BOSTON – JLL announced that the McKinsey office in Boston has achieved LEED Platinum and Fitwel 1-Star certifications, two of the world’s leading standards recognizing sustainable building practices that are designed to optimize environmental stewardship and support health.
JLL Project and Development Services (PDS) helped bring McKinsey’s vision to life in Winthrop Center, the world’s largest Passive House office building.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. With 82 points, McKinsey’s Boston office is the highest-scoring LEED Platinum Commercial Interiors project in Massachusetts, the second highest-scoring in the U.S. and the seventh highest-scoring in world.
The energy efficiency strategies were developed by JLL Sustainability Consulting and were implemented by McKinsey and the design team. JLL Sustainability Consulting assesses that these strategies helped make the office 39.4% more energy efficient than a standard office project of the same size and reduced total indoor water use within the office by 40%.
Many of the features included in the state-of-the-art space were specifically implemented to advance McKinsey’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Developed by Millennium Partners, Winthrop Center received its formal Passive House designation in 2023 — the gold standard in performance-based energy certification globally. This achievement is made possible through the building’s meticulously designed air-tight exterior envelope, state-of-the-art energy recovery ventilation systems, and architectural innovations that deliver 30-50% more fresh air circulation, dramatically improved energy efficiency, and optimized natural light penetration throughout the space — all factors that aligned with McKinsey’s sustainability targets.
Fitwel is the world’s leading healthy building certification system used across the globe to ensure buildings are designed and operated to positively impact the health, productivity and satisfaction of the people in them. This certification demonstrates McKinsey’s commitment to improving well-being in the workplace.
Winthrop Center has been referred to as both a “walker’s paradise” and a “rider’s paradise,” offering excellent connectivity to diverse amenities via walking or public transit. In addition to the location, the building allowed the design team to implement an open floor plan for the McKinsey office, allowing natural light to flow throughout the space. Everything about the office design prioritizes the holistic health of people within the space.
“Human-centric office design prioritizes the complete well-being, comfort and productivity of employees, recognizing that the physical workspace has direct correlation with job satisfaction and performance,” said Rex Hamre, Managing Director, Sustainability Lead, Project and Development Services, JLL. “By creating an environment that caters to diverse work styles, foster collaboration and promote physical, mental and social health, companies are enhancing employee engagement, creativity and overall workplace effectiveness.”
The innovative space involved the Sustainability Consulting team within JLL’s PDS business, as well as OTJ Architects, VVA Project & Cost managers, WSP, Commodore Builders and Millennium Partners.
