SMRT Architects and Engineers’ Portland Office Earns WELL Designation

space, including gallery walls showcasing completed projects and ample pin-up and dry erase surfaces and screens, fosters collaboration and allows visitors to “see how the bread is made.” Low VOC interior finish materials and furnishings contribute to healthy indoor air quality.

By Jeana Stewart

The sunshine flows in through oversized windows with views taking in Mount Washington, Back Cove, and the Portland peninsula; the sunsets are spectacular. Light filtering window treatments on a daylight sensor automatically lower to banish glare to prevent eye strain.

Abundant natural light is just one of over 100 features under the 10 concepts of the WELL Building Standard. SMRT Architects and Engineers’ Portland office physical design, along with company-wide policies, achieve over 60 of those to claim WELL Certified Silver and recognition as a workplace promoting human health and well-being.

The WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system, grounded in medical research, for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health, through the ten concepts of air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, and mind. Grounded in more than 7,000 peer reviewed studies and citations, The International WELL Building Institute applies the science of physical and social environments to positively impact people’s health, well-being, and performance.

Most people spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Ongoing research is continually identifying ways in which the built environment impacts people, which in turn impacts work performance and a company’s bottom line.

A 2022 peer reviewed study, focusing on office environments utilizing pre- and