productive spaces with excellent indoor air quality
- Organisations that undertake monthly reporting, or have continuous data collection are eligible to receive the AirScore 365 award
- The award builds on AirRated’s partnership with Enra’s landlord, LGIM, who have worked with AirRated to certify over 1.25 million sq ft of commercial office space and educate occupiers on the importance of good IAQ.
AirRated, creator of the global benchmark for indoor air quality (IAQ), has announced Enra Specialist Finance as the first organisation in the world to receive its new AirScore 365 award for excellence in indoor air quality performance.
The award signifies Enra’s commitment to undertaking continuous IAQ monitoring of their workspace within The Hyde, operated by Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), and the consistent delivery of a healthy, comfortable and productive working environment over a 12 month period.
With The Hyde already achieving an AirScore certification, Enra furthered their commitment to creating a healthy, safe and productive work environment for their staff by working alongside LGIM, building manager, Bellrock and property data platform, Demand Logic, to implement continuous IAQ monitoring and implement best practice to maintain a high quality, indoor environment within their working environment.
The demand for healthier indoor environments is increasing and recent calls for public buildings such as offices, schools, supermarkets and hospitals to make IAQ monitoring mandatory have been made by leading voices in public health including the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty. Recent World Health Organization data suggests that dirty air in buildings may contribute to nearly as many deaths as outdoor air pollution (3.2 million vs 3.5 million per year).
Transparency is also a key requirement for employees and occupiers. Research commissioned by AirRated at the end of 2022 suggests that 81% of employees believe that IAQ monitoring should be mandatory for all office buildings, whereas only 21% of UK organisations are committed to IAQ monitoring in their buildings.
Francesca Brady, CEO of AirRated, said:
“The responsibility for delivering and maintaining air quality has been a hot topic of discussion with no defined outcome for a long time, yet we all know it is the people in the building who are affected by air quality. In order to deliver a consistently healthy indoor environment, a collaborative approach between landlord, occupier, property manager and suppliers is required. This example, of Enra’s achievement at The Hyde, showcases how to execute a positive approach and successful outcome, where responsibility is shared. Enra Specialist Finance is now able to validate the health of their workplace and promote the benefits to their people.”
Stephen Hogg, Chief Operating Officer, Enra Specialist Finance, said:
“Our decision to relocate to The Hyde building was driven by Enra’s desire to provide colleagues with a comfortable, productive place to work and space for our business to grow. We are believers in the value of office-working; and a safe, well-managed working environment is a necessity to enable collaboration, innovation, and the training and development on which our success as a business is based. Modern technologies and creative propositions like AirScore help us to ensure that the environment our colleagues work in every day is supportive of our success, not a distraction from it. We’re delighted to have achieved the AirScore 365 award as recognition of our ongoing commitment to providing our people with a great place to work.”
Mark Tyson, Head of Property Operations at LGIM, said:
“We are delighted to demonstrate the benefits of close collaboration between property owners and occupiers. Enra have shared our vision to provide high quality working environments and I am pleased our approach of managing sensor data in real-time is leading to demonstrable high-quality outcomes. Our partnership with AirRated allows us to validate these outcomes through the monthly AirScore report and certification. This approach is in place across 20 of our properties across the UK and allows us to offer a proactive service to our occupiers and a real partnership approach to managing space.”
The AirScore is a simple and reliable measure that provides the industry standard for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in the built environment. The latest sensor technology is used to monitor five key parameters for IAQ: humidity, temperature, PM2.5, VOCs and carbon dioxide and after a three-week monitoring period AirRated then awards an AirScore to buildings at one of four levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver or Certified.
AirRated also provides assistance to clients on how they communicate the quality of their space and educate occupiers on the importance of IAQ as well as best practice use of space. Some practical applications include monitoring CO2 in meeting rooms and advising users to ventilate the space or find an alternative venue if levels exceed acceptable limits.
AirScore 365, is awarded to organisations who not only certify their building but conduct ongoing monitoring and maintenance of their building to consistently deliver a healthy, safe and productive indoor environment independently reviewed by AirRated on a monthly basis, over a 12 month period.
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About AirRated
AirRated is the global benchmark for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Using the latest sensor technology, AirRated collects detailed information about IAQ, then grades it based on leading medical research and industry best practice. This process is summarised in a building’s AirScore.
The AirScore is a simple and reliable measure for Indoor Air Quality in the built environment. The latest sensor technology is used to monitor five key parameters for IAQ: humidity, temperature, PM2.5, TVOCs and carbon dioxide. Following a three-week monitoring period, the AirScore is determined to give an industry-leading analysis of a building’s indoor health.
It has been assumed that air outside will be better than that indoors; or conversely, that indoor spaces in heavily polluted areas are protected from the pollution outdoors. Neither of these assumptions are correct. The exchange of air is intrinsically linked, meaning one cannot be improved while the other is ignored. Indoor spaces are often far more polluted than many people realise, and long-term exposure to these pollutants can cause serious health issues.
About Enra Specialist Finance
Enra Specialist Finance (“Enra”) is one of Europe’s fastest-growing property finance and specialist lending groups offering tailored lending and broking solutions to homeowners, professional property investors, developers, and landlords. Its subsidiary brands include West One Loans and Aria Finance.
Aria Finance, a specialist mortgage distributor, was formed in 2002 and was originally called Enterprise Finance Ltd. In 2010 Enterprise was subject to a management buy-out and subsequently Enra was created in 2013 when the Enterprise leadership team launched a lending business. In 2018, Enra completed the acquisition of specialist lending distributor, Vantage Finance, and in 2022 combined the Enterprise and Vantage brands under the new Aria Finance brand.
West One Loans, founded in 2007, was acquired by Enra in 2014 and is now Enra’s primary lending brand. West One originates around £1.5bn of assets per annum. Originally a bridging lender, West One launched second charge lending in 2017, development finance in 2018, BTL in 2019, and entered the first charge residential market in 2022. West One has lent nearly £6.0bn to date, with current assets under management of around £1.5bn. The firm services all its assets in-house.
Enra Specialist Finance Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 0877301
About LGIM
LGIMRA is a division of Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), one of Europe’s largest institutional asset managers and a major global investor. LGIM manages £1.29 trillion in assets, working with a range of global clients, including pension schemes, sovereign wealth funds, fund distributors and retail investors.
LGIM Real Assets has assets under management of £36 billion and is one of the largest private markets investment managers in the UK. Investing in both debt and equity and across the risk/return spectrum, LGIM Real Assets actively invests in and manages assets across commercial, operational and residential property sectors, as well as infrastructure, real estate, corporate and alternative debt.
Taking a long-term view in order to future proof our investments, LGIM Real Assets continues to lead the industry in ESG performance, considering all environmental, social and governance issues at asset level as well as portfolio level.