WELL Certification promotes healthier places while contributing to the improvement of people’s productivity and satisfaction. Embarking on a WELL journey means creating better buildings by prioritizing people’s wellbeing.
The certification has been developed by the International WELL Building Institute through years of technical research. The first version was released in 2014, presenting seven categories each one included a set of requirements that buildings had to fulfill to achieve the certification. In 2020 WELL Building Standard version 2 was launched, introducing new criteria and more flexibility; this version incorporated the feedback and experiences gained during the pilot phase, expanding the categories to ten.
WELL is the only rating tool that indicates a strong focus on the Social and Governance aspects of the ESG approach so far. It is a response to the social needs of economic operators in the real estate sector.
Furthermore, adding WELL Certification to the business strategy can be complementary to LEED certification, in order to create sustainable buildings that promote people’s wellbeing.
Why WELL Certification
The interest in the impact that spaces and buildings have on people and communities is growing, particularly after COVID, which changed people’s habits considerably. In addition to that, a growing number of operators need to report on their social impact. In fact, new regulatory obligations have recently been introduced with the implementation of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). A central aspect of these new requirements is the inclusion of social sustainability in corporate sustainability reports, ensuring that in addition to environmental impacts, the effects on communities, human rights, working conditions, and other social aspects are also considered. This change reflects a more holistic approach to sustainability that leads towards protocols such as WELL.
Daniele Guglielmino (GET CEO) during the AIB (Accademia Italiana di Biofilia) press conference held on 17 September 2024 at the Chamber of Deputies in Italy said: “There are rating tools recognized by the international market that assess the health and wellbeing level of people within indoor spaces; perhaps the most important, recognized, and widespread in the world is the WELL Building Standard.”
The spread of WELL certification is also attributable to IWBI’s commitment to research. Their Research Advisory Board comprises over 500 leading experts from both academia and industry who find new trends and ways to promote wellbeing in the built environment. According to its official website, as of October 2024, WELL has been adopted in over 40,000 locations in more than 124 countries. For these reasons, achieving WELL Certification means having access to science-driven and market-validated best practices to obtain strong results that support your business strategies.
WELL Building Standard
An increasing number of organizations are choosing WELL Certification to prioritize the health and safety of people while increasing the real estate value and improving productivity. “It is a vehicle for buildings and organizations to deliver more thoughtful and intentional spaces that enhance human health and wellbeing”, as the WELL Building Standard™ version 2 website states.
In its current version, the certification analyses different aspects of a project, developed around 10 different areas, called “concepts”:
- Air: one WELL goal is to manage indoor airborne pollution, ensuring adequate ventilation, and reducing exposure to contaminants such as VOCs, particulates, and molds.
- Water: WELL promotes access to safe drinking water and encourages people to drink regularly.
Nourishment: another certification objective is to promote healthy eating habits which encourages the creation of healthy eating spaces. - Light: light has a huge effect on physical and mental health; for this reason, WELL Certification encourage access to natural light and the use of artificial lighting systems that support circadian rhythms, reduce eye fatigue, and improve mood and productivity.
- Movement: the protocol supports the design of spaces that enable movement and physical activity.
- Thermal Comfort: it is a fundamental concept for the wellbeing of occupants. WELL promotes an assessment temperature and humidity control, ensuring a comfortable environment.
- Sound: the control of noise is crucial to create a peaceful environment, for this reason, the certification provides for the improvement of acoustic quality.
- Materials: WELL requires the use of safe and sustainable materials.
- Mind: The protocol encourages strategies to improve mental health through features such as easy access to green spaces, biophilic design, dedicated services, and many others.
- Community: Thanks to this concept, WELL promotes inclusion, accessibility, and social interaction.
In addition to the WELL Certification standard version described above, IWBI issued different protocol variants to fulfill specific targets:
- WELL Health-Safety Rating: it prepares businesses to face the future efficiently by putting people’s health and safety at the center.
- WELL Performance Rating: it compares building performance to global benchmarks to improve business practices.
- WELL Equity Rating: it is a resource to support diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility goals in your organization.
GET approach to WELL Certification
To gain insight into what each customer cares about, GET starts by listening to their needs and requirements. Starting from here, an optimal strategy is discussed, with the goal to integrate these needs in an actionable plan that can lead to the wellbeing and performance of its occupants. Finally, to maximize the effort and to celebrate these results, a detailed plan to achieve the WELL Certification is developed. We are committed to making technical matters fully available and understandable. We want the client to be familiar with all aspects of the project.
GET Consulting contributed to achieving 4 WELL buildings certified Platinum level, including ENEL’s institutional headquarters in via Carducci in Milan, for which it also handled the recertification phase.
GET’s team includes experts in energy, light, analysis, life cycle costing assessment, and environmental psychology, professional figures that accompany the customer in every step of the process. Choosing GET means relying on experts who can provide consultancy services to advise on how best practices in sustainability can be integrated into broader business strategies.
