The Jo Cox More in Common Centre at the University of Huddersfield has been awarded with Platinum WELL certification for the emphasis placed on health and wellbeing in the design and operation of the building.
The Centre is only the third Platinum WELL certified campus building in the world, and the first in the UK in recognition of the design and operational strategies focussed on the health and wellbeing of everyone who visits and uses the building.
The Platinum certification was awarded by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for transforming health and well-being through buildings, organizations and communities.
IWBI describe WELL as, “…a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind.”
“We are very proud of the Jo Cox More in Common Centre on so many levels, and being awarded WELL Platinum is the icing on the cake,” said University Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan CBE.
“We wanted an environment that was welcoming and calming for all visitors to the building, to help everyone coming here to gather, socialise, worship, and celebrate the common factors that unite them, in line with Jo Cox’s philosophy. It was vital that the University’s community and faith facilities represented the same commitments to working for stronger communities, mutual respect and fairness that were championed by Jo Cox herself.”
Ann Marie Aguilar, Senior Vice-President from IWBI, added, “From the beginning, we recognized the University of Huddersfield as leaders in advancing health and well-being as a priority in post-secondary education. We are pleased to be able to collaborate with an esteemed institution that believes in the power of a scientific, evidence-based approach while implementing practical strategies for the benefit of our health.”
The Jo Cox More in Common Centre, completed in 2023, is at the heart of the University campus. The building is designed to provide a welcoming, calming environment for students and staff of all faiths, or none. It provides the university community with dedicated space to gather, socialise, worship, and celebrate the common factors that unite them – closely aligned with the philosophy of the late Jo Cox MP.
The University’s main partners in the design, building and completion of the Centre were architects Bond Bryant, construction consultants Morgan Sindall Group, WELL standard consultants Forsta Projects and sustainability consultancy Carbon Climate Certified.