Opportunity
Prologis strives to be an exemplary corporate citizen, minimizing environmental impacts, caring for our employees and maximizing beneficial outcomes for all our stakeholders. Our focus on the well-being of our customers’ employees inside our properties aligns with our sustainability and business objectives and helps our customers attract and retain labor by enhancing the workplace experience. As part of this effort, Prologis is providing guidance to the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to define the appropriate guidelines for WELL certification in the industrial real estate sector. This pilot project will help develop a standard for the health and well-being for employees working in distribution centers. Given the scale and scope of our operations, we have an opportunity to lead the industry in planning, designing and constructing our buildings in a sustainable way. 

Challenge
At Prologis, we know that our buildings make an impact on the communities in which they are located and on the people who work inside of them. We design and develop all new buildings with a goal of certification where recognized sustainability rating systems are available. We also upgrade existing buildings with LED lighting, cool roofs and water-saving solutions. To address the growing interest of our customers in sustainability, we integrate sustainable design features, such as skylights and clerestory windows, cool roofs, and recycled and locally sourced construction materials, into both new and existing buildings. Many of these design features also contribute to the health and wellness of employees which is why we are pursuing a WELL pilot project.

The WELL Building Standard™ focuses on seven categories of building performance: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. Pioneered by Delos, a wellness real estate and technology company, the WELL Building Standard™ is administered by IWBI and third-party certified by Green Business Certification Inc. WELL has been applied primarily to office buildings and multi-family residential developments, but the WELL pilot project is the first in industrial real estate. Our work with IWBI is part of our initiative to focus further on the sustainable design features that lend to health and wellness of our customers’ employees.

Solution
Prologis Park Tilburg is located in Southern Netherlands. The Tilburg region is one of the fastest-growing logistics markets in the Netherlands due to its proximity to key logistics hubs in Antwerp and Rotterdam. The park is located at industrial park Vossenberg West 11 and comprises approximately 365,000 square meters. E-commerce player Coolblue and Korean logistics provider Pantos Logistics lease facilities at the park.

Prologis launched its WELL pilot project at DC5 in Prologis Park Tilburg where Pantos Logistics leases a 23,000 square meter warehouse. Prologis collaborated with Dutch software start-up hello energy to invest in a state-of-the-art system that monitors the climate in real time, reducing energy costs and allowing more accurate control than a centralized system. Several data sensors were installed in the facility make the building “smart” and provide more insights into the use and the efficiency of the building. In addition, the building’s façade features large glass surfaces, even on the mezzanine level, and special light systems to maximize daylight and comfort. With design studio Doepelstrijkers, the interior of the warehouse was designed to include several green areas and create a pleasant workplace environment. An advanced ventilation system was fitted for a better indoor climate, and specific materials were used to optimize the acoustics within the distribution facility.

Would you like to know more about our WELL Building pilot or about other sustainable developments, please contact Arthur van Kooij, Head of Project Management Northern Europe for Prologis.

Read more about Prologis’ Benelux approach to sustainable development.