Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
February 23, 2021
Renfro Estimates
the Sock Market
at $50 Billion
or Less Than 25%
of the Mask
Market
Hanes Surgical Mask Receives FDA Authorization
Highly Efficient
Masks Greatly
Increase
In-Flight Safety.
Ahlstrom- Munksjö's Cellulose Based Media Used as Coverstock for
Civil Face Masks
Magnum Health
and Safety
Produces 1.5
Million Masks
per Day for
India and Export
Venus Safety and
Health is an
Indian
Manufacturer
Focusing on
Respirators for
Industrial
Hygiene
Paladino
Provides
Consulting
Relative to Well
Health Ratings
What Works and
What Doesn’t for
Ventilation,
Masks,
Monitoring, etc.
New Buildings
Incorporating
MERV 13 Filters
and Separate
HVAC and
Monitoring on
Each Floor
NYC Movie Theaters
will Open at 25%
Capacity
______________________________________________________________________________
Renfro Estimates
the Sock Market
at $50 Billion
or Less Than 25%
of the Mask
Market
Founded in 1921,
US-based Renfro
Brands is a
leading
designer,
manufacturer,
and marketer of
socks and
legwear
products. Since
its inception,
the company
claims to have
pioneered some
of the earliest
innovations in
sock
manufacturing,
from
standardizing
sock sizes to
eliminating toe
seams. In a chat
with Fibre2Fashion, Stan
Jewell, CEO &
president of
Renfro Brands,
discussed the
changes in the
sock industry,
what makes
Renfro a unique
sock company in
the US, and the
launch of its
new marketplace
- Loops & Wales.
Jewell was asked
about the market
“Various
research firms
estimate that
the world socks
and
tights/leggings
market is a $50
billion industry
and they project
~8 per cent
expected CAGR
for the next
five years. We
believe Renfro
is one of
largest sock
companies and
possibly the
largest
standalone sock
company in the
US. It is
difficult to
determine exact
market share but
we estimate our
share of the US
market at
roughly 15 per
cent.”
Renfro entered
the mask market
last year. Since
the present mask
market is more
than four times
larger than the
sock market, it
would seem to be
a good decision
for Renfro to
continue to
pursue this
market.
Hanes Surgical Mask Receives FDA Authorization
A proprietary
surgical face
mask developed
by HanesBrands
with North
Carolina State
University, the
University of
North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
and UNC Health
has been
authorized by
the US Food and
Drug
Administration
for use by
health care
professionals as
personal
protective
equipment.
The two-ply,
single-use
surgical mask
features a
unique fabric
developed by NC
State’s
Nonwovens
Institute
combined with a
fit design
created in
collaboration
with UNC-Chapel
Hill and NC
State biomedical
engineers and
UNC Health
infection
prevention
experts.
It uses a
duckbill shape
for better
breathability, a
wire nosepiece
and foam insert
to enhance a
contoured fit,
and placement of
stretchable
straps for a
secure fit. UNC
Health tested
the masks to
assure they meet
FDA particulate
filtration
standards and
OSHA respiratory
protection
program
requirements.
“We are
delighted to
have this mask
added to the
FDA’s Emergency
Use
Authorization
for surgical
masks during the
COVID-19
pandemic,” said
Mike Abbott,
HanesBrands’
director of
research and
development. “It
is a testament
to the ingenuity
and
collaboration of
our university
partners and our
R&D team to
quickly develop
a much-needed
mask that is
high quality,
affordable and
comfortable for
health care
professionals.”
The FDA issued
its Emergency
Use
Authorization
for surgical
masks in
response to
concerns
relating to the
insufficient
supply and
availability of
disposable
single-use
surgical masks
that provide a
physical barrier
to fluids and
respiratory
droplets.
The use of
unique spunbond
fabric developed
by the Nonwovens
Institute
eliminates the
need for a third
filtration layer
for cost
efficiency and
filtering
effectiveness.
The spun-bond
fabric is
composed of two
different
polymer
materials to
make a single
fibre that has
significant
strength and
bulk that is as
effective in
filtration as
current
materials on the
market.
“The Nonwovens
Institute is
proud to be a
part of this
collaboration to
ensure that
high-quality and
affordable
protective gear
remains
available to
frontline health
care workers
during the
pandemic,” said
Dr Behnam
Pourdeyhimi,
executive
director of the
Nonwovens
Institute at NC
State.
The Hanes mask
was added to the
FDA Emergency
Use
Authorization
after meeting
FDA requirements
for fluid
resistance (ASTM
F1862),
flammability
performance,
particulate
filtration (ASTM
F2100), and
breathability
(ASTM F2100).
UNC Health’s
testing,
supported by the
UNC School of
Medicine Center
for
Environmental
Medicine,
Asthma, and Lung
Biology and the
US Environmental
Protection
Agency Human
Studies Facility
in Chapel Hill,
demonstrated the
masks exceeded
expected
performance
levels and has
used the masks
in targeted
clinical
settings.
“We provided the
Hanes mask to
clinical areas
concerned with
protection
during specific
clinical
encounters where
N95 respirators
are not
recommended but
the risk of
Covid-19
exposure is
perceived to be
high,” said UNC
Health’s Dr.
Emily
Sickbert-Bennett,
director of
infection
prevention at
UNC Medical
Center in Chapel
Hill. “The Hanes
mask made these
providers feel
safe and well
protected. I
expect we will
broaden use of
the Hanes mask
given the degree
of protection it
provides.”
The company is
selling the
surgical masks
to health care
organizations
for use by
professionals in
health care
settings.
Separately, the
company is
selling
all-cotton and
polyester blend
face masks for
consumers under
its Hanes and
Champion brands
that are
available
online, in
leading retail
stores and in
company outlet
stores.
The US Centers
for Disease
Control and
Prevention
recommends the
wearing of cloth
face coverings
to help prevent
the spread of
COVID-19,
especially when
social
distancing
cannot be
practiced.
Emerging
evidence
indicates face
coverings act as
barriers to the
dispersion of
respiratory
droplets when
worn over the
mouth and nose.
In accordance
with the FDA
surgical mask
Emergency Use
Authorization,
HanesBrands’
disposable,
single-use
surgical masks:
- Have not been FDA cleared or approved.
- Have been authorized by FDA under an EUA for use in health care settings by health care personnel to provide a physical barrier to fluids and particulate materials to prevent health care personnel exposure to respiratory droplets and large particles during surgical mask shortages resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Are authorized only for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of medical devices, including alternative products used as medical devices, during the COVID-19 outbreak, under section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
In accordance
with the FDA
face coverings
Emergency Use
Authorization,
HanesBrands’
government cloth
face coverings
and consumer
face masks:
- Have not been FDA cleared or approved.
- Have been authorized by the FDA under an EUA for use by health care professionals as personal protective equipment to help prevent the spread of infection or illness in health care settings and by the general public to help slow the spread of the virus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Are authorized only for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of medical devices, including alternative products used as medical devices, during the COVID-19 outbreak, under section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 360bbb-3(b)(1) unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
HanesBrands is a
leading marketer
of everyday
basic innerwear
and activewear
apparel. The
company sells
its products
under some of
the world’s
strongest
apparel brands,
including Hanes,
Champion, Bonds,
DIM, Maidenform,
Bali, Playtex,
Lovable, Bras N
Things, Nur
Die/Nur Der,
Alternative,
L’eggs, JMS/Just
My Size,
Wonderbra,
Berlei, and Gear
for Sports. A
Fortune 500
company and
member of the
S&P 500 stock
index, Hanes has
approximately
63,000 employees
in more than 40
countries.
Highly Efficient
Masks Greatly
Increase
In-Flight Safety.
The MID-AFT
cabin exhibits
the highest
infection
probability. The
calculated
maximum
individual
infection
probability
(without masks)
for a 2-hour
flight in this
section varies
from 4.5% for
the ‘Mild
Scenario’ to
60.2% for the
‘Severe
Scenario’
although the
corresponding
average
infection
probability
varies from 0.1%
to 2.5%.
For a 12-hour
flight, the
corresponding
maximum
individual
infection
probability
varies from
24.1% to 99.6%
and the average
infection
probability
varies from 0.8%
to 10.8%. If all
passengers wear
face masks
throughout the
12-hour flight,
the average
infection
probability can
be reduced by
approximately
73%/32% for
high/low
efficiency
masks. If face
masks are worn
by all
passengers
except during a
one-hour meal
service, the
average
infection
probability is
increased by
59%/8% compared
to the situation
where the mask
is not removed.
Ahlstrom- Munksjö's Cellulose Based Media Used as Coverstock for
Civil Face Masks
Ahlstrom-Munksjö's new
TenderGuard
product
portfolio
consists of
remarkably soft,
comfortable, and
protective
fabrics. TenderGuard
BioBased and
BioFilter
fabrics are
designed for
civil use and
source control
for infectious
disease. They
are
biodegradable
and compostable
under controlled
conditions
according to
European Norm
EN13432. TenderGuard
Natural and
Smooth fabrics
are designed for
medical face
masks. They are
protective,
hypoallergenic,
and
environmentally
friendly.
TenderGuard
BioBased can be
used as an inner
or outer
coverstock layer
of a civil face
mask. It is
highly
breathable,
biocompatible,
and
non-irritating,
so it's gentle
on the skin and
comfortable to
wear for long
durations.
Mainly comprised
of polylactic
acid, which is a
biopolymer made
from sustainable
and renewable
sources,
TenderGuard
BioBased is an
alternative to
synthetic
spunbond
material.
TenderGuard
BioFilter is a
sustainable
filter media
that can be used
as a single
layer or
combined as a
double layer for
higher
filtration
performance in a
barrier face
covering. This
unique fabric is
made up of a
special blend of
cellulosic and
cellulose-based
manmade fibers
making the
filter media
100% bio-based.
"Using
technology from
our business and
the expertise of
the medical
product
development
team, we were
able to advance
product
functionality in
our smart
fiber-based
solutions.
Having products
that are
sustainable,
renewable, and
biocompatible
allows for the
opportunity to
provide
environmentally
friendly
options,"
comments Stuart
Nixon, VP,
Beverage and
Casing,
Ahlstrom-Munksjö.
The TenderGuard
product
portfolio
consists of
protective
fabrics
applicable for
medical use as
well.
TenderGuard
Natural is a
wetlaid fabric
that can be used
as the inner or
outer layer of a
face mask. It is
environmentally
friendly, and
the hypoallergic
inner layer
makes it super
soft for the
wearer. With
both layers
together,
TenderGuard
Natural
achieves nearly
50% Bacterial
Filtration
Efficiency,
which is
remarkable
without a
filtration layer
included.
TenderGuard
Smooth consists
of bicomponent
spunbond fabrics
that are made
with a
proprietary
technology that
minimizes raised
fibers. This
creates a smooth
surface to help
eliminate any
skin irritation,
which is
essential when
it comes to a
face mask.
TenderGuard
Smooth is
hypoallergenic,
so it is gentler
on the skin,
making it ideal
to wear for long
durations.
Magnum Health
and Safety
Produces 1.5
Million Masks
per Day for
India and Export
Magnum Health & Safety P. Ltd. is Manufacturer & Exporter of N-95 mask,
PE and non-woven
shoe cover,
swine flu mask,
dust mask, tie
mask, disposable
mask, ear loop
mask, bouffant
caps, face mask
& surgical mask
in Mumbai,
India.
Magnum Has in
house product
testing
equipment for
N-95 Masks,
Swine flu mask,
Dust Mask, Tie
mask, Disposable
mask, Earloop
mask complying
with NIOSH, CE
and ISI
Standard.
At present
Magnum has more
than 400
customers all
over India
covering 60
cities and a
daily production
capacity of 1.5
million pcs.
Products are
also exported to
USA, South
Africa,
Mauritius,
Mexico, Ukraine,
Tunisia &
Vietnam.
Magnum has ISO
Certification &
CE Marking on
all their
products
complying with
European
Standards.
Other products are as follows: N 95 Masks, PE and non-woven shoe cover,
dust mask,
filtering half
mask, swine flu
mask, tie mask,
disposable mask,
bouffant caps,
face mask, and
ear loop mask.
Venus Safety and Health is an Indian Manufacturer
Focusing on
Respirators for
Industrial
Hygiene
Venus Safety & Health Pvt. Ltd. is a global
supplier
of
Neck-up Personal
Protective
Equipment (PPE).
It has grown
substantially in
volume and
revenues since
its inception in
1986.
It has a large
manufacturing
capacity in Navi
Mumbai, India
.
The processes and procedures in Venus
manufacturing
plants have been
certified in
accordance with
ISO 9001:2015
and are audited
annually by
BUREAU VERITAS.
The certified facilities produce and
supply products
conforming to:
|
American Standards |
42 CFR Part 84 |
|
European Standards |
EN 149 EN 140 EN 143 EN 14387 |
|
Indian Standards |
IS 9473 IS 14746 IS 14166 IS 15323 IS 10245(II) IS 10245(III) IS 2925 IS 9167 IS 5983 IS 15322 IS 1628 |
Paladino
Provides
Consulting
Relative to Well
Health Ratings
Paladino and
Company is a
sustainability
and green
building
consulting firm
that aligns
sustainability
strategies to
measurable
business value
for architects,
developers,
property
managers, and
real estate
owners.
Amada
Cunningham, LEED
AP BD+C, Senior
Manager,
explained
their
work relative to
environmental
quality. “We
work through
every phase of
real estate
development,
and our
services include
sustainability
strategy,
execution,
certification
management,
commissioning,
and reporting.
“We are entering
a serious phase
of the COVID-19
response with
cities
coast-to-coast
enacting
emergency orders
to limit spread.
The good news
about potential
vaccines is a
light at the end
of the tunnel,
and commercial
real estate
owners and
operators are
looking for
smart ways to
prepare for a
safe re-opening
and to
communicate
crucial
information
about
COVID-readiness
to building
occupants and
tenants.
We’ve
extensively
covered the
COVID-readiness
rating systems,
and now we are
looking more
closely at the
specific
requirements
that building
operators need
to consider as
they choose the
rating system
that best aligns
with their goals
and values.
“Let’s take a
closer look at
the WELL Health
Safety Rating’s air quality
features.
The WELL Health
Safety Rating
was developed to
help building
owners adapt to
the COVID-19
pandemic. The
WELL Health
Safety Rating is
based on the WELL Building Standard but
has fewer
features than a
WELL
certification.
Additionally,
achieving a WELL
Health Safety
Rating can
contribute to a
WELL
certification.
Speed was top of
mind for IWBI in
developing the
WELL Health
Safety Rating,
and the
requirements of
the rating are
designed to be
deployed quickly
and without
major
investments.
There are 21
design features
to choose from,
and Health
Safety Rating
requires
achieving 15 of
those features.
There are five
features in the
WELL Air and
Water Quality
Management
category, of
which three
apply to
air quality:
- Assess ventilation
- Assess and maintain air treatment systems
- Monitor air and water quality
Assess
Ventilation:
This WELL Health
Safety Rating
air quality
feature requires
projects to
assess their
ability to bring
in fresh air
from the outside
through
mechanical
and/or natural
means in order
to dilute human-
and
material-generated
air pollutants.
The assessment
addresses the
highest supply
rate of outdoor
air the current
system can
provide;
potential
modifications to
system controls
to increase the
supply of
outdoor air; the
extent to which
the current
system can
operate without
recirculating
air; and how/if
any of the
potential HVAC
system
modifications
would affect
energy
consumption,
thermal comfort
conditions, and
maintenance
processes.
This feature
requires an
assessment of
what the system
can handle but
does not require
minimum
performance
thresholds be
met.
Assess and
Maintain Air
Treatment
Systems: This feature requires the project to
inventory air
filters and
other treatment
devices used
throughout the
building to
ensure proper
tracking and
maintenance.
This is
important
because
particles
exhaled by
infected
individuals that
contain airborne
diseases such as
COVID-19 can
remain suspended
several hours or
longer and can
be recirculated
through the
ducts of the
building.
To meet this
requirement,
projects need to
provide an
inventory of all
filters and UVGI
equipment
currently used
to treat the air
in ducts and air
handling units,
fan coil units,
and standalone
cleaning
devices. A
qualified
engineer will
need to assess
the highest
efficiency of
filter media or
other particle
filters that can
be installed
with the current
mechanical
system, and the
capacity of the
current
mechanical
system to
utilize UVGI
equipment. The
project will
need to provide
either the
conditions under
which the
project will
install these
treatment
systems or a
timeline for the
installation of
the treatment
systems.
For devices
identified in
the System
Inventory, the
project must
provide evidence
that the filters
and/or UV lamps
have been
replaced
according to the
manufacturer’s
recommendation.
Monitor Air and
Water Quality:
This feature requires projects to monitor air and
water quality at
least once a
year. The World
Health
Organization
(WHO) and other
regulatory
bodies such as
the U.S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency (EPA)
identify a list
of “criteria”
air pollutants
and have
established
permissible
levels for such
criteria
pollutants based
on
epidemiological
studies that
show the
relationships
between
concentrations
of these
pollutants,
duration of
exposure and
health risks.
Each year, the
following
pollutants are
monitored (or
tested) in
regularly
occupied spaces:
- PM5 and/or PM10
- Total VOCs and/or Formaldehyde
- Ozone
- Carbon Monoxide
Bottom Line:
The WELL Health
Safety Rating
offers building
owners
flexibility for
older buildings
where it may not
be feasible to
upgrade
mechanical
equipment or
MERV efficiency
at this time. It
requires owners
to understand
their building’s
capacity but
doesn’t demand
that they
achieve any
particular level
of performance
in order to
achieve
certification.
Amanda also
addressed the
Fitwel Viral
Response
Module’s
Enhanced
Indoor Air
Quality
the prerequisite
is a rigorous
IAQ policy that
emphasizes
source control.
Fitwel argues
that by managing
pollutant and
moisture
sources,
building
operators can
minimize the
pollutants that
accumulate in
the air in the
first place.
The mandatory
requirement also
requires the
assessment and
enhancement of
ventilation to
exceed ASHRAE ANSI
Standard
62.1-2019 by 30% for
commercial
buildings and
filtration
enhancements
including MERV
13 filters
alternative
options are
available for
buildings unable
to comply with
these
strategies.)
After closures
of two weeks or
more or reduced
occupancy, the
building should
be assessed for
mold, excess
moisture, and
legionella. To
comply with the
prerequisite, a
regular
inspection
schedule should
be developed for
the HVAC system
to ensure indoor
air quality
after a closure.
While everyone
is working from
home, this can
be the perfect
time to remodel
or enhance
commercial
spaces. The
Fitwel Viral
Response air
quality
mandatory
requirement also
includes
requirements for
the selection of
building
materials with
low emissions
and
implementation
of an indoor air
quality plan
during
construction
activity.
There are two
key
considerations
regarding air
quality that
building
operators need
to keep in mind
for Fitwel Viral
Response
prerequisite
compliance.
- Buildings must exceed outside air requirements from ASHRAE ANSI Standard 62.1-2019 (commercial buildings) or 62.2-2019 (residential buildings) by 30%. If that is not feasible, there are other options for compliance such as maintaining minimum ventilation levels for the Area Outdoor Air Rate or Combined Outdoor Air Rate.
- Buildings must use enhanced filtration methods. The primary compliance path is to use MERV 13 filters throughout the building. If that is not possible, either UV lighting technology or mobile filtration units are required.
Amanda further
stated “Our team
is working with
portfolio owners
to establish
portfolio-wide
strategies to
deal with COVID
(including
pursuing Fitwel
Viral Response
Module
certification
“The Fitwel Viral Response Module is one of several
frameworks that
real estate
owners and
operators can
use to obtain
third-party
certification
for their
efforts ensuring
their properties
are ready for a
safer and
healthier return
to work. Here
are six of the
lessons that we
learned managing
the Fitwel Viral
Response Module
certification
process.
Lesson 1: Sick leave may be a stumbling block, and
we need to
encourage sick
people to stay
home.
Paid sick leave is one of the required strategies
and the
certification
requires the
entity pursuing
certification to
provide
employees with
at least one
hour of sick
leave per 40
hours worked.
This adds up to
around 50 hours
of paid sick
leave per year
for most
full-time
employees. The
certification
also requires
that employees
be allowed to
use sick leave
prior to it
being earned for
that year. It’s
important to
incentivize sick
employees to
stay home, and
this requirement
may demand early
conversations
with multiple
business and
human resources
leaders to get
buy-in.
Lesson 2: Permanently installed continuously
monitoring
devices are
required to get
full credit for
Indoor Air
Quality Testing
because air
quality is so
important to
fight airborne
virus
transmission.
Using a third-party to conduct air testing at least
once per year
earns 6.52
points and
permanent
continuous
monitoring earns
all available
points for this
strategy, which
is 7.42 points.
Lesson 3: The Legionella Water Management Plan can
be confusing
when setting
policies for
entities and
assets.
The certification requires a Legionella Water
Management plan
because
legionella
favors stagnant
water. As most
employees work
from home, the
water at the
office has more
potential for
contamination by
legionella
unless the
building
management
implements
preventative
measures.
Despite being a requirement at the entity-level,
the Legionella
Water Management
Plan requirement
is worded in
such a way that
it seems to ask
for
asset-specific
information
including a flow
diagram. The
best practice is
to keep entity
policies
high-level and
the asset
policies more
detailed.
In this case, our client’s policy described the
entity’s process
to require
individual
building
managers to
create a flow
diagram. This
kept the policy
broader at the
entity-level and
was approved by
The Center for
Active Design.
Lesson 4: Document informal policies
Many of our clients already do much of what is
required to
achieve Fitwel
Viral Response
certification,
such as
installing hand
sanitizer
stations, and
posting signage
promoting
healthy
practices. But
many of our
clients don’t
also memorialize
those activities
as policies, so
the activities
can be
inconsistently
executed across
portfolios. The
requirement to
formalize these
policies has
been valuable
because the
process brings
clarity and
consistency to a
portfolio.
Lesson 5: Older buildings may need a strategy to
overcome the
Indoor Air
Quality
requirement to
use MERV 13
filters.
Buildings with older equipment may be unable to
accommodate MERV
13 filters.
Alternative (and
potentially
expensive)
compliance is
available
through UV light
or mobile
filtration. If
it’s
cost-prohibitive
to meet the Indoor Air
Quality
requirements, the entity certification
can be applied
to only those
assets that are
suitable for the
Fitwel Viral
Response
certification in
the short-erm.
Additional
assets can be
added to the
Fitwel Viral
Response entity
portfolio as
mechanical
systems are
upgraded. You
may also want to
review the WELL
Health Safety
Rating as an
alternative, as
it does not
include
prerequisites –
you can learn
about the WELL
Health Safety
Rating Indoor
Air Quality
requirements here.
Lesson 6: The scope of each strategy will not be
the same.
Some strategies apply to employees under the
control of
building
management
(which can be
fuzzy when an
entity seeking
certification
works with a
third-party
manager), while
others include
all building
occupants. Some
require
implementation
in spaces within
the control of
building
management, and
others require
implementation
throughout the
building. Be
careful to be
clear on the
scope of the
strategy before
you develop the
policy, and not
after!
“These are six lessons that we learned, to be added
to our
collective
knowledge and
experience. And
through this
process, our
curiosity has
been ignited
about what comes
next for these
rating systems
and frameworks –
as we all learn
about what works
(and what
doesn’t)
together, the
feedback will
inform future
releases of the
rating systems,
and decisions
among real
estate owners
and operators.”
What Works and What Doesn’t for Ventilation, Masks,
Monitoring, etc.
The comments by Amanda Cunningham about finding out
what works and
what doesn’t and
incorporating it
are in keeping
with the
multi-step
certification
process. Just as
some masks are
70 times more
effective than
others,
controlling
contaminants at
their source
e.g. HEPA filter
air purifiers in
elevators make
buildings much
safer than some
practices
included in
basic rating
levels.
The use of outdoor ventilation as a direct tool
rather than
control of
pollutants in
the air needs
considerable
scrutiny. When
the wildfire
smoke is
drifting around
California
buildings, the
minimization of
outside air is
desired. In fact
controlling CO2,
pollutants,
humidity, and
temperature are
the priorities.
Highly efficient
filters in the
HVAC system can
provide clean
air.
Also air flow patterns are critical. By combining
local air
purifiers with
recirculating
air the patterns
can be optimized
to direct air
from personnel
to the filters
rather than from
one individual
to another.
McIlvaine believes that there are layers of
expertise in a
multi-step
certification
process. There
also needs be a
holistic
approach.
Eurofins, SGS,
Bureau Veritas ,
UL and others
have the
capability to
evaluate the
entire operation
and certify
“safe bubbles.”
Mann +
Hummel,
Daikin,
Johnson
Controls,
Freudenberg
and
others have the
hardware and
controls to make
the bubbles
safe.
New Buildings Incorporating MERV 13 Filters and
Separate HVAC
and Monitoring
on Each Floor
Many new buildings, like Zero Irving in New York
City, will soon
feature entirely
touchless
experiences for
employees, from
the street to
their desk.
Developed by RAL Companies & Affiliates, Zero
Irving
is set to
open later this
year. The
building is
equipped with
state-of-the-art
touchless
technology that
will allow
tenants to enter
the building
using an app on
their phones.
The app will
open the
building’s
electric
revolving doors,
get tenants
through security
turnstiles
automatically,
and arrive at
their floor
through
elevators
equipped with
destination
dispatch—all
without touching
a thing.
Because the coronavirus is easily transmitted
through the air,
improving the
quality of a
building’s air
through new
ventilation and
HVAC systems is
another major
area of
redevelopment in
many new and
existing
buildings.
“In response to the
pandemic, we
enhanced our
indoor air
quality at all
of our buildings
by adding MERV
13 filters and a
technology
called bipolar
ionization,”
said Steve
Trapp, senior
vice president
of construction
and development
at CXP.
According to the American
Society of
Heating,
Refrigerating
and
Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE), using “combinations of filters and air
cleaners that
achieve MERV 13
or better levels
of performance
for air
recirculated by
HVAC systems” is
a core
recommendation
for reducing
exposure to
airborne
infectious
diseases.
At Zero Irving, HVAC systems are isolated by floor,
ensuring that
air isn’t
circulating with
that of other
floors. Tenants
at Zero Irving
also have the
ability to
upgrade their
air ventilation
systems
themselves,
providing them
the option to
install
high-grade MERV
filters or
bipolar
ionization
systems,
according to
Levine.
“We also have new air quality monitoring stations
on every floor,”
Levine said.
“This allows for
real-time
monitoring of
the indoor air
quality in all
of the
building’s
common spaces.”
Many believe that in a post-COVID world, monitoring
indoor air
quality in
public spaces
may become
commonplace.
“We feel like indoor air quality measurements are
the types of
measurements
that will be
displayed
everywhere in
commercial
property going
forward, just
the same way we
look at the
weather,” said
Julie Goudie,
communications
manager at
Sterling Bay, a
major developer
in Chicago.
Sterling Bay recently became the first property
owner in Chicago
to be certified
by the
International
WELL Building
Institute (IWBI)
as having
achieved the
WELL
Health-Safety
Rating at a
portfolio level.
The new WELL
rating system,
developed in
response to the
pandemic,
assesses the
ability of a
commercial
property in
reducing the
risk of virus
transmission and
preparing for a
safe
return-to-office
experience.
Implementing outdoor spaces is another key way to
limit the spread
of the
coronavirus in
office
buildings. The
virus is far
less
transmittable
outside, and
developers say
the addition of
outdoor
community spaces
is a key
component of the
new focus on
wellness in a
tenant’s office
experience.
At 799 Broadway, outdoor spaces were a key
component of the
building’s
redevelopment
plans, which
include
“terraces on
nearly every
floor,”
according to
Trapp.
“From the moment you enter the building, you are
greeted with an
outdoor garden
immediately
behind our lobby
desk,” said Teti.
“Between access
to the outdoors
and a lot of
natural light,
it’s something
we’ve truly
integrated [into
the building].”
At 141 Willoughby Ave in Brooklyn
increasing the
amount of
outdoor air is a
key aspect of
the building’s
development
plans. Developed
by Savanna, an
integrated real
estate
investment
managing firm,
141 Willoughby
was designed to
include 10%
outdoor air in
its ventilation,
a 77% increase
of the outdoor
air code in New
York City.
“On top of that, we have the ability
for a tenant to
get up to 40%
outside air if
they choose,
through a newly
installed
distinct lever
system provided
to each tenant,”
said Peter
Rosenthal,
director of
development and
chief
sustainability
officer at
Savanna.
Developers say they know they have a
long way to go
in convincing
the majority of
Americans that
returning to the
office will be a
safe
experience—and
improvements
come at a cost.
Asking rents at Zero Irving are
currently in the
low triple
digits per
square foot,
placing it at
the higher end
when compared to
other available
office spaces in
the area. When
it opens later
this year, the
building’s
second through
seventh floors
will be occupied
by a digital
skills training
center and tech
accelerator,
while floors
eight through 21
are currently
being pitched to
like-minded
tech-focused
companies.
While these improvements may cost
tenants more,
developers say
it’s the price
of doing
business in a
post-COVID world
in which
Americans are
prioritizing
public health.
“What's really resonating with people,”
Teti said, “is
the approach to
design that
suggests that
you're really
thinking about
every employee's
experience as
they inhabit the
building.”
“There’s definitely a new normal,”
Rosenthal said.
“The pandemic
has quickened
the pace of the
adoption of
these
technologies.
Moving forward,
as new buildings
are getting
designed and
built, I’d be
very surprised
if any of the
new innovations
were not
included.”
https://fortune.com/2021/02/21/covid-safe-offices-buildings-skyscrapers/
NYC Movie Theaters
will Open at 25%
Capacity
Movie theaters in
New York City
will be
permitted to
open for the
first time in
nearly a year on
March 5, Gov.
Andrew M. Cuomo
announced at a
news conference
on Monday.
The theaters will
only be
permitted to
operate at 25
percent of their
maximum
capacity, with
no more than 50
people per
screening. Masks
will be
mandatory, and
theaters must
assign seating
to patrons to
guarantee proper
social
distancing.
Tests for the
virus will not
be required.
Movie theaters
were permitted
to open with similar limits in the rest of the
state in
late October,
but New York
City was
excluded out of
concern that the
city’s density
would hasten the
spread of the
virus there.
The virus has
battered the
movie theater
industry. In
October, the
owner of Regal
Cinemas, the
second-largest
cinema chain in
the United
States,
temporarily
closed its
theaters as
Hollywood
studios kept
postponing
releases and
cautious
audiences were
hesitant to
return to
screenings. AMC
Entertainment,
the world’s
largest movie
theater chain,
has increasingly edged toward
bankruptcy.
The economic
effects of the
pandemic have
been
particularly
felt in New York City, one of
the biggest
movie markets in
the United
States. Theaters
in the city
closed in
mid-March, as
the region was
becoming an
epicenter of the
pandemic in the
country.
