Introduction to the WELL Building Standard

The WELL Building Standard “We believe that buildings should be developed with people’s health and wellness at the center of design”

WELL Building Standard Q1 v1 2018 Bri Dazio

“We believe that buildings should be developed with people’s health and wellness at the center of design” -International WELL Building Institute

Project: ASID Headquarters, Washington DC

Contents [04] Introduction to WELL WELL Building Standard Definition of Well-being Structure of WELL

[10] Certification

Building Certification Professional Accreditation

[14] WELL Concepts Air Concept Water Concept Nourishment Concept Light Concept Fitness Concept Comfort Concept Mind Concept Innovation Category

[46] Conclusion

Overall Goal of WELL

[48] Bibliography

References and Resources

WELL Building Standard Similar to other green building certification programs, WELL aims for the triple bottom line. With this environmental, economic, and social mentality, WELL strives to improve the quality of life, through the lens of the human experience. According to the IWBI, “our buildings have a profound impact on our health, well-being and productivity” (WELL Brochure). The physical workplace is considered one of the top three factors that affect performance and job satisfaction. As such, the introduction of WELL in a building not only affects employees’ satisfaction, but ultimately, their productivity. In fact, researchers from the University of Illinois determined 92% of a building’s cost during its lifetime is dedicated to personnel. With the people portion of a building outweighing construction and operation costs, WELL has the potential to reduce costs such as health, medical, and productivity. Reduction of these costs leads to higher profits for the company overall (Univ. of Illinois). Through the WELL certification system, buildings can be designed holistically, and consider those who inhabit them.

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While WELL focuses exclusively on the occupants, it was designed to complement other green building systems which focus on the environment. For instance, the US Green Building Council’s LEED focuses on the built environment’s impact on the planet. Similarly, the Living Building Challenge focuses on the environmental impact. As such, WELL features work to have synergies with the other rating systems. Use of these synergies will result in more sustainable projects, both for the occupants and the planet.

After seven years of research, the WELL Building Standard debuted in October 2014. Its overall goal is to validate and measure aspects to support and advance human health and wellness.

With this revolutionary outlook, it changes the way people think

about buildings. Ultimately, WELL “explores how design, operations, and behaviors within the places where we live, work, learn, and play can be optimized to advance human health and well-being”.

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) oversees the standard. IWBI’s mission is to “improve human health and wellbeing through the built environment” (USGBC). In essence, WELL is a performance based system to measure, certify, and monitor aspects of the built environment. By placing people at the core of design, architects and designers have the ability to enhance experiences. The standard provides a model for how to integrate human health features into the built environment.

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What, exactly, is the definition of well-being?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), well-being is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing� (NCBI). Through this harmony, humans can feel healthy, happy, and comfortable.

Researcher Koen Steemers further categorized wellbeing into two key aspects: feeling good and functioning well. Taking into reality, architects and designers create

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spaces where occupants can feel comfortable and still function to meet the occupants’ needs.

With wellbeing at the forefront of WELL, the “why” behind the standard must also be discussed.

Research determined humans spend 90% of time indoors.

While this may be considered “normal,” in the United States, the integration of WELL has the power to impact occupant habits and health (USGBC). Impacts range from helping with a person’s sleep-wake cycle through lighting choice, to encouraging a healthy food culture through signage in the company cafeteria, to promoting physical activity with a feature staircase in the lobby. The use of design integrates wellness into the built environment to ultimately encourage healthy lifestyles for occupants.

The creation of WELL as a standard aims to affect humans, through scientific studies and medical research. Each feature of WELL affects one of the eleven human body systems. Through the integration of building design strategies, WELL can protect and

increase human health.The human body systems include: Cardiovascular System: heart and blood that supplies nutrients Digestive System: mouth, stomach, and esophagus that break down food Endocrine System: hormone secreting glands that regulate processes of the body Immune System: body’s natural defense against disease Integumentary System: skin, hair and nails that serve as an external armor to protect the body Muscular System: muscles support posture and physical movement Nervous System: brain and nerves that control the body Reproductive System: organs support biological reproduction Respiratory System: diaphragm and lungs work with cardiovascular system to provide oxygen to the body and remove Carbon Dioxide Skeletal System: bones protect the internal organs Urinary System: kidneys and bladder filter and eliminate toxins

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Structure of WELL Similar to other green building rating systems, WELL is broken down into categories with mandatory requirements and optional points. WELL has 105 sections, called features. These features each have a specific health intent, tying back to WELL’s ultimate goal to improve human health.

Features are dependent on the project type, with only some of the 105 available for certain projects.

The features of WELL are designed to be applied across commercial and institutional buildings. In the WELL Building Standard, there are three project types: New and Existing Buildings: 90% of total floor area occupied by owner and operated under the same management New and Existing Interiors: addresses interior portions of the space Core and Shell: 25% of total floor area fully controlled by the owner while 75% is occupied by one or more tenants In the WELL Pilot Program, there are currently six project types: Multifamily Residential: single building with five or more dwelling units Retail: commercial interior spaces

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Educational facilities: places of learning with dedicated staff and transient students Restaurants: places of eating where consumers purchase food and dine on site Commercial kitchens: spaces where cooks prepare food for others Communities: expands scope to communities to include public spaces

Project: JLL Shanghai Office at HKRI Taikoo Hui, China

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Certification Part 1: Building Certification

The first aspect of WELL includes the certification of building projects.The levels are: Silver; Gold; and Platinum.

The WELL certification process overall aims to assess and verify a project’s adherence to the features and concepts. Within the features, there are two types: a precondition and an optimization. A precondition is mandatory for all levels of WELL. Failure to meet all applicable preconditions will render a project ineligible for certification.

In contrast, an optimization feature is an optional pathway to help a project achieve a higher level of certification.

Some of the features are performance based, and thus the process includes a verification portion. The steps include registration, documentation, performance verification, certification, and recertification.

A WELL Assessor is a third party assigned to review documentation and determine a project’s eligibility for WELL. After all documents are reviewed and approved, the WELL Assessor visits the site to conduct performance tests. This on-site verification ensures the project performs as intended.

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At the end of this step, the WELL Assessor issues a WELL report. This comprehensive feature-by-feature summary indicates how the project met criteria for certification.

Through the WELL Scorecard, the level of achievement is determined based on a scale of 1 to 10. A score of 1 to 4 means the project fails to achieve WELL. A score of 5 to 6 results in Silver; a score of 7 to 8 means Gold, and a 9 or 10 is Platinum. While these scores signify level of achievement, it is also determined by the percentage of optimizations met. All preconditions must be met. However, for Silver, 0-39% optimizations are met. Gold is 40-79% of optimizations and Platinum is over 80% of optimizations met.

After the level is determined, the project is officially recognized as WELL Certified and receives the WELL plaque. Three years later, a project must be recertified, to ensure it continues to perform as intended. Overall, WELL certification symbolizes a building’s commitment to its occupants’ health and wellness.

SILVER

Project: Deloitte, UK

GOLD

PLATINUM

Project: Glumac, China

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Certification Part 2: Professional Accreditation In addition to the building certification, there is WELL accreditation for professionals. According to IWBI, achieving accreditation “denotes expertise in the WELL Building Standard and a commitment to advancing human health and wellness in buildings and communities” (WELL). Professionals who seek accreditation understand the core concepts and apply them. They are trained on both conceptual and applied frameworks. This knowledge allows them to guide potential WELL projects to a successful certification.

Similar to other professional certifications, professionals can sit for their exam after preparation. The Prometric Testing Center monitors the two hour exam, which involves 100 multiple choice questions. Through these questions, the exam assess a professional’s ability to recall, apply, and analyze fundamentals. There are nine knowledge domains covered across the exam. Despite this large amount of information, the IWBI offers study materials to help prepare.

After copious studying, professionals can sit for the exam. After passing, a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education every two years is required, to remain up to date on trends. These

30 hours can be earned in a four ways: education courses, authorship, participation in a WELL or LEED project, and volunteering. Of the 30 hours, however, six must be WELL specific.

Test Format •100 multiple choice •2 hour exam •Passing score 170 of 200

AP

WELL AP Knowledge Domains: 1. Air Concept 2. Water Concept 3. Nourishment Concept 4. Light Concept 5. Fitness Concept 6. Comfort Concept 7. Mind Concept 8. WELL Certification 9. Synergies

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01 Air Concept

“Promotes clean air through reducing or minimizing the sources of indoor air pollution, requiring optimal indoor air quality to support the health well-being of building occupants�

Air Concept Features: Feature 01: Air Quality Standards Feature 02: Smoking Ban Feature 03: Ventilation Effectiveness Feature 04: VOC Reduction Feature 05: Air Infiltration Feature 06: Microbe and Mold Control Feature 07: Construction Pollution Management Feature 08: Healthy Entrance Feature 09: Cleaning Protocol Feature 10: Pesticide Management Feature 11: Fundamental Material Safety Feature 12: Moisture Management Feature 13: Air Flush Feature 14: Air Infiltration Management Feature 15: Increased Ventilation Feature 16: Humidity Control Feature 17: Direct Source Ventilation Feature 18: Air Quality Monitoring and Feedback Feature 19: Operable Windows Feature 20: Dedicated Outdoor Air System Feature 21: Displacement Ventilation Feature 22: Pest Control Feature 23: Advanced Air Purification Feature 24: Combustion Minimization Feature 25: Toxic Material Reduction Feature 26: Enhanced Material Safety Feature 27: Antimicrobial Surfaces Feature 28: Cleanable Environment Feature 29: Cleanable Equipment

Air Concept Clean air is a critical component of human health. Air pollution is considered the number one environmental cause of premature mortality, resulting in approximately 7 million deaths worldwide.

With the quality of air, both inside and outside, playing such a major role in human health, it is the largest category within the WELL Building Standard.

According to the IWBI, the Air concept “promotes clean air through reducing or minimizing the sources of indoor air pollution, requiring optimal indoor air quality to support the health and wellbeing of building occupants (WELL). Air incorporates best practices from evidencebased organizations, such as ASHRAE, EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), and the U.S. Green Building Council LEED standards. Comprised of 29 features, the first 12 features are preconditions, while the remaining 17 are optimizations.

The features in the Air Concept range from ventilation rates for the HVAC system, to the selection of materials to limit VOCs and off-gassing, to pest infestation prevention, and more. Within the features, there are different parts, which set parameters and metrics as baselines to

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achieve the overall feature, and thus the point on the WELL Scorecard. The metrics associated with the parts often include thresholds, as dictated by professional organizations. For instance, Feature 3: Ventilation Effectiveness ensures adequate ventilation and a high indoor air quality.

Part 1: Ventilation Design requires projects to demonstrate that ambient air quality within 1 mile of the site is compliant with

Project: Delos, New York

the EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).

When beginning a WELL project, the team must consider how to balance occupant comfort with ventilation needs, while meeting the precondition Air Concept features. Consideration of available synergies will allow teams to maximize features earned.

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Water Concept “Promotes safe and clean water through the implementation of proper filtration techniques and regular testing in order for building occupants to receive optimal quality of water for various uses�

Water Concept Features: Feature 30: Fundamental Water Quality Feature 31: Inorganic Contaminants Feature 32: Organic Contaminants Feature 33: Agricultural Contaminants Feature 34: Public Water Additives Feature 35: Periodic Water Quality Testing Feature 36: Water Treatment Feature 37: Drinking Water Promotion

Water Concept Access to clean water is crucial for human health. While one of the smaller categories of the WELL Building Standard, the Water Concept “establishes requirements to optimize and achieve performance thresholds for water quality, while promoting accessibility� (WELL). Drinking water contamination is a major public health issue, so large that the World Health Organization reports that almost one billion people lack access to safe drinking water worldwide (WHO). Contaminants include lead, arsenic, glypohosate, atrazine, and microbes that are introduced during industry related processes. However, WELL combats these contaminants with strategies with treatment and distribution systems, standards for pollutant levels, and mitigation options. For the most part, WELL addresses water for human consumption, mostly through potable water. Potable water is dictated by the EPA and Clean Water Act. By focusing on water quality, WELL seeks to preserve the precious environmental resource, while enhancing its quality for human health.

The features in the Water Concept range from setting maximum levels of

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contaminants, to providing access to drinking water dispensers, to maintain filtration and sanitation systems during operation. Within these features, the first 5 are preconditions and the remaining 3 are optimizations. Within the features, the parts dictate baseline parameters. In many instances, these parameters focus on maximum levels of pollutants. In Feature 32: Organic Contaminants, the different pollutants have various maximum levels.

These levels are determined by professional organizations and the IWBI to protect human health.

With WELL focusing on the human experience, it is important for project teams to keep the occupants in mind when attempting these water features. Many of the features focus on the technical quality of the water, and teams may lose sight of the ultimate goal: to have clean water for the occupants to consume. Remembering this goal and combining it with optimization Feature 37: Drinking Water Promotion, allows teams to not only maximize features, but also strive to better the human experience.

Project: Charter Hall Workplace, Australia

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Nourishment Concept “Requires the availability of fresh, wholesome foods, limits unhealthy ingredients and encourages better eating habits and food culture�

Nourishment Concept Features: Feature 38: Fruits and Vegetables Feature 39: Processed Foods Feature 40: Food Allergies Feature 41: Hand Washing Feature 42: Food Contamination Feature 43: Artificial Ingredients Feature 44: Nutritional Information Feature 45: Food Advertising Feature 46: Safe Food Preparation Materials Feature 47: Serving Sizes Feature 48: Special Diets Feature 49: Responsible Food Production Feature 50: Food Storage Feature 51: Food Production Feature 52: Mindful Eating

Project: RDC- Studio 111 Headquarters, California

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Nourishment Concept Nutrition plays an integral role in human healththrough weight management and chronic disease prevention. Yet in the U.S, adherence to the recommended dietary counts and serving sizes is poor. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, people should get 4 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables daily. However, only 8% of the population consumes the proper amount of fruit and only 6% receive their intake of vegetables. Further, a poor diet, along with a lack of physical activity, can result in weight gain and possibly, a high BMI level. In fact, over 69% of all American adults are considered overweight (BMI of 25.0-29.9) and 35% are obese (BMI of 30.0+) In addition to weight, poor dietary habits have been linked to illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (WHO).

In an effort to counteract these statistics, WELL focuses on proper nutrition in the Nourishment Concept. This category “implements design strategies and policies within the built environment that increase access to healthy food options, enable people to make more informed dietary choices and lead to better health and wellbeing” (WELL).

The 15 features in the Nourishment Concept cover more than just which foods to eat versus which to avoid. While that information is included, WELL also looks at how food is advertised, prepared, and served. For example, Feature 46: Safe Food Preparation Materials, requires cooking tools and cutting boards to be made of certain, inert materials to avoid potentially hazardous contaminants. Feature 47: Serving Sizes requires dishware to be limited in size, to alter occupants’ perceptions of their meals in hopes of eliminating “overeating”. In contrast, Feature 39: Processed Foods limits the total sugar content and bans trans fat in foods and drinks.

These measure helps occupants avoid highlyprocessed ingredients. Subtle aspects of design, coupled with promoting fruits and vegetables while banning food and beverages with excessive sugar, WELL aims to protect human health today and for the future.

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04 Light Concept

“Provides illumination guidelines that are aimed to minimize disruption to the body’s circadian system, enhance productivity, support good sleep quality and provide appropriate visual acuity where needed”

Light Concept Features: Feature 53: Visual Lighting Design Feature 54: Circadian Lighting Design Feature 55: Electric Light Glare Control Feature 56: Solar Glare Control Feature 57: Low Glare Workstation Design Feature 58: Color Quality Feature 59: Surface Design Feature 60: Automated Shading and Dimming Controls Feature 61: Right to Light Feature 62: Daylight Modeling Feature 63: Daylighting Fenestration

Light Concept Light, both artificial and natural, plays an important role in human physiological processes. Often times, light is only noticed under poor conditions. However, lighting has the ability to affect humans in more ways than anticipated. According to the Institute of Medicine, between 50 and 70 million adults in the U.S. have chronic sleep or wakefulness disorder. While this can be due to a number of different factors, light exposure plays a key role in the body’s circadian rhythm, and as a result, sleep (IESNA). The circadian rhythm involves the body’s internal clock to help regulate processes and hormones on a roughly 24 hour cycle. Insufficient illumination or improper lighting design can impair the circadian rhythm, especially if paired with inappropriate light exposure late at night.

For instance, if an individual is exposed bluelight on an electronic screen later at night, it disrupts their sleep cycle. This is due to the blue-light hues, which are associated with alertness. Light is a spectrum from colors,

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and the different wavelengths, as perceived by the different parts of the eye, can influence humans in non-visual ways. To maintain a person’s circadian rhythm, properly synchronized color hue wavelengths help the body register and process both the brightness and darkness. The WELL Light Concept provides illumination guides to not only minimize disruptions to the circadian rhythm system, but also aims to “enhance productivity, support good sleep quality, and provide appropriate visual acuity” when necessary (WELL).

The 11 features of the Light Concept cover both artificial and natural light, as both are important to human health.

However, WELL does more

than specify lighting levels. For example, Feature 61: Right to Light considers the depth of the floorplan. By requiring projects to place regularly occupied spaces within a certain distance of the window line, more individuals will benefit from natural light. Yet with natural and artificial light hitting potentially reflective surfaces, WELL introduces Feature 57: Low Glare Workstation Design to minimize glare specifically on computer monitors. Together, the different features of the Light Concept create synergies to consider both the positive and negative potential impacts of both types of lighting.

Combined, the concept as a whole aims to protect human health through how we perceive our environment’s lighting.

Project: A+Design, China

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Fitness Concept “Promotes the integration of physical activity into everyday life by providing the opportunities and support for an active lifestyle and discouraging sedentary behaviors�

Fitness Concept Features: Feature 64: Interior Fitness Circulation Feature 65: Activity Incentive Programs Feature 66: Structured Fitness Opportunities Feature 67: Exterior Active Design Feature 68: Physical Activity Spaces Feature 69: Active Transportation Support Feature 70: Fitness Equipment Feature 71: Active Furnishings

Fitness Concept Regular physical activity is fundamental to achieve optimal health. The Centers for Disease Control defines fitness as, “the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and respond to emergencies” (CDC). To achieve fitness, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends healthy adults engage in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity five days a week and muscle-strengthening activities for two days a week, as a minimum. Fitness activities are split into three categories: strength and endurance, cardiorespiratory, and flexible fitness.

Through 8 features in the Fitness Concept, WELL “promotes the integration of physical activity into everyday life by providing the opportunities and support for an active lifestyle and discouraging sedentary behaviors”. (WELL). Sedentary behavior is defined as “manner of activity that involves sitting or lying down, and is characterized by low levels of energy expenditure” (WELL). Since most people spend their days sitting at a desk working, WELL promotes physical activity through design.

For instance, Feature 64: Interior Fitness Circulation, requires projects incorporate a

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common staircase. By designing staircases to be aesthetically pleasing, people are more likely to utilize them. Additionally, WELL encourages physical activity through the optimization of Feature 70: Fitness Equipment. If complimentary exercise equipment is on-site or within a reasonable distance, occupants are likely to utilize it. Aside from purposeful exercise, Feature 71: Active Furnishings reduces

Project: CBRE, Canada

sedentary behavior. With height adjustable workstations, individuals spend less time sitting. Further, sitting burns 50 fewer calories per hour than standing. As a result, this slight change through a workstation is beneficial to overall human health. By encouraging physical activities in small ways, throughout the built environment, individuals can benefit in the long-term.

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Comfort Concept “Establishes requirements designed to create distraction-free, productive and comfortable indoor environments�

Comfort Concept Features: Feature 72: Accessible Design Feature 73: Ergonomics: Visual and Physical Feature 74: Exterior Noise Intrusion Feature 75: Internally Generated Noise Feature 76: Thermal Comfort Feature 77: Olfactory Comfort Feature 78: Reverberation Time Feature 79: Sound Masking Feature 80: Sound Reducing Surfaces Feature 81: Sound Barriers Feature 82: Individual Thermal Comfort Feature 83: Radiant Thermal Comfort

Comfort Concept While everyone’s definition of “comfort” is unique, the indoor environment should aim to be a place of comfort for all. Different areas of comfort include acoustics, ergonomics, olfactory, and thermal comfort.

The built environment can harbor aspects that are deemed distracting and disruptive to different people’s standards. For instance, employee surveys show acoustics are the leading source of dissatisfaction within an office. Adoption of policies, technologies, and practices ensure a better acoustical environment. Similarly, ergonomics play a significant role in comfort. For Americans, nearly one-third of the total number of days away from work can be attributed to musculoskeletal disorders. Adverse health effects related to ergonomics can be prevented with design strategies.

Another area to consider is olfactory comfort. Olfactory comfort is defined as “a person’s perception of air quality in the environment based on the sense of smell” (WELL). While not always as prevalent, if odors migrate from one space to another, people may lose focus and productivity.

Certain rooms should take preventative

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measures to reduce this. Lastly, thermal comfort is a large factor in how people experience their environment. A 2006 study found that only 11% of office buildings in the U.S. provided thermal environments that “met generally accepted goals of occupant satisfaction�. (Citation).

Using the six factors from ASHRAE 55, thermal comfort should aim for the environment to meet occupant satisfaction.

However, it is important to note that comfort is subjective. In essence, not everyone will be equally comfortable under the same conditions. As such, the WELL Building Standard takes a holistic approach to provide a combination of strategies.

The 12 features of the Comfort Concept focus on the four different areas of comfort.

Comfort is often related to other aspects of design; there are synergies within the Comfort Concept and other WELL concepts. For instance, Feature 73: Ergonomics: Visual and Physical Comfort, requires a certain percentage of workstations have the ability to alternate between sitting and standing postures. This idea works with Feature 71: Active Furnishings from the Fitness Concept. Similarly, Feature 76: Thermal Comfort requires mechanically ventilated systems comply with ASHRAE 55. As this feature deals with the HVAC system, there are a number of synergies found with the Air Concept features. As a result of all of these synergies, WELL focuses on the holistic design to create comfort for occupants.

Project: Stryker, Texas

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07 Mind Concept

“Requires design, technology and treatment strategies designed to provide a physical environment that optimizes cognitive and emotional health�

Mind Concept Features: Feature 84: Health and Wellness Awareness Feature 85: Integrative Design Feature 86: Post Occupancy Surveys Feature 87: Beauty and Design I Feature 88: Biophilia I- Qualitative Feature 89: Adaptable Spaces Feature 90: Healthy Sleep Policy Feature 91: Business Travel Feature 92: Building Healthy Policy Feature 93: Workplace Family Support Feature 94: Self- Monitoring Feature 95: Stress and Addiction Treatment Feature 96: Altruism Feature 97: Materials Transparency Feature 98: Organizational Transparency Feature 99: Beauty and Design II Feature 100: Biophilia II- Quantitative

Project: Cookfox, New York

Project: BCCI Construction Company, California

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Mind Concept The human body is a complex series of interrelated systems. With this in mind, mental and physical health, while often considered separate, are connected. For instance, mental health stresses such as the simple act of worrying, can trigger physioclogical responses from the body.

As a result the mind plays a vital role in an individual’s overall health and well-being, both physical and mental.

With this interconnected relationship between the two realms of health, it is of utmost importance that the built environment supports a healthy mental state to trigger psychological and physical benefits. Further, architects and designers can incorporate elements to mediate stress, whether it be direct, such as through nap rooms, or indirect, through natural elements and biomimicry. In essence, WELL recognizes how both aspects of the built enviornment, as well as organizational policies, can positively impact mood, sleep, stress levels and psychosocial status. In turn, this promotes and enables overall occupant

health and wellbeing.

The 17 features of the Mind concept incorporate design, technology, and treatment strategies to provide a physical environment that aims to optimize mental, physical, and emotional health (WELL).

Rather than focusing on just design elements, WELL takes a holistic approach through the integrative design process to involve all of the stakeholders. This approach allows for a space to promote health and well-being from both a design and policy standpoint. For instance, Feature 91: Business Travel, requires employers implement travel policies such as travel duration caps or hotel selections with fitness centers. On the side of architectural elements, Feature 99: Beauty and Design II considers proportional ceiling heights to room dimensions to provide spacious rooms where occupants feel comfort. Combining design elements with organizational policies within the WELL features allows for a holistic design. This in turn, benefits the occupants for their mental and physical health and wellbeing.

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Bonus Category: Innovation “To promote the continuous evolution of the Standard by enabling projects to propose a new feature that addresses health and wellness in a novel way�

Innovation Category Features: Feature 101: Proposed Feature Feature 102: Proposed Feature Feature 103: Proposed Feature Feature 104: Proposed Feature Feature 105: Proposed Feature

Innovation Category Scientific understanding of how the built environment affects human health continues to evolve with increasing research studies. For instance, recent discoveries in neuroscience led to new insights regarding sleep disruption and its connection to lighting design. Following that idea, additional research will provide enlightened discoveries. As a result, WELL embraces “creative thinking that is needed to address the complex ways in which interior spaces contribute to health and wellness�

There are 5 features in the innovation category.

These act as optimizations, in which teams can achieve higher certification levels for all project types.

In order for teams to gain the optimization, they must meet certain criteria. The proposed

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feature must either go above and beyond the requirements of a current WELL feature or relate to a wellness concept in a novel way not already covered in the standard.

Additionally, the proposed feature must be substantiated by medical, scientific, and industry research, while still complying with applicable laws and regulations.

Regardless of the proposed feature, the aim should be to impact the occupants or general public in a positive manner.

Project: Symantec, California

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The Overall Goal of WELL Overall, the WELL Building Standard aims to impact human health and wellness through elements in the built environment.

This ideal is measured through the seven concepts. These concepts “comprehensively address not only the design and operations of buildings, but also how they impact and influence human behaviors� (IWBI). The concepts are: air, water, nourishment, fitness, light, comfort, and mind. In addition to these, the IWBI awards bonus points for innovation.

Regardless of how teams achieve the necessary preconditions and optimizations, WELL is all about the human experience.

By designing environments with humans at the core, WELL strives to improve the lives of humanity.

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Project: Structuretone, New York

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References and Resources Featured Projects: ASID: WELL Platinum JLL at HKRI Taikoo Hui: WELL Platinum Deloitte: WELL Gold Glumac: WELL Silver Delos: WELL Platinum Charter Hall Workplace: WELL Silver BCCI Construction Company: WELL Silver RDC- Studio 111 Headquarters: WELL Gold A+D Design: WELLPlatinum CBRE: WELL Gold Stryker: WELL Silver Cookfox: WELL Gold Symantec: WELL Silver Research: https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/asid-national-headquarters https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/deloitte-1-new-street-square https://www.glumac.com/well-building-standard/ https://living-future.org/lbc/case-studies/23524/ https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/delos-headquarters https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/bcci-construction-company https://www.gensler.com/projects/cbre-headquarters https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/stryker-flower-mound-1 https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/cookfox-office https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/symantec-buildings-b-c-renovation https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/rdc-studio-111-headquarters https://resources.wellcertified.com/articles/jll-shanghai-office-at-hkri-taikoo-hui/ https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/charter-hall-workplace-melbourne https://account.wellcertified.com/project-profiles/a-design-shanghai-office https://standard.wellcertified.com/features

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https://www.usgbc.org/education/sessions/impact-2018/seven-concepts-well-building-standard-11652093 https://www.buildings.com/news/industry-news/articleid/21563/title/well-building-standard-changes https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/WELL_Building_Standard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Business_Certification_Inc. https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/a-first-look-at-the-official-well-building-standard http://welllivinglab.com/ https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/features-articles/why-biophilic-architecture-works-five-reasons https://www.usgbc.org/articles/what-well http://thedaylightsite.com/architecture-for-well-being-and-health/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4220217/ https://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/ https://living-future.org/lbc/basics/#why-certify https://www.wellcertified.com/certification/v1/standard https://www.wellcertified.com/well-ap/ https://www.wellcertified.com/about-iwbi/ https://delos.com/resources/discover-wellness https://www.terramai.com/blog/well-building-standard/ https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/realestate/health-centric-homes-for-a-price.html?_r=0 https://www.gbes.com/well-building-standard/ https://restechtoday.com/delos-darwin/ https://www.glassonweb.com/news/look-green-building-programs https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/wellness-and-glass-designing-better-spaces-to-promote-human-well-being https://urbanland.uli.org/sustainability/biophilic-design-bringing-the-outside-in/ https://www.metropolismag.com/architecture/cca-happy-life-architecture-exhibition/ https://www.chargespot.com/workspaces/well-building-standard/ https://www.gbes.com/well-building-standard/ https://resources.wellcertified.com/tools/project-checklist-well-community-standard/ https://legacy.wellcertified.com/en/resources/new-existing-building-checklist https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/WELL_Building_Standard https://www.wbdg.org/resources/green-building-standards-and-certification-systems https://standard.wellcertified.com/features https://www.go-gba.org/resources/building-product-certifications/well-building-standard/ https://info.osram.us/blog/the-well-building-standard-the-future-of-modern-design http://interfaceinc.scene7.com/is/content/InterfaceInc/Interface/EMEA/eCatalogs/Brochures/Well%20Building%20 Design%20Guide/English/ec_eu-wellbuildingguide-en.pdf https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-well-building-institute https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delos https://delos.com/

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Thank You