“The momentum has been built up to make sure that health is permanently rooted in governance, public policy, and practices in the construction sector.” Certifications no longer judge buildings solely on their environmental impact, but also their effect on the health and performance of their occupants. Why is it crucial to include health and well-being among the essential criteria for building performance? J. H.: We’re starting to realize how much buildings influence our health. We spend nearly 90% of our lives indoors! Yet the indoor air is often three to five times more polluted than outdoor air, sometimes up to 100 times more. Designing living spaces that protect health is thus becoming a major issue. In my view, healthy buildings represent a new frontier in public health: architects and engineers could have an impact comparable to that of doctors. How does the WELL standard assess health and well-being? J. H.: The WELL standard is based on ten factors: air, water, nutrition, light, movement, thermal comfort, acoustic comfort, materials, mental health, and community. Each of these translates into concrete requirements: ventilation, natural light, spaces that promote activity, mental health and inclusion policies, and so on. The goal is to make the invisible visible in order to manage the health of occupants. “The purpose of the WELL(1) standard is to bring out the factors that impact the health of occupants.” JASON HARTKE Executive Vice President of External Affairs, Advocacy, and Policy at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) (1) WELL is an international certification system from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) that evaluates buildings based on their impact on the health and well-being of occupants, across ten dimensions including air quality, water, light, thermal and acoustic comfort, and mental health. Source: wellcertified.com. VIEWPOINT 33
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