For more than a decade, Brightview Senior Living has been committed to building and operating sustainable, healthy communities to enhance the well-being of our residents, families, and associates. To date, nearly 25% of Brightview communities have already achieved or are actively pursuing LEED Certification. Brightview’s Green Building Design Standards use LEED as a guiding principle to help improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and create healthier places for people to live, work and play.
In collaboration with our business partner, Harrison Street, Brightview also started pursuing Fitwel Certification in 2022, with a goal to certify 20 different communities. Fitwel is a healthy building certification and aligns with Brightview’s vision for a greener and healthier future for all. The program was originally developed by the CDC and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) with the Center for Active Design (CfAD), a non-profit recognized as the licensed operator, in 2016.
Brightview Avondell and Brightview Rolling Hills are the first two communities to achieve Fitwel Certification. These certifications demonstrate the company’s genuine interest in improving physical, mental, and social health across a property. Through design, operations, amenity spaces, and resident engagement, the Fitwel Senior Housing Scorecard includes 12 categories and 70+ strategies supported by rigorous evidence linking the built environment with human health. These categories include location, site access, outdoor spaces, entrances and ground floor, indoor environments, employee spaces, resident dwellings, shared space, operations and management, water supply, food access, and emergency preparedness – covering many aspects of the community and what it offers.
"These certifications not only underscore Brightview’s dedication to resident and employee health but can provide market differentiation for the communities," said Latha Bhaskara, Director, Asset Management at Harrison Street. "We are proud to collaborate with our partner Brightview on this important initiative."
Brightview Avondell
This community started welcoming residents in 2008 and illustrates that the age of a property doesn’t matter when it comes to sustainable performance and offering a healthy environment. Located in Bel Air, Maryland, Brightview Avondell consists of 180 apartment Independent Living and Assisted Living homes with newly renovated amenities. This community earned Fitwel Certification in August 2023 by documenting more than 50 different health and wellness strategies that benefit all building occupants.
Brightview Rolling Hills
This community is located in Catonsville, Maryland and opened in 2015 with 143 Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care apartment homes. This community offers engaging amenities to encourage residents and their families to be healthy, and it even includes full access to the nearby YMCA and pool facilities. This community also includes more than 50 approved strategies to promote health and wellness and received Fitwel Certification earlier this year in May 2024.
Highlighted Fitwel Strategies
Our team is proud to share the below highlighted strategies achieved, all of which apply to Fitwel certifications for both Brightview Avondell and Brightview Rolling Hills under the Senior Housing vbeta rating system.
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Location: To increase access and awareness of local destinations, both communities offer a free shuttle service to several nearby services such as grocery stores, other retail stores, and libraries.
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Outdoor Space:Residents have access to an outdoor walking trail that provides opportunities for relaxation, physical activity, and exposure to nature. The communities also have an on-site vegetable gardens and therapeutic gardens that promote social interaction and reduce stress.
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Indoor Environment: Brightview associates have access to a break room that provides space to encourage social interaction and take a meal break.
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Shared Spaces: To support increased physical activity, the communities offer free access to a dedicated exercise rooms for all residents.
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Programming: All Brightview communities offer resident wellness activities that focus on physical activity, socializing, and healthy eating. Our SPICE program is the foundation for ongoing wellness efforts and the model on which vibrant living programming is based. Including five holistic elements of wellness – Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural, and Emotional.
You can learn more about the diverse Fitwel categories and strategies available to senior housing communities here.
Brightview Arlington, Brightview Columbia, Brightview Devon, Brightview Fair Oaks, and Brightview Randolph are the next round of communities working on Fitwel Certification and are expected to be certified within the next year.
Visit our website to learn more about Brightview’s Sustainability initiatives.
Brightview Senior Living builds, owns, and operates award-winning vibrant senior living communities in eight states along the East Coast: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. We offer senior Independent Living, Assisted Living, Enhanced Care, and Wellspring Village™, a specialized neighborhood for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Schedule a personal visit to experience our communities firsthand.
