Healthy Workplaces – Exploring the WELL Building Standard: Air Concept

e are in the midst of a radical change to the building design process, from a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency to placing human needs at the center of the process. Everywhere strategies are being developed that create healthy environments which promote health and wellbeing and enhance performance. This fundamental shift challenges the design of every aspect of a project, ensuring that each decision will have a positive impact on users.

As detailed in a previous article, we at CG have carefully studied the growing number of building certification programs and tools developed to address human health. We have aligned ourselves with the research done by the WELL Building Standard. In this article, we will explore areas of the WELL Air Concept by looking at scientific data and design features at a high level.

Clean air is a critical factor in human health. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the number one environmental cause of premature mortality, contributing to 50,000 premature deaths annually in the United States and approximately 7 million premature deaths worldwide. Outdoor air quality is deteriorated by pollution from traffic, construction, agricultural activity, combustion sources and particulate matter. Because ambient air circulates easily, even far-off sources of pollution have a huge impact on the air we breathe every day.

Outdoor air pollution receives considerable attention in the media, but indoor air pollution is rarely examined. Indoor air quality can be degraded by outdoor sources, as well as by off-gassing from building materials, indoor combustion, water leaks, and accumulation of airborne germs on surfaces. Due to this, indoor levels of some contaminants can be 3-5 times higher than outdoors (as reported by the Environmental Protection Agency). These contaminants contribute to an array of negative health outcomes such as asthma, allergies, and upper respiratory illnesses, as well as diminished productivity.

The WELL Building Standard Air Concept promotes clean air through reducing or minimizing the sources of indoor air pollution, requiring optimal indoor air quality to support the health and wellbeing of the building occupants. Made up of 29 unique features, the Air Concept is the largest of the WELL Building Standard. For this article, we highlight five of these features which are defined by WELL to support in the fight against COVID-19.

By adopting features of the WELL Building Standard, we aim to support the health and wellbeing of our clients. We strive to revolutionize the workplace so that you can stay healthy and produce your best work.

This article is part of a series focused on health and wellbeing in the workplace, and the information in it is intended to educate and inform.  We encourage you to read our previous article on designing for health and wellbeing, if you have not done so already. 

Article provided by:
Damien Watson
Project Designer | CommonCreative
WELL Accredited Professional

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