{"id":5811,"date":"2016-09-15T14:43:13","date_gmt":"2016-09-15T04:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/?p=5811"},"modified":"2019-09-27T13:58:31","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T03:58:31","slug":"well-rating-new-black","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/us\/2016\/09\/15\/well-rating-new-black\/","title":{"rendered":"WELL rating is the new black"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WELLCreating \u201chealthy\u201d buildings will improve occupants\u2019 wellbeing and will change the face of the building and construction industry in Australia.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

With 90% of our time spent indoors, buildings can have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing. The arrival of the WELL Building Standard\u00ae<\/a> in Australia is helping to catalyse a movement to ensure these impacts are positive. The WELL rating has triggered a significant shift in the Australian property market in the last months. Various stakeholders, from building product manufacturers to property developers and managers, are taking an active interest in WELL and its requirements. Now is an exciting time to stay ahead of this new rating system and identify opportunities arising from it.<\/p>\n

WELL is\u00a0moving the focus of\u00a0the building rating tool world from an environmental and building focus to a human health focus. This new approach involves new requirements for property sector stakeholders. It also offers exciting opportunities to demonstrate leadership in a rapidly developing area. Whether it is to attract the best employees, get an advantage over competitors or show conviction on such an important issue, becoming ‘WELL-ready’ is\u00a0a top priority for many\u00a0organisations.<\/p>\n

What is WELL?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The WELL rating\u00a0is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and wellbeing. It aims to\u00a0prevent chronic diseases by improving the nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns and performance of its occupants.<\/p>\n

It’s organised into\u00a0seven ‘concepts’\u00a0of wellness including more than 102 \u2018features\u2019. These\u00a0can be performance-based standards (e.g. VOC reduction) or prescriptive standards that require specific technologies, design strategies or protocols (e.g. a smoking ban).<\/p>\n

WELL can be applied to three types of commercial and institutional projects:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. New and existing buildings \u2013 suitable for an owner occupier<\/li>\n
  2. New and existing interiors \u2013 suitable for a tenant occupying a portion of a building<\/li>\n
  3. Core and shell \u2013 suitable for owners and landlords<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"well-certification\"Pilot programs are available for retail, residential, education,\u00a0restaurant and commercial kitchen projects.<\/p>\n

    More than 250 projects in 22 countries are already registered for a WELL rating\u00a0(see\u00a0map of registered projects). 20 of these\u00a0are\u00a0registered in Australia, by companies such as Mirvac (200 George Street, Sydney; pictured above and below), Dexus (480 Queen Street, Brisbane) and\u00a0Grocon (20 Brougham Street, Geelong).<\/p>\n

    Where does WELL fit in\u00a0with other sustainability rating tools?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n