WELL and BREEAM align
In November 2016, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and BRE announced an alignment between the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and BREEAM. Combining the two standards is intended to make it easier for projects seeking to conform with them.
The agreement will involve the identification of specific credits which will be recognised by both organisations, resulting in savings in time and money as project teams will not have to submit the same documentation twice.
The WELL Building Standard was launched in 2013, focusing on human health and wellness. It marries best practice in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research – harnessing the built environment as a vehicle to support human health and wellbeing. Since launching, more than 300 projects encompassing 60 million sq. ft have been registered or certified in 27 countries.
BREEAM sets best practice standards for the environmental performance of buildings through design, specification, construction and operation.
Certification in both systems is achieved through the submission of project documentation and on-site post-occupancy performance testing.
WELL's certifying body, Green Business Certification Inc, is working with BRE to identify the applicable credits between the two standards, with an expected completion date of January 2017.
Gavin Dunn, Director of Building Performance Group at BRE, said: “We’re excited about the opportunity to join forces in a way that will advance the inclusion of health and well-being considerations in Europe’s built environment."
Rick Fedrizzi, chairman and CEO, IWBI said: “Since the beginning, IWBI has worked to find ways that WELL can work harmoniously with the world’s leading sustainable building standards, because we believe sustainability and health are synonymous. We look forward to partnering with BRE to advance this important concept by helping project teams who are using both BREEAM and WELL deliver a more sustainable and healthier built environment as efficiently as possible.”
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Assessing health and wellbeing in buildings.
- BRE articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
- BREEAM.
- BREEAM assessor.
- Building Back Better: Health.
- Closing the gap between design and as-built performance.
- Greenbuild 2017.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED.
- Measuring the wellbeing benefits of interior materials.
- Performance in use.
- WELL Building Standard.
- Wellbeing and buildings.
- Wellbeing considerations for property managers.
Featured articles and news
Plumbing and heating for sustainability in new properties
Technical Engineer runs through changes in regulations, innovations in materials, and product systems.
Awareness of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
What CBAM is and what to do about it.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.
The Sustainability Pathfinder© Handbook
Built environment agency launches free Pathfinder© tool to help businesses progress sustainability strategies.
Government outcome to the late payment consultation, ECA reacts.
IHBC 2025 Gus Astley Student Award winners
Work on the role of hewing in UK historic conservation a win for Jack Parker of Oxford Brookes University.
Future Homes Building Standards and plug-in solar
Parts F and L amendments, the availability of solar panels and industry responses.
How later living housing can help solve the housing crisis
Unlocking homes, unlocking lives.
Preparing safety case reports for HRBs under the BSA
A new practical guide to preparing structural inputs for safety cases and safety case reports published by IStructE.
Male construction workers and prostate cancer
CIOB and Prostate Cancer UK encourage awareness of prostate cancer risks, and what to do about it.
The changed R&D tax landscape for Architects
Specialist gives a recap on tax changes for Research and Development, via the ACA newsletter.
Structured product data as a competitive advantage
NBS explain why accessible product data that works across digital systems is key.
Welsh retrofit workforce assessment
Welsh Government report confirms Wales faces major electrical skills shortage, warns ECA.
A now architectural practice looks back at its concept project for a sustainable oceanic settlement 25 years on.
Copyright and Artificial Intelligence
Government report and back track on copyright opt out for AI training but no clear preferred alternative as yet.
Embedding AI tools into architectural education
Beyond the render: LMU share how student led research is shaping the future of visualisation workflows.
Why document control still fails UK construction projects
A Chartered Quantity Surveyor explains what needs to change and how.
Inspiration for a new 2026 wave of Irish construction professionals.
New planning reforms and Warm Homes Bill
Take centre stage at UK Construction Week London.