A report in Building & Environment, revealed that organizations that follow the WELL Building Standard demonstrated superior workplace performance compared to their counterparts lacking certification.
“The potential of high-performance workplaces for boosting worker productivity, health, and creativity: A comparison between WELL and non-WELL certified environments,” a study published in the September 2023 edition of Building & Environment, conducted an examination of the largest data set of occupant responses to date. This analysis compared the performance of workplaces with WELL Certification to those without it across the Asia-Pacific Region, including New Zealand, Australia, and Hong Kong. The respondents of the study expressed an 18% greater satisfaction regarding access to natural light, a 17% higher satisfaction with acoustical privacy, a 16% increased satisfaction with their connection to the outdoor environment, a 12% enhanced satisfaction with lighting conditions, an 11% improved satisfaction with thermal comfort, and a 10% greater satisfaction with both indoor air quality and air circulation.
These findings underscore the contribution and impacts of WELL Certification in prioritizing and enhancing IEQ in workplaces.
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) elements prioritized by the WELL Building Standard
Air
Air quality is one of the critical categories assessed in WELL Building Certification. The WELL Building Standard places a strong emphasis on ensuring that the indoor air quality (IAQ) within a building is of the highest possible standard to promote the health and well-being of the people who work or live there.
Light
WELL Building Standard places a strong emphasis on optimizing lighting conditions to support the health and well-being of building occupants. WELL Certification encourages the incorporation of natural light into indoor spaces. This involves the placement of windows, skylights, and other openings that allow daylight to penetrate deep into the building. Access to natural light has been linked to improved mood, productivity, and circadian rhythm regulation. WELL sets criteria for the amount of daylight that should be available to occupants in various areas of the building. It also promotes thoughtful lighting design that minimizes glare and maximizes visual comfort. It addresses issues related to flicker, color temperature, and color rendering to ensure that artificial lighting is comfortable and visually appealing.
Thermal Comfort
WELL aims to ensure that indoor spaces are designed and operated to provide optimal thermal conditions. It encourages the provision of individual control over thermal conditions whenever possible. This means occupants can adjust temperature settings within a defined range to suit their preferences, promoting a sense of control and personal comfort.
WELL also addresses humidity levels within indoor spaces. It specifies ideal relative humidity ranges to prevent conditions that may lead to discomfort, such as overly dry or excessively humid environments.
Sound
The sound-related features and requirements of WELL are designed to create environments that promote occupant well-being and productivity by addressing acoustic comfort and minimizing noise disruptions. For example, WELL requires the use of building materials and design strategies that enhance sound isolation. This helps reduce the transmission of noise between adjacent spaces and minimizes disruptions caused by external noise sources. WELL guidelines may also specify requirements for controlling reverberation. This helps maintain good speech intelligibility and reduces the potential for auditory discomfort.
Addressing the IEQ requirements of WELL using uHoo Aura
uHoo Aura is the most comprehensive indoor environmental quality monitor that provides real-time measurements on the factors affecting IEQ. These factors include temperature, humidity, air pressure, formaldehyde, particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM4, and PM10), carbon dioxide, VOCs, carbon monoxide, light, and sound. In another blog, we’re sharing with you how uHoo Aura can help you unlock valuable WELL points and create and maintain a healthier indoor environment that aligns with the goals of WELL Certification.
