The WELL Building Standard: A Comprehensive Guide

Importance

The WELL Building Standard is valuable for organizations because it fosters occupant health, satisfaction, and productivity through well-designed, people-centered spaces. Integrating this green building standard enhances energy efficiency while prioritizing health, supporting a comprehensive approach to sustainability.

This commitment to wellness and environmentally responsible building practices strengthens corporate social responsibility and attracts customers seeking healthy, sustainable spaces.

10 Concepts of the WELL Building Standard

The WELL standard has 10 main concepts that organizations need to fulfill in order to be certified. Construction teams looking to obtain WELL certification for their structures need to understand each concept and how it affects the certification process. Here’s a breakdown of each of the WELL concepts and what they mean:

Air

The Air concept seeks to improve indoor air quality by managing pollutants and ventilation systems, aiming to reduce health risks from airborne contaminants. It addresses filtration and humidity control to prevent respiratory issues and allergies. This focus promotes a healthier breathing environment for occupants.

Water

The Water concept ensures that buildings provide clean, accessible drinking water by addressing quality standards for taste, safety, and hydration. It emphasizes contaminant removal, filtration, and testing to reduce exposure to toxins. Hydration stations are encouraged, making it easy for occupants to access safe water.

Nourishment

Nourishment aims to support long-term wellness of residents through an environment that encourages balanced nutrition. This concept covers strategies that promote access to nutritious food options, encourage healthy eating habits, and reduce the availability of unhealthy foods. It incorporates education on food choices and portion control to improve dietary awareness.

Light

Light optimizes natural and artificial light exposure, supporting mental health, mood, and circadian rhythm alignment. It incorporates lighting design to reduce glare and balance light intensity, ensuring an environment that enhances visual comfort and productivity.

Mind

The Mind concept of this standard revolves around promoting mental and emotional health within built environments. It’s designed to create an environment that nurtures the psychological well-being of occupants through strategies like mental health support, stress management, and integration of natural elements.

Thermal Comfort

This concept aims to create environments that provide thermal, ergonomic, and visual comfort to reduce stress and improve well-being. It includes temperature and humidity control, furniture, and layout considerations. This concept ensures a more enjoyable, accessible space for occupants.

Movement

The Movement concept supports active and engaging spaces designed to promote physical engagement and reduce sedentary habits. It encourages layouts that foster incidental physical activity, like walking and stretching. This concept is integral to improving physical health and reducing health risks from inactivity.

Sound

Sound addresses noise control and acoustics to minimize stress, improve focus, and foster productivity. It manages internal and external sound through materials and design that buffer noise levels. Quality acoustics contribute to a calm and focused environment for occupants.

Materials

Materials aims to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals by promoting safe, sustainable construction with the right materials. It focuses on selecting materials that do not release toxins and have lower environmental impacts. This concept supports health by limiting harmful emissions and creating a safer indoor environment.

Community

Community fosters a sense of belonging and support through inclusive and socially connected spaces. It encourages programs, layouts, and amenities that facilitate interaction, engagement, and well-being. By building social support, this concept enhances mental health and creates a connected workplace atmosphere.

Levels of WELL Certification

There are four levels of WELL certification that buildings can obtain. The higher the certification level, the more sustainable the building is as higher levels require buildings to meet specific requirements. The lowest tier of certification is bronze while the highest is platinum. Here’s a quick look at each tier of WELL certification and what it means.

• Bronze – The entry-level certification, recognizing buildings that meet foundational requirements for health and wellness in building design and operations.

• Silver – A higher level of certification that demonstrates enhanced health and wellness features, improving occupant well-being and comfort.

• Gold – Recognizes advanced sustainability and human health efforts, with more stringent performance and design requirements.

• Platinum – The highest tier, awarded to buildings that achieve exceptional standards in promoting health, wellness, and sustainability across all WELL concepts.

How to Achieve WELL Certification

Obtaining WELL certification is an important step for companies looking to promote sustainable practices. To do this, organizations must register their project with the WELL Organization. From there, they can follow these steps to make it easier to receive WELL certification:

Assess Current Space

Begin by evaluating the existing conditions of the building, focusing on aspects like air quality, lighting, and acoustics. Identify areas that contribute positively to occupant health and those that require improvement. This assessment provides a baseline for understanding current performance and informs future decisions.

Set Clear Goals

Define specific and measurable objectives that align with the WELL concepts to enhance health and wellness in the building. Ensure these goals address the identified weaknesses from the assessment phase. Establishing well-defined goals will guide the implementation process and help track progress toward certification.

Conduct Internal Audits

Perform a comprehensive internal audit to assess compliance with the WELL building standard and identify gaps in your current processes. Review existing policies, practices, and building conditions to ensure alignment with health and wellness objectives. This audit serves as a critical step in developing an effective action plan for certification.

Collaborate with Experts

Engage a team of professionals, including architects, engineers, and wellness consultants, to leverage their expertise. Their insights can help develop tailored strategies that align with WELL certification requirements and best practices. Collaboration fosters innovation and ensures a holistic approach to improving the building’s environment.

Ensure Continuous Monitoring and Improvement

Implement a system for ongoing assessment of building performance against WELL standards. Regularly collect data on air quality, lighting, and occupant feedback to identify areas for improvement. This commitment to continuous monitoring ensures that the building adapts to changing needs and maintains its certification status.