WELL Building StandardA Brief Introduction

When asked “Do you want to live, work, and play in healthy, supportive, sustainable places?” Most say “Yes, of course!”

When asked— “Ok, what do those spaces look like?” Most say….

Ummm…errr…good question!

The WELL Building Institute is trying to answer that question

Organization and Development

Of the WELL Building Institute and WELL Building Standard

Organizational Structure

IWBI is a public benefit corporation (B-Corp) that is dedicated to transforming buildings to support the health and wellness of the people who live, work and go to school in them. Public benefit corporations are an emerging U.S. corporate structure for corporations committed to balancing public benefits with profitability – harnessing the power of private capital for greater good. Delos created IWBI as a subsidiary devoted exclusively to managing and sharing the WELL Building Standard globally pursuant to a Clinton Global Initiative commitment to improve the way people live by developing spaces that enhance occupant health and quality of life.

IWBI has committed to direct 51% of net profits, after taxes, generated by WELL Building certification project fees toward charitable contributions and impact investment focused on health, wellness, and the built environment.

Standard DevelopmentWELL is the culmination of seven years of rigorous research. In order to finalize WELL for release, IWBIundertook a comprehensive expert peer review process, which included three phases, & culminated in the release of the WELL Building Standard v1.0.

• During the scientific review phase, leading researchers reviewed and responded specifically to performance benchmarks set by WELL, such as air and watercontaminants, the relationship between indoor lighting and our circadian rhythm, and mold and other biological contaminants.

• The second, practitioner review phase included engaging with leading building science and green building practitioners for further review and refinement of the standard.

• The final peer review phase was led by Dr. Michael Roizen, Chief Wellness Officer of the Cleveland Clinic, and consisted of a comprehensive medical review of the WELL Building Standard.

The standard has been pioneered by Delos and is managed and administered by the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI ™).

The WELL Building Standard is third-party certified through IWBI’s collaboration with Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) – the certification body for the LEED Green Building Rating System.

The WELL Building StandardOrganizational Structures and Types of Certification

WELL Building Standard StructureWe believe that buildings should be developed with people’s health and wellness at the center of design. The WELL Building Standard takes a holistic approach to health in the built environment addressing behavior, operations and design.

WELL is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and wellbeing, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind.

WELL is composed of 102 Features that are applied to each building project, and each WELL Feature is designed to address issues that impact the health, comfort, or knowledge of occupants.

Features can be:

• Performance-based standards: allow flexibility in how a project meets acceptable quantified thresholds.

• Descriptive standards: require that specific technology, design strategies, or protocols are implemented.

WELL Features are categorized as either Preconditions—necessary for baseline WELL Certification or Compliance, or Optimizations—optional enhancements, which together determine the level of certification above baseline certification.

WELL Building Standard StructureEach Feature of the WELL Building Standard is ascribed to the human body systems that are intended to benefit from its implementation. This enables project teams to classify the intended benefits of each WELL Feature and develop a comprehensive set of strategies. While there are different ways to group the body’s various systems, the WELL Building Standard considers each Feature’s impact on the following categories of body systems:

WELL Building Standard FeaturesWELL is composed of 102 Features that are applied to each building project, and each WELL Feature is designed to address issues that impact the health, comfort, or knowledge of occupants.

Examples include:

WELL Building Standard TypologiesThe Features of WELL can be applied across many real estate sectors, and the current WELL v1.0 is optimized for commercial and institutional office buildings.

WELL is further organized into Project Typologies which take into account the specific set of considerations that are unique to a particular building type or phase of construction. For WELL v1.0, there are three project typologies:

New and Existing Buildings (formerly known as New Construction and Major

Renovations): This project typology applies to new and existing buildings and

addresses the full scope of project design and construction as well as aspects of

building operations.

New and Existing Interiors (formerly known as Tenant Improvement): This project

typology applies to commercial interior projects in existing buildings. In WELL Core and

Shell Compliant buildings, some WELL Features may already apply towards New and

Existing Interiors certification—making certification easier.

Core and Shell: WELL Core and Shell Compliance is available for new core and shell

developments or for multi-tenant buildings seeking to implement the basic conditions

necessary to achieve WELL Certification. The core and shell typology addresses the

building structure, window locations and glazing, building proportions, heating,

cooling and ventilation system, as well as water quality as it is supplied to the building.

This typology also encourages consideration of the site in relation to amenities and

opportunities for wellness.

Pilot Programs: Retail, Multifamily Residential, Education, Restaurant, Commercial Kitchen

WELL Building Certification Process

Certification begins with Registration, where a WELL Assessor will be assigned to the project. Documentation of various Features is required, and some Features will require on-site performance testing and visual inspections. Performance Verification (similar to commissioning) is a site visit by the WELL Assessor to evaluate and perform tests and documentation verification, which will be issued in a WELL Report by the Assessor. Certification will be issued on successful completion of all steps, including addressing any deficiencies noted in the WELL Report.

Certification for New and Existing Buildings or Interiors is valid for 3 years from the date of the award letter. To maintain certification, projects must re-certify every 3 years.

WELL Building Standard Certifications

Silver level certification is

achieved by meeting 100

percent of the WELL

Preconditions applicable to the

Typology in all Concepts.

Gold level certification is

achieved by meeting all of the

WELL Preconditions, as well as 40

percent or more of the

Optimization Features.

Platinum level certification is

achieved by meeting all of the

WELL Preconditions, as well as 80

percent or more of the

Optimization Features

WELL Building Standard FeesThe total cost averages less than $100 per employee for a typical commercial office building, and includes registration, certification and

Performance Verification (formerly WELL Commissioning).

Registration

Certification

Performance

Verification

The minimum cost for Performance Verification is approximately $9,000 and ranges from about $0.15 to $0.35 per square

foot, depending on the typology and size of the project. Volume pricing is available for projects that exceed one million

square feet.

Recertification Recertification fees begin at $1,450 and range from $0.03 to $0.07 per square foot depending on project typology and

size. Volume pricing is available for projects that exceed 1 million square feet. At the time of recertification, WELL Re-

Commissioning of performance measures will be required, with costs beginning at $3,625 and ranging from $0.06 to

$0.10 per square foot, depending on project size and typology. During recertification, projects may submit additional

WELL Features to improve their score or achieve a higher level of certification

The WELL Building StandardWhy do it?

WELL Certification: Why?Our built environment has a profound impact on our health, wellbeing, happiness and productivity.

Our built environment can shape our habits and choices, regulate our sleep-wake cycle, drive us toward healthy and unhealthy choices, and passively influence our health through the quality of our surroundings.

A WELL Certified™ project has the potential to add measurable value to the health, well-being and happiness of building occupants. It can also generate increased savings and productivity, in addition to a meaningful return on investment to the tenant and building owner.

WELL Certification: Why?Personnel costs significantly outweigh the costs for design and construction and operations and maintenance.

The first office in the world to be WELL Certified™ — Pilot Program, CBRE Corporate Headquarters in Los Angeles, was the recipient of the Prestigious Global Innovator’s Award from CoreNet Global. When surveyed, their employees responded that:

“The Wellness aspect of our new office adds a critical element to our work environment by creating a place where people feel energized and want to be every day, and where they are able to be focused and productive,” said Lewis C. Horne, executive managing director of greater Los Angeles and Orange County for CBRE.

WELL Certification: Why?The WELL Building Standard® provides the opportunity to design and build with a human-centered approach, which ultimately supports the industry in comprehensively addressing human health.

The WELL Building Standard® (WELL) is the world’s first building standard focused exclusively on human health

and wellness. It marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific

research – harnessing the built environment as a vehicle to support human health and wellbeing.