United Community has been awarded with WELL Certification for its United Center headquarters facility at 200 E. Camperdown Way in Greenville by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).
United Center is the first project in South Carolina to receive this certification, which is the premier building standard focused on enhancing health and wellness through the buildings where individuals live, work, and play.
“From the very beginning, we wanted to design this building with the purpose of bringing people together in a space that encouraged collaboration and mindfulness,” said CEO and Chairman Lynn Harton. “The environment in which you work sets the table for success, and we are proud to have provided our talented team with a space they feel they can thrive in.”
Created through seven years of rigorous research and development working with leading physicians, scientists, and industry professionals, the WELL Building Standard is a performance-based certification system that marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based scientific research.
The United Community headquarters earned the distinction based on seven categories of building performance — Air, Water, Light, Nourishment, Fitness, Comfort, and Mind — and achieved a Bronze-level rating.
“Earning this certification is the result of extraordinary efforts on behalf of multiple individuals who came together in this project with a vision and pursuit of excellence,” said Chief Human Resources Officer Holly Berry. “United Center is a state-of-the-art facility that stands as a beacon of our focus on the wellbeing of our employees.”
Completed in March of 2024, United Center was a $65 million investment to house the bank’s entire executive leadership team and more than 300 of the bank’s employees in a 200,000 square foot space. It is a seven-story building that features a gathering space with a coffee bar, quiet zones featuring seating areas to encourage collaboration, nearly 30 conference rooms, multiple mothers’ rooms, and a café break room on each floor. Additionally, it has direct access to the Swamp Rabbit Trail and has two terraces allowing for employees to easily get fresh air throughout the day.
United Center was developed by Steve Navarro with The Furman Co, McMillan Pazdan Smith was the architect, and construction was led by Harper General Contractors.
“It was evident from early in our collaboration with United Community’s leadership team that they truly prioritize the health and safety of their people,” says K.J. Jacobs, a Principal at McMillan Pazdan Smith. “WELL provided an excellent framework for this project’s wellness goals and United Community should be commended for their commitment to earning the certification.”