WELL, the certification for the evaluation of the health and well-being of the occupants.

We spend approximately 90% of our lives in indoor spaces, spaces that can be up to 5 times more polluted than outdoor spaces. It is a reality that the quality of our environment has a direct impact on our physical, mental and emotional well-being, as well as our capacity to give the best of ourselves. The WELL certification encompasses,in a holistic way, both the physical factors of the work environment and the policies that will make your company a healthy company.

The WELL certification is a standard that is based on the application of the best practices in health and welfare in the design and construction of buildings. The fulfillment of WELL requires empirical tests for the verification of the correct execution of its parameters.

The certification is organized into seven welfare categories called concepts, and they are the following:

-          Air: these are strategies whose objective is to achieve optimum indoor air quality in projects. At present, the indicators of concentration of pollutants inside buildings can reach up to 5 times higher, compared to outdoor spaces. An improvement in this parameter can improve productivity between 8 to 11%.

-          Water: it aims to promote the consumption of clean and safe water through the implementation of adequate filtration techniques and regular tests in order that the occupants of the building obtain the optimum quality of water for its various uses. For example, dehydration of just 2% can affect the performance of tasks that require attention, psychomotor skills and immediate memory.

-          Nutrition: the WELL standard for food requires fresh and healthy food to be available to users, limiting unhealthy ingredients and encouraging better eating habits. It is demonstrated that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a 27% lower probability of having depression.

-          Light: WELL provideslight guidelines that aim to minimize the disruption of the body’s circadian rhythm, improve productivity and provide the correct visual acuity for each type of task. The lack of access to natural light in workplaces and schools can become a health risk (which can manifest itself in the form of different conditions or diseases) for up to 26% of users.

-          Exercise: the WELL certification seeks to encourage the integration of physical activity in everyday life, providing opportunities and support for an active lifestyle, discouraging sedentary behavior. Physical inactivity is the fourth major risk factor for mortality.

-          Comfort: requirements are established designed to create interior productive environments, comfortable and free of distractions. The proposed strategies include design standards and recommendations, thermal and acoustic regulation capacity, and the implementation of policies that take acoustic and thermal parameters into account, etc.

-          Mind:WELL demands design, technology and treatment strategies, designed to provide a physical environment that optimizes the cognitive and emotional health of users. For example, after a 40-second micro-break, people who see green roofs instead of cement roofs, showed higher levels of concentration. Adaptative spaces, which allow each user to control their environment, reduce stress and positively impact job satisfaction and group cohesion.

 According to the fulfillment, or not, of the different measures suggested by WELL in order to improve the comfort of the users in the building, the latter, receives a score and falls into one of the 3 categories established by the WELL Building Standard:

-          Silver Certification: must comply with all prerequisites.

-          Gold Certification: must comply with all prerequisites and have 40% of the points considered for optimization.

-          Platinum Certification: must meet all the prerequisites and have 80% of the points considered for optimization.

 

The direct approach towards the welfare of the users of the buildings, positions the WELL certification in an increasingly important position, both in Spain and in Europe.

At Ecopenta, we help you to create work spaces based in well-being, in order to improve the worker’s quality of life, foster a good work climate and improve interpersonal relationships.

We are specialists – WELL certified – in consultancies to determine the quality of indoor air, making them comply with the correct hygrothermal conditions and limits of indoor air pollution at levels that are not harmful to the health of users.