by Brianna Crandall — April 16, 2014—The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) recently announced a formal collaboration intended to streamline how LEED and WELL work together and demonstrate that green building and health and wellness go hand in hand. As a fundamental aspect of the collaboration, GBCI will provide third-party certification for the WELL Building Standard, as it does now for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems, certifications and credentials.
The WELL Building Standard is an evidence-based standard created through six years of research and development with researchers and physicians from leading medical institutions and expert practitioners from the building industry. Currently in pilot phase, the WELL Building Standard sets performance requirements in seven categories: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind.
The WELL Building Standard is administered by the International WELL Building Institute, which was founded by Paul Scialla and Delos, “the pioneer of Wellness Real Estate,” to fulfill a Clinton Global Initiative commitment to improve the way people live by developing spaces that enhance occupant health and quality of life and by making the WELL Building Standard available globally. The standard applies to commercial, residential, and institutional projects. Potential pilot projects are encouraged to contact IWBI through the organization’s Web site.
WELL pilot projects include the William Jefferson Clinton Children’s Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which will be LEED Platinum and WELL certified, and CBRE Group Inc.’s new Global Corporate Headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, unveiled in November 2013, which is said to be the world’s first commercial office space to be both LEED Gold and WELL certified.
While the initial focal point of IWBI’s collaboration with GBCI is third-party certification, IWBI anticipates working closely with GBCI to align WELL professional education programs and accreditation with LEED AP requirements. “We are committed to working closely with GBCI and the community of green building professionals to make certain that every aspect of the WELL Building Standard works in alignment with LEED, the Living Building Challenge, and other leading global systems,” added Scialla.
