WELL Certification for Healthier Spaces

Traditionally, building design prioritized functionality, aesthetics, and cost-efficiency. These factors remain important, but the impact of the indoor environment on occupant health and well-being has become a growing concern. The WELL Building Standard™ addresses this issue by creating spaces that prioritize human health and well-being. By focusing on several core areas, WELL-certified buildings create a healthier environment, leading to higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and a happier workplace.

What is the WELL Building Standard?

The WELL Building Standard is a leading international rating system for buildings that prioritizes human health and well-being. Developed and administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), WELL goes beyond traditional green building practices by focusing on the built environment's impact on occupants' health and productivity.

The WELL Building Standard offers a unique opportunity for new construction and existing buildings to achieve certifications, which can apply to individual tenant floors within a larger building, entire office buildings (high-rise or low-rise), schools and government buildings, corporate headquarters, and community initiatives (even entire neighborhoods can be WELL certified).

Purpose of the WELL Building Standard

Studies show buildings significantly impact our health. Indoor air quality, for example, can affect our breathing and focus, while lighting impacts sleep. The WELL Building Standard was developed to encourage the addressing of these issues. The standard provides a comprehensive framework for developers, architects, engineers, and building managers to design and operate spaces that prioritize and actively enhance human healthThe WELL Building Standard focuses on seven key concepts that significantly impact health within the built environment:

• Air: Ensuring clean and healthy indoor air through ventilation, filtration, and pollutant control for improved health and well-being.
• Water: Providing access to clean, safe drinking water throughout the building.
• Nourishment: Promoting healthy eating habits by offering nutritious food options within the building.
• Light: Optimizing natural and artificial lighting to enhance occupant sleep, mood, and productivity.
• Fitness: Encouraging physical activity through building design and amenities.
• Comfort: Enhancing conditions such as temperature, acoustics, and ergonomics for occupant comfort.
• Mind: Supporting mental well-being through thoughtful design and building operations.

Understanding WELL Certification

WELL Certification is the formal recognition that a building or space has met the rigorous standards set by the WELL Building Standard. It involves stages such as registration, integration of WELL strategies into design and operation, documentation of compliance, and on-site performance verification. Achieving a WELL Certification demonstrates that a building environment supports the health and well-being of its occupants based on measurable criteria.

Buildings that achieve WELL Certification offer a range of benefits for both building owners and occupants.

For Building Owners

• WELL-certified buildings are in high demand by tenants, driving increased building value and marketability in a competitive market.
• The focus on occupant health often aligns with broader sustainability goals, contributing to a reduced environmental impact.

For Occupants

• Studies show WELL Certification can lead to a 20% increase in employee productivity and a 10% reduction in absenteeism, resulting in a more engaged, productive and creative workforce.
• Improved air quality, thermal comfort, and access to natural light can contribute to increased occupant comfort and satisfaction within the building.

Intertek: Your Partner in Achieving WELL Certification

At Intertek, we understand the importance of creating healthy and sustainable buildings, and that’s why we offer services to support developers, architects, and building owners throughout the WELL Certification process.

We can seamlessly support your WELL project in various ways.

• Acoustic Consulting & Commissioning: Our expertise in acoustics ensures comfortable and productive environments. We optimize soundproofing, address noise and vibration concerns, and ensure compliance with WELL standards for acoustic performance.
• Pre-testing for Air & Water Quality: Before performance verification, Intertek conducts thorough assessments of your building's air and water quality. This proactive approach identifies potential issues early, allowing corrective actions for a smoother certification process.
• Building Enclosure Assessment & Consulting: WELL Certification includes optional credits focusing on moisture control in building envelopes. Our building science team assesses envelope integrity, identifies moisture risks, and proposes solutions to maintain healthy conditions.

Independent Expertise & WELL Performance Testing

At Intertek, we prioritize healthy building environments through independent assessments. Our IWBI-certified WELL performance testing agents ensure all measures align with WELL Certification requirements through on-site verification testing, going beyond construction or design influences.

Our comprehensive services can help you optimize building design and operations for occupant health and well-being, identify and address potential issues early to save time and resources, and enhance your competitive edge by achieving WELL Certification — appealing to tenants and investors seeking healthier spaces.

Beyond WELL: Exploring Other Healthy Building Standards

While WELL is a leading certification program for healthy buildings, other options exist. One such program is Fitwel®, which was developed by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and is now owned and managed by the Center for Active Design as part of their focus on health in the built environment.

Fitwel offers a streamlined, user-friendly approach to healthy building design with a smaller set of evaluation criteria than WELL. This emphasis on healthy building fundamentals complements WELL's broader approach, which encompasses a wider range of factors impacting health and well-being, including air quality, lighting, thermal comfort, and occupant well-being. Ultimately, the choice between WELL and Fitwel depends on the specific project goals and priorities.

Achieve WELL Certification with Intertek

By partnering with Intertek, you gain access to a team of experts with the resources to guide you through the WELL Certification process. To discuss your project and discover how Intertek's services can assist you in achieving WELL Certification and creating a space that prioritizes human health contact us.

Intertek is your trusted partner for healthy building solutions, supporting you in achieving your aspirations for high-performing, sustainable buildings. We guide you through Property Resilience Assessments and partner with you to achieve LEED^® and WELL certifications for a healthier, more efficient building. Contact Intertek today to discuss your green building project.