{"id":3479,"date":"2017-07-11T09:23:12","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T09:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evalore.es\/wp\/?p=3479"},"modified":"2024-09-23T10:56:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T08:56:00","slug":"what-is-well-certification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evalore.es\/en\/que-es-la-certificacion-well\/","title":{"rendered":"What is WELL Certification and how can your building promote health and wellbeing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Article updated for WELL V2 Certification: April 2021.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that we spend 90% of our lives indoors?<\/strong> Did you know that the air in these spaces is 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside?<\/strong> Dozens of articles are published every day that include compelling data about our relationship with the spaces that house our daily activities. It is evident that the quality of our built environment has a direct impact on our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and our ability to perform at our best.<\/strong> Therefore, the WELL Building Standard has set out to provide a series of scientific strategies that allow us to improve the building's impact on us.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A healthy environment not only extends and improves our quality of life, but also makes us more productive.<\/strong>. This evidence has been proven in the business world, and there is currently a growing trend leading more companies to want to be healthy businesses, which invariably involves achieving Healthy office<\/a><\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These improvements can also be achieved in residential, hospital, commercial buildings and interior space renovations<\/strong>. Furthermore, architectural health criteria are becoming increasingly relevant in project development, especially concerning the Current context of COVID-19<\/strong>. In this article, we explain why WELL Certification is the most suitable for achieving these benefits in your building.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to achieve a healthy building? The WELL Building Standard<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are countless options for certifying your company, home, business, or building. However <\/span>There is only one that holistically encompasses both the physical environmental factors and the policies that will make your space or building a healthy building.<\/strong>The WELL Certification<\/strong>, or as it's known in the United States, <\/span><\/span>the<\/span> WELL Building Standard<\/a><\/strong>. Furthermore, it should be mentioned that the latest version of the WELL Certification allows this the process be much more inclusive and flexible<\/strong> when presenting more optional credits and the opportunity to certify various types of spaces and buildings.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"What
Image by Toa Heftiba from Unsplash. Edited by EVALORE<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is the relationship between WELL Certification and LEED Certification?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The WELL Building Standard, managed by the International WELL Building Institute, is similar to<\/span> LEED Certification<\/a><\/strong><\/span> (managed by the<\/span> USGBC<\/a><\/strong>in its conception, in fact, much like LEED, it is certified by the Green Business Council Inc. (GBCI for its acronym in English). If LEED certification ensures compliance with sustainability and energy efficiency standards, the WELL Building Standard guarantees that the certified space works for the health and wellbeing of its occupants.<\/strong>. Both certifications are perfectly complementary and applicable to entire buildings as well as business spaces within them. When WELL and LEED are implemented in the same project, building performance is optimised for the benefit of the environment and the health of the occupants.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The WELL Certification is the only one that holistically encompasses both the physical factors of the environment and the policies that will make your building a healthy building.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What does the WELL Certification involve? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The new version of the WELL Certification consists of 10 areas of action<\/strong>, including a series of measures within each. Some of these measures are mandatory and others optional for achieving certification. Compared to the previous version, This is more inclusive and flexible by presenting fewer mandatory measures and more optional measures.<\/strong>. These are the 10 areas of the WELL Building Standard and their objectives:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Removal of air pollutants, pollution prevention and air purification<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Filtration, treatment, and strategic location of water points<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Establishment of healthy food options and promotion of healthy eating<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lighting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Access to natural light and improvement of artificial light quality<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Movement<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Promotion and integration of activities that allow for an active lifestyle<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thermal comfort<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Suitability of the space to maximise thermal comfort and avoid energy loss<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acoustic comfort<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Suitability of the space to maximise sound insulation and acoustic absorption and mitigate the harmful effects of noise<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Materials<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Analysis of material components to ensure they are non-emissive and reduce exposure to environmental pollutants<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mind<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Improving spatial perception through biophilia and the incorporation of corporate wellness policies<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A culture of health and an inclusive community committed to these values<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WELL Certification Concepts. Image by EVALORE<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What are the benefits of WELL Certification? <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Return on investment<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If we are referring to residential buildings, WELL Certification ensures economic advantages in the sale and rental of properties. Residential buildings certified under the WELL scheme see an increase in their market value and are let and sold 60% faster<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When referring to a business, we know that human capital accounts for 90% of the total costs involved in keeping it running, including the management and maintenance of premises, energy costs, rent, etc. The medical-scientific evidence collected over 10 years by the International Well Building Institute<\/strong> demonstrate that with the implementation of WELL Certification measures, benefits such as:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n