St. Catherine’s British School in Athens Becomes the World’s First IMMUNE™ Certified Educational Institution
The IMMUNE Building Standard™, which was developed mid-pandemic in 2020 to attenuate the effects of Covid-19, continues to extend its global reach that started in 2020. Launched by Genesis Property, a leading member of the European Property Federation, the IMMUNE Building Standard™ which initially covered offices, industrial and residential assets, now has now extended to cover educational institutions, with the first being a school.
St. Catherine’s British School, an international school located in northern Athens, Greece, has obtained the highest certification level of the IMMUNE Building Standard™ – becoming the first educational institution in the world to do so. The school achieved the label IMMUNE™ – Resilient, scoring 5 stars out of 5, following the successful implementation of the health and safety set of measures for its students.
The IMMUNE™ certification for St. Catherine’s British School was achieved after the successful implementation of a large majority of measures included in the IMMUNE™ Assessment Scoring Index, an evaluation tool developed by Genesis Property. The building now has enhanced air filtration systems and benefits from strengthened sanitation in essential areas such as the main entrance, lifts, stairwells, door touch plates and handles. Moreover, automatic hand sanitizers were installed in the main entrance and lobbies on each floor.
Established in 1956 on the grounds of the British Embassy in Athens, St. Catherine’s teaches over 1,300 students, aged 3 to 18 years, from 54 nationalities. The school is a COBIS Executive Member (Council of British International Schools), an HMC School (Head) and an IBO World School (International Baccalaureate). St. Catherine’s British School has outstanding teaching and recreational facilities, including a 350-seat theatre, state-of the art science laboratories, a design technology Fablab and much more. Moreover, the classrooms are equipped with interactive smart board technology and Wi-Fi is available throughout the entire school.
“We are proud to receive this certification which emphasises a key priority to enabling a healthy environment for our whole community, especially our staff and students. It is our responsibility to create a greener setting and future for our future generations and this certification validates our vision and mission in action”, stated Stuart Smith, the CEO and Headteacher of St. Catherine’s British School.
“This new milestone for IMMUNE Building Standard™ reflects a strong commitment in creating healthier built environments for the future and proves the versatility and adaptability of the standard. We support safe education and believe that it is our responsibility to engage and unlock the potential of future generations. Achieving the highest level, 5 stars out of 5, St. Catherine’s demonstrates the commitment to transform the educational institution into the best place for children to nurture their innovative spirit and creativity”, said Liviu Tudor, the Founder of Genesis Property and President of the European Property Federation.
IMMUNE™ is based on a practical investment in a Healthy by Design System (HbDS),whichempowers building operators to verify and adjust the condition of the building to a healthy performance level, and thus providing occupants with the space and confidence for a healthy experience.
Every IMMUNE™ certified building incorporates advanced technologies, specialized equipment, and dedicated personnel such as an IMMUNE™ Steward, to manage the building’s operations and health parameters as recommended. The standard is based on an IMMUNE™ Assessment Scoring Index comprising 130+ measures recommended for implementation in buildings that include technical solutions for architectural engineering, technology, and design.
An independent authorized building assessor performs the evaluation and recommends a property to become IMMUNE™ – certified with one of the three labels: Strong (3 stars), Powerful (4 stars) or Resilient (5 stars).