Designing Healthy Buildings

by Marcy Marro | November 1, 2019 12:00 am

A Relatively New Program

According to IWBI, there are currently 3,798 projects encompassing over 447 million square feet applying WELL across 58 countries. Even so, many clients are just starting to get interested by the idea of WELL certification, and how buildings can contribute to both human and environmental health. “However, there tend to be different catalysts for how they come to view the importance of human health in the built environment,” says Kathleen Hetrick, WELL AP, LEED AP, senior sustainability engineer, BuroHappold Engineering[1], Los Angeles. “In general, owners are seeing WELL as both a guarantee on performance and a way to signal their values, whether it’s healthy materials in apartments or wellness-driven amenities, strategies for employee retention and engagement, or for improving students test scores.”

Karen Bala, AIA, LEED AP, senior architect, Dyer Brown[2], Boston, says the firm primarily works with clients who are lessees or potential tenants in existing commercial spaces, and therefore clients who generally ask about WELL certification are typically larger, well-established companies whose interest in or commitment to seeking certification is mission-driven. While most of their clients are not currently asking about WELL certification, Bala says they are anticipating a potential shift in this trend with Generation Z entering the workplace with new sets of expectations and demands.

Since WELL is still relatively new, Lana Zoet, AIA, IIDA, WELL AP, LEED AP BD+C, SmithGroup[3], Madison, Wis., says there’s a lot of unknowns. One of the most common questions she encounters is, “How much does it cost?” Based on project size, there is an initial cost and an ongoing subscription fee to renew and retain the certification. “However,” she adds, “the fee is often reasonable, and a project-specific estimate can be obtained fairly quickly; a WELL AP is a great resource for this. A WELL AP can also help the team understand the certification process and possible approaches, and how to evaluate the related cost impact.”

LEED and WELL Synergies

There are a lot of synergies between LEED and WELL certifications, and both can work hand-in-hand to support environmental and human wellness. However, when it becomes a question of one or the other, Elisabeth Post-Marner, AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, principal of Spacesmith[6], New York City, says most clients lean toward LEED, as it is a program that many people understand, while WELL is still relatively new. “Currently, WELL tends to be ‘the icing on the cake’ if a client can afford it,” she explains. “We recently promoted WELL certification with a client who gets LEED Silver certification on all their projects. We promoted it as a critical part of change management as they were going from an office intensive to an open plan work environment because having a program that addresses the people would be a great thing to do. In the end they chose not to get WELL certified, but we are working with them to determine what we can build that meets WELL requirements.”

To streamline the process of achieving dual certifications, IWBI developed Crosswalks[7] to show alignment among the strategies in the different programs. “The synergies represented by overlap in program requirements make pursuit of more than one certification both sensible and achievable,” Bala says.

Program Benefits

In addition to creating a healthier building environment through superior air quality, WELL program requirements such as natural light, fitness, nutrition and ergonomics, make for a much more pleasant work environment. “Dr. Joseph Allen, a scientist at Harvard University has done some compelling research on air quality,” Post-Marner explains. “His findings indicate that when people are in environments with superior air distribution, the impact on cognitive performance is dramatic. Current code requirements for air quality in New York City, he says, are substandard. WELL places a huge emphasis on air quality.”

WELL certification can also be a great recruiting perk for employers. Bala says benefits for certification also extend to building owners and tenant companies, including higher rental values for the former or enhanced employee performance and on-the-job satisfaction for the latter.

“Setting goals, tracking performance and employing best practices for human health from the earliest project charrettes—as the WELL standard requires—simply results in better buildings,” Hetrick explains. “Those results may be realized as improved energy efficiency through daylight access, as excellent acoustics in an open office, or as happier occupants who feel motivated by the knowledge that their employer or their building manager considers their health a top priority.”

A Learning Process

With WELL certification still being relatively new to the industry, Zoet says the process will likely be a learning process for most, if not all, members of the project team. “There will be some challenges as new approaches are adopted and embraced. The same happened in the early days of LEED, but after building owners continued to commit to the certification system and the values it prioritized, the industry quickly adapted and innovated to help project teams better meet their goals. I encourage project teams to consider WELL, and be willing to take on the challenge of learning the new and innovative process.”

Since WELL has more stringent requirements for HVAC and lighting, Post-Marner says a client’s commitment to WELL is needed early in the project. “Design requirements for eating and relaxation will also impact the space layout,” she says. “The client also needs to understand that WELL is an ongoing commitment because recertification every three years is required.”

For tenant firms signing leases in buildings, Bala says the building owner must sign off on the tenant’s intent to seek WELL certification. “Because the building’s MEP systems will be impacted, this needs to be negotiated prior to lease signing and design,” she explains.

Like with many projects today, collaboration and a continued dialog among team members are key to success. “Focused meetings are not only a required part of the process, they are necessary to communicate goals amongst the team, understand strategies and impacts, and ensure achievement,” Zoet explains. “It is also important to note there can be rare clashes between strategies in WELL and other systems such as LEED, so having a team member such as the WELL AP who understands all the approaches at play and can identify potential issues is essential.”

Impact of Products

Products used in a building can impact the well-being of the occupants in the building environment in any number of ways. In WELL, chosen products can play a role in multiple categories, including air, water, light, comfort and mind. “WELL’s wide range of materials considerations covers everything from chemical transparency to cleaning products,” Hetrick explains. “The more we start digging into the chemical ingredients in our building and consumer materials, the more we will choose to seek out solutions that don’t rely on petrochemical chemistry and instead achieve aesthetic and performance criteria through novel, green chemistry. As building designers, our choices have an enormous impact in creating a more sustainable, human health-focused market.”

One of the most important considerations is how products can improve the space, both quantitatively and qualitatively. “This may include air quality, daylighting, and biophilic features such as natural materials or views,” Zoet says. ”Mechanical and electrical systems and controls, which allow advanced performance and monitoring will be embraced by WELL project teams.”

Certain products, such as furnishings and finishes, may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, which Zoet explains, need to be limited in WELL certified spaces to ensure safe and healthy air quality, as exposure can cause short-term discomfort and serious long-term health impacts, such as reproductive and developmental effects, asthma and cancer.

A Unique Opportunity

WELL certification provides institutions with a unique opportunity to set themselves apart from their peers by exhibiting a commitment to the well-being of the people who occupy their spaces. “This includes physical and mental wellness,” says Zoet. “Certain types of environments, including higher-education buildings and corporate workspaces, include individuals especially at risk of high stress levels. It is the responsibility of these institutions to support and nurture these individuals to the extent possible through the built environment and policy. WELL gives a framework to do so, with metrics to support the methodology. Although WELL is an emerging certification, my hope is that it will soon become the standard, as more building owners commit to spaces which seek to support the whole person.”

Looking ahead, the entry of Generation Z into the workforce may cause more companies to look into WELL certification. “This is a large cohort just starting to join the market and who are expected to advocate for better workplaces, though they may not care specifically about certifications under voluntary building standards,” says Bala.

If you are interested in pursuing WELL certification, Hetrick recommends starting early and involving as many stakeholders as possible. “That might mean the design team, operations, facility management, marketing, leasing, and even end users. The insights from these various points of view will be invaluable, and the stakeholder involvement helps realize the accountability needed to make a truly healthy building.”

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/designing-healthy-buildings/

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