An Introduction to the WELL Building Standard
We have long known that interior design and architecture shapes human behavior. It’s become very evident in more recent years that it also shapes our health in real, physiological ways. We spend over 90% of our lives inside buildings, and building design has had a detrimental affect on our health. The WELL Building Standard strives to change this.
We at Zen Spaces are intimately familiar with the WELL Building Standard which asserts that buildings should be developed with people’s health and wellness at the center of design. It is grounded in medical research that explores the connection between people and the buildings.
WELL measures attributes of buildings that impact occupant health by looking at these seven factors:
Air: Optimize and achieve indoor air quality. Strategies include removal of airborne contaminants, prevention and purification.
Water: Optimize water quality while making good quality water readily availability. Strategies include removal of contaminants through filtration and treatment, and strategic placement.
Nourishment: Encourage healthy eating habits by providing occupants with healthier food choices, behavioral cues, and knowledge about nutrient quality.
Light: Minimize disruption to the body’s circadian rhythm by providing requirements for window design, light output and lighting controls, and task-appropriate illumination levels are to improve energy, mood and productivity.
Fitness: Provide numerous opportunities for activity and exertion, enabling occupants to accommodate fitness regimens within their daily schedule.
Comfort: Create an indoor environment that is distraction-free, productive, and soothing through thermal and acoustic controllability, and acoustic and thermal parameters.
Mind: Support mental and emotional health, providing the occupant with regular feedback and knowledge about their environment through design elements, relaxation spaces, and state-of-the-art technology.