The firm’s Auckland office is set to relocate to new premises by mid-2021
Meredith Connell is aiming to be the first-ever NZ professional services firm to secure a WELL v2 Certification following the relocation of its Auckland branch to new offices next year.
WELL v2 Certification is the most recent standard released by the International WELL Building Institute. Under the international evidence-based programme, qualifications for certification are determined in accordance with over 100 features that are in turn based on 10 concepts: air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community.
“Together, the concepts build a picture of how buildings and communities, and everything in them, can improve comfort, drive better choices and generally enhance health and wellbeing,” Meredith Connell said. “Each of WELL v2’s 108 features is based on the latest evidence and academic literature, as well as feedback and expertise from thousands of WELL users, practitioners, medical professionals, public health experts and building scientists around the world.”
The requirements also consider all aspects of a business’ operational protocols and policies “to foster a culture of health and wellness,” the firm said.
To date, just 355 projects across the globe have managed to qualify for WELL v2 Certification. New Zealand has yet to be represented on the list.
Meredith Connell chief executive Kylie Mooney said that being among the first New Zealand businesses to obtain the certification would prove to current and future staff that the firm not talks the talk, but also walks the walk when it comes to offering a top-level working environment.
“MC has always understood we are in tough competition for talented people not just with other top New Zealand law firms but with the very best law firms in the world,” Mooney said. “In a post-COVID-19 world, we’re also competing with home, the local café and even the local park or beach as a place for people to meet their employment obligations in the professional services industries.”
The firm aims to move to its new location on Fanshaw Street by mid-2021.The building that houses Meredith Connell’s new offices is also set to receive a six-star rating under the Green Star programme.
In addition to vying for WELL v2 Certification, the firm said that it is also working towards being a “safe and welcoming place for people from all the communities of contemporary Tamaki Mākaurau, Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui and Aotearoa.”
