WELL Building poised for significant impact on AEC industry
Thermal comfort and occupant well-being standards are quickly becoming a valued certification for companies looking to attract employees and create a workplace that encourages healthy lifestyles – and ultimately reach greater productivity.
Leading the AEC industry’s burgeoning focus on the occupant is the WELL Building Standard. It has surpassed the 100 million square feet of certified projects benchmark, making traction in the office and hospitality markets and likely setting its sights on the healthcare market in the future. WELL v2, the next version of the standard, is expected to debut sometime this year.
WELL was created by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and launched in 2014. The IWBI states that the standard “was developed by integrating scientific and medical research and literature on environmental health, behavioral factors, health outcomes and demographic risk factors that affect health with leading practices in building design and management.” WELL evaluates seven design elements for their contributions to health and well-being: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind. Together, these concepts help engineers and architects create designs that “help people work, live, perform, and feel their best.”
To support projects also pursuing green building standards, IWBI’s “Crosswalks” provide alignments to streamline the dual certification process, enabling engineers and architects to more easily create an all-around healthy workplace while reducing a building’s mark on the environment. These Crosswalks include the U.S. Green Building Council (LEED), Green Building Council of Australia (Green Star), BRE (BREEAM), and the International Living Future Institute (Living Building Challenge). Certifiable projects are new and existing buildings, new and existing interiors, and core and shell.
IMEG recently provided design services for two projects that are seeking dual certification with WELL and LEED – architecture firm HKS’ new “Living Lab” office and Hyatt Hotels’ new corporate headquarters, both in Chicago.
For the HKS project – which is pursuing WELL Platinum and LEED Platinum – IMEG designed a displacement ventilation system as a key strategy to meet both occupant well-being and environmental criteria. The system simultaneously improves energy efficiency, indoor air quality, thermal comfort and productivity, and environmental impact. The 13,800-sf studio is expected to perform approximately 50 percent better than the minimum energy performance of the LEED baseline simulation.
Similarly, the 240,000-sf Hyatt headquarters is designed to enhance the workplace environment and improve efficiency, creativity, and collaboration opportunities for employees. In addition to WELL certification, the building is also seeking LEED Platinum under the Interior Design and Construction path.
For more information on the WELL Building Standard and its integration with LEED, contact IMEG Sustainability Director Adam McMillen.
