Ann Marie Aguilar's (International WELL Building Institute) presentation from our latest IES Faculty event, which took place as part of World Green Building Week 2016. Find out about upcoming Faculty events: http://www.iesve.com/training/ies-faculty

1. HEALTH &
WELLBEING
IN THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT
IES/WELL
ANN MARIE AGUILAR
28-9-16

2. TRENDS AND RISK FACTORS

3. Health watchdog
NICE urges
employers to take
more responsibility
for employee health,
ensuring staff work
reasonable hours
and take regular
breaks.
[Sources: BBC News – Bosses must make work
happier and healthier, health chiefs say. June 2015]

4. Based on a typical
split of business
operating costs,
modest gains in
staff health and
wellbeing can
deliver significant
financial savings.
[Source: WGBC report on Health, Wellbeing and
Productivity in Offices, 2014]

5. 5
5
built
environment
professionals,
businesses
agents of
public health
THE EMERGING TRANSITION

6. 6
6
promises
performance
ACCOUNTABILITY IS KEY

7. [1] BACKGROUND
TO THE STANDARD

8. WELL BUILDING STANDARD, NOV 2014 USA
First industry standard to quantify and
benchmark health and wellbeing features of the
built environment.
Framework and criteria developed on the basis
of 8 years medical research, in collaboration
with key medical institutions such as the
Cleveland and Mayo Clinics.

9. KEY PARTIES
• Mission to place health and wellness at the
centre of design and construction decisions
• Pioneer of the WELL Building Standard
• Founder of the Wellness Real Estate and the
IWBI
• Mission to improve human health and
wellbeing through the built environment
• Administers the Standard
• Delivers third-party certification services for
WELL (same body that delivers LEED
certification and professional
credentialing in partnership
with the USGBC)

10. PREMISE BEHIND THE CRITERIA
WELL
BUILDING
FEATURES
EVIDENCE-BASED
HEALTH AND
WELLNESS
INTERVENTIONS
BEST PRACTICE
DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION
PRACTICES

12. BUILDINGS FOR PEOPLE
“…the time has come to
elevate human health
and comfort to the
forefront of building
practices and reinvent
buildings that are not
only better for the planet
– but also for people.”
Source: http://wellcertified.com/well-building-standard/overview/

13. DESIGNED TO WORK IN TANDEM
ENVIRONMENTAL HUMAN
Together, creating buildings that optimise
occupant health
as well as
environmental outcomes

14. PILOT PROGRAMMES
COMMER
CIAL
KITCHEN
EDUCATI
ON
MULTI-
FAMILY
RESIDENT
IAL
RESTAUR
ANT
RETAIL DISTRICT

15. WHY?
ADOPT LIFE-STYLE THINKING
FOR USER-CENTRED DESIGN
INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND
REDUCE BOTH ABSENTEEISM
AND PRESENTEEISM
PROMOTE BETTER SLEEP, COMFORT,
MENTAL ACUITY, NUTRITION AND
OVERALL HEALTH
HELP RECRUIT AND RETAIN
TALENT
INSPIRE LONG-TERM
HEALTHY HABITS
PLAN FOR OPERATIONAL
EXCELLENCE
EMBODY BRAND VALUES &
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
IMPROVE AIR, WATER, LIGHT
AND ACOUSTIC QUALITY
ENCOURAGE PERSONAL
INFLUENCE AND CONTROL OVER
ENVIRONMENT
SUPPORT ENHANCED SOCIAL
NETWORKS AND HELPING
BEHAVIOUR

16. [2] WHAT IS A
WELL BUILDING?

17. Mind
Comfort
Fitness
Light
Nourishment
Water
Air
7 WELLNESS CONCEPTS
Removal of airborne contaminants,
prevention, and purification
Filtration and treatment, as well as
strategic placement
Healthy options, behavioural cues,
and greater information
Circadian rhythm, window
performance, and light quality
Accommodate exercise and
movement in daily routines
Acoustic, thermal, olfactory and
ergonomic environments
Support mental and emotional
health, knowledge and awareness

18. AIR

19. 400,000 premature
deaths per year are
linked to air
pollution in Europe.1
For the UK, this is
29,000 – more than
obesity and alcohol
combined.2
[Sources: (1) EU Commission data, euractiv.com; (2)
Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants
(COMEAP) (2010)]

20. It has been
estimated that
globally 14 times as
many deaths occur
from poor indoor air
quality compared
with ambient air
pollution.
(Brennan and Withgott, 2005)

21. AIR STRATEGIES

22. WATER

23. 75% of Americans
may be chronically
dehydrated,1 which
negatively impacts
mood, energy levels,
and the ability to
think clearly.2
[Sources: 1: http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-
americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-
according-doctors-247393 2: Adan (2012)
http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/02/20/dehydr
ation-influences-mood-cognition/35037.html]

24. WATER STRATEGIES

25. NOURISHMENT

26. FACILITATING HEALTHY HABITS
AIR WATER NOURISHMENT LIGHT FITNESS COMFORT MIND

27. NOURISHMENT STRATEGIES

28. LIGHT

29. Evidence suggests
poor sleep is
associated with poor
immune function
and negative
psychosocial factors.
[Source: Department of Health – Factsheet on
Wellbeing across the lifecourse]

30. ALIGNING LIGHTING WITH BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS
AIR WATER NOURISHMENT LIGHT FITNESS COMFORT MIND

31. LIGHTING STRATEGIES

32. FITNESS

33. Inactivity is now one
of the biggest
threats to public
health, directly
attributable to 9.4%
of all deaths
worldwide, or
3.5 million people
every year.
[Source: The Lancet. The pandemic of physical
inactivity: global action for public health, 2012]

34. Engaging in physical
activity is paramount
to ageing well. Being
physically active is
linked to independent
living and social
support, and is also
linked to improved
immune function and
resistance to illness.
[Source: Department of Health – Factsheet on
Wellbeing across the lifecourse]

35. FITNESS STRATEGIES

36. COMFORT

37. In a database of
34,000 post
occupancy surveys
about indoor
environmental
quality in 215
buildings, people
were most
dissatisfied with
acoustics.
[Source: The Centre for the Built Environment,
University of California Berkeley]

38. COMFORT STRATEGIES

39. MIND

40. Benefits of biophilia
include improved stress
recovery rates, lower
blood pressure,
improved cognitive
functions, enhanced
mental stamina & focus,
decreased violence &
criminal activity,
elevated moods, and
increased learning rates.
[Source: Joye (2007), quoted in Terrapin Bright
Green (2012) The economics of biophilia]

41. MIND STRATEGIES

42. [3] UK ACTIVITY

43. INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
~50% registered square
footage is outside the US
-GBCI, Feb 2016
Support from IWBI & GBCI teams in
application, as well as input to shape
development of emergent standard with
IWBI
Innovation features: addressing context or
applying local industry best practice
standards

44. VERSION 1.0
• Published Nov 2014
• Details all WELL features optimised for
commercial and institutional office
buildings
• Defines which Preconditions and
Optimisations apply to each of the
three project typologies:
Certification for new or existing:
• Buildings
• Interiors
• Core and Shell

45. 22 Bishopsgate
Lipton Rogers Developments
• 62-storey ‘vertical city’ serving 12,000 in the
City of London
• Arup are providing WELL consultancy for UK’s
first registered WELL project
• Targeting WELL Compliance for Core and Shell
• Completion on site scheduled for 2019.
Features to promote health and wellbeing
include:
• Shared tenant amenity spaces that
offer exercise opportunities and
mindful dining spaces
• Testing of contaminant levels in
drinking water supplies
• Curated retail offering that promotes
healthy catering options on site
• Reinforcement of connection to
nature and natural patterns and
elements through a coordinated
biophilic design strategy
• Integration of public art and uplifting
design detailing