The WELL Building Standard: An Introduction by Greg Rohl

Wellness and Self Care are increasingly popular areas of study and practice. They are popular subjects in social and traditional media, with health and fitness mavens promoting teas, lotions, meditation, yoga, Pilates, or whatever Gwyneth Paltrow and the folks at Goop are highlighting. Now the tragic human costs and resulting shutdown and self-quarantine due to COVID-19 have made the importance of Wellness a very real priority. We are learning how critical it is to strengthen and support our immune systems and manage our stress through healthier diet, proper sleep, exercise and mindfulness.

After spending months at home, we are now very in touch with our living environment and the role an intentionally designed space can play in supporting a healthier lifestyle. The kitchen and bath industry is a natural home for these concepts and language. Many of our bathing, showering and food preparation products already incorporate features and extolling hygienic, relaxing and restoring benefits.

Those who specify and sell kitchen and bath products are well positioned to meet these important needs, helping to create spaces that are central to family and personal care. Having a working knowledge of the subject enhances authority and value, as well as differentiation from competitors in our increasingly omni-channel marketplace.

Wellness, however, is a large and multi-faceted area of study. Only in recent years have prescriptive programs for the built environment been introduced, focusing on particular areas of health. Wellness Within Your Walls and the Hayward Score focus on air quality in the home. The Living In Place Institute educates on how to modify and build homes that are safe and comfortable for all ages. The Global Wellness Institute highlights building wellness into buildings and communities, as there is a huge need and opportunity. It sites a number of guidelines and standards that can be followed. Of these, FitWel and the WELL Building Standard are more focused certification programs to promote health and wellbeing through the built environment. Both programs initially focused on commercial work spaces and expanded to include commercial culinary and multi-family structures.

As the WELL Building Standard is administered through the same organization as LEED, and is strongly aligned with ASID, its use and profile will continue to rise in the design community. Like the LEED certification, WELL presents a series of very specific requirements across a range of categories that a building must meet to achieve certification. Although focused on commercial and multi-family (for now) WELL’s goals, organization and vocabulary will become used more generally, as LEED’s did for green building. Kitchen and bath specialists should have a working knowledge of WELL, so here is a very brief introduction.

The WELL Building Standard is based on a series of Concepts, each Concept containing a number of Features that must be met to achieve certification. The first version of WELL had Seven Concepts, which were augmented and expanded to 10 Concepts in the current WELL Version 2. These are: Air to ensure indoor air quality. Water provides for safe water, proper consumption and control to prevent damage to a building. Nourishment promotes healthy food choices in work environments as well as their safe storage and preparation. Light ensures one’s exposure to natural light, as well as lighting design for optimal comfort and performance. Movement focuses on providing opportunities for exercise and limiting sedentary behavior. Thermal Comfort directs temperature control and customization. Sound controls for disruptive or harmful noise. Materials prevents exposure to toxins from hazardous materials. Mind promotes policies and activities to improve mental health. The Community Concept focuses on access to healthcare and building stronger communities within and without a building through accessible design and outreach. Finally, the Innovation Concept allows for new ideas and strategies.

Consider presenting products and services through the lens of these WELL Concepts. The fan and filters we market address “Air” concerns. Low flow and touchless faucets, water filters and leak alert technologies address “Water”. Appliances that preserve and even grow fresh food address “Nutrition”. Kitchen and bath designers address concerns of Light, Sound, Comfort and also Mind. The products DPHA member manufacture, distribute and represent contribute to achieving many of these goals. Learning and incorporating these concepts and language into our design and product selection process will benefit both our clients’ and our own professional wellness.

Resources:

https://www.fitwel.org/

https://www.wellcertified.com/

https://wellnesswithinyourwalls.com/

https://www.haywardscore.com/