WELL Building Standard
Delos Living LLC is an American-based organisation that says its mission is ‘to build a better world’. It suggests that it transforms the indoor environment by placing health and 'wellness' at the centre of design and construction decisions through research, consulting, real estate development and by offering innovative solutions for the built environment. It has an advisory board that includes Dick Gephardt, Former United States Congressman and House of Representatives Majority Leader and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Delos is the founder of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) which it suggests is '…the world’s first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness. It marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research – harnessing the built environment as a vehicle to support human health and wellbeing.'
WELL is administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a public benefit corporation launched by Delos in 2013 whose mission is to improve human health and wellbeing through the built environment.
The standard is based on seven years of research in partnership with scientists, doctors and architects exploring the connection between the buildings where people spend their time, and the health and wellbeing impacts those buildings have on their occupants. It is third-party certified by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which administers the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
Spaces can become WELL Certified by achieving a defined score in each of seven categories:
Certification includes the submission of project documentation and onsite audit, which can result in the award of a Silver, Gold or Platinum standard.
In November 2015, Lendlease, one of the world’s leading integrated infrastructure and real estate groups, announced a global alliance with Delos, aiming to accelerate the integration of human health and wellness outcomes in the built environment. This alliance will include identifying pioneering projects in Australia, Asia, the United Kingdom and the United States, which will pursue WELL Certification and provide 'WELL ready' workplaces for tenants.
Geoff Dutaillis, group head of sustainability at Lendlease said, “Supporting the next generation of buildings and places that get it right for people, as well as the environment is very important....The built environment has a critical role to play in helping cities and governments transition towards a low carbon future; however, it’s the direct impact on human capital and productivity through increased focus on supporting human health and wellbeing which is the untapped potential.”
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. For more information see: WELL and BREEAM align
In January 2018, The Porter Building, became the first office building in the UK to achieve certification through the WELL Building Standard. The brand new office in Slough, developed by a partnership between Landid and Brockton Capital, achieved a WELL Building Standard Gold Core and Shell Certification.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Biophilic design and sustainability.
- BRE wellbeing research paper competition.
- BREEAM.
- BREEAM, LEED or WELL.
- Building Back Better: Health.
- Buildingomics.
- Building related illness.
- Changing attitudes towards the mental wellbeing of early career Architectural Technology professionals.
- Code for Sustainable Homes.
- Green rating systems.
- Growing focus on IAQ challenges for specifiers and HVAC manufacturers.
- Inclusive design.
- Indoor environmental quality.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED.
- Measuring the wellbeing benefits of interior materials.
- Sick building syndrome.
- Ska rating.
- Taking action on climate change.
- The Porter Building.
- Total Resource Use and Efficiency TRUE.
- Wellbeing.
- Wellbeing considerations for property managers.
- WELL and BREEAM align.
Featured articles and news
Heat pump announcements, what homeowners need to know
An 'ultimate guide to heat pumps' from a heating company.
Construction contract awards reach £7.1bn in February
Their highest level in seven months.
The journey to sustainability in heritage
Research is the key to better understanding.
Heritage approaches to adaptation, mitigation and loss.
Bridging the gap between policy, finance and installation.
Development on brownfield land
Definition, background, policy and the latest consultation.
With the Design Framework for Building Services.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Pertinent technical issues, measures and the roles involved.
ECA joins HSE campaign to support mental health
Working Minds’ five simple steps based on risk assessment.
Mental health in the construction industry
Mental health issues in brief with related articles.
Transitional arrangements, Building Control and the BSR.
For pre-October buildings with substantial progress by April.
How to write an inspection and test plan
ITPs for quality control and assurance particular elements.
Why quality counts in domestic ventilation systems
From products, to systems to the installation.
Empowering the Future with CIOB Academy
Lifelong learning, upscaling, and reskilling for the built environment.
Winners of the 2024 ASBP Awards
Project, Product and Initiative according to the 6 pillars.