Have you ever walked into a building and felt an immediate sense of well-being and happiness within any given room? You might have noticed the abundance of natural light, the air quality, or the thoughtful design promoting physical and mental health. You realise that this space is just a nice space to be in, but you cannot quite put your finger on why. In these times, you might have encountered a space that is WELL certified.
What is the WELL Building Standard?
The WELL Building Standard was launched by design agency Delos in 2014 by founder Paul Scialla to improve the way people live by developing spaces that enhance occupant health and quality of life by sharing WELL globally.
Delos point out that “we spend over 90% of our time indoors. The spaces in which we live, work, sleep and play can influence every aspect of our lives, from how well we sleep to our moods, productivity, and overall energy levels”, and this is right for most of us in the working week.
The WELL Building Standard was therefore created to be the world’s first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness. The standards are administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), an American public benefit corporation, third-party certified by Green Business Certification, the same group that administers LEED certification.
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The Ten Concepts
There are ten concepts that make up an application for WELL accreditation: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community.
Prolojik’s network solutions can contribute significantly to attaining an enhanced score in the WELL Building Standard. We have reviewed the latest standards and prepared the following that details specific benefits against the WELL v2 assessment criteria. The compliance below is with reference to the Q4 2019 guidelines:
A08: Air Quality Monitoring and Awareness
Prolojik PS632 and other DALI sensors can monitor CO2 within the space to an accuracy of 50ppm and VOC – accuracy 25% at 500 μg/m³ Also, report this data in real time to both our Perspective supervisory software and via integration to building management systems or Cloud via MQTT.
L03: Circadian Lighting Design
Prolojik’s Modular, Plexus and Indigo systems support circadian lighting control supporting both dual driver and DT8 drivers. Our Perspective software allows for setting, sequencing, and scheduling of circadian cycles. Our PS432 sensors have been designed with custom filters for monitoring and tuneable white LED fixtures.
L06: Visual Balance
Prolojik sensors and software support daylight regulation and constant luminance. Variable fade rates, scene control and setback modes aid visual balance of the artificial lighting.
L07: Electric Light Quality
Part 1 Colour Rendering: Support for tuneable white via DT8 and DMX lighting provides flexible control of colour rendering of artificial lighting.
L08: Occupant Control of Lighting Environment
Part 1 Enhance Occupant Controllability: Prolojik provides a verity of user control options from scene panels, switch interfaces, Mobile App, and web API. You can, for example, set up different ‘modes’ for any given room. This could include ‘video mode’ with dimmed lights for video calls or lights at the back off when using an interactive whiteboard.
V03: Movement Network and Circulation
Prolojik’s Proxima sensor system supports enhanced user experiences by providing Location Based-Services (LBS). Sensors can send internal GPS information to users as well as user, time, and location specific messaging to enhance the user experience of the space. With this system, a user can see the occupancy levels of a space before travelling to it. This can help them cut down on unnecessary trips.
T03: Thermal Zoning
Part 1 Thermal Control: As detailed in T03 compliance, the granularity of temperature data to less than 5m2 provides detailed zonal thermal data for monitoring and control.
X02: Manage Lead Hazards
All Prolojik manufacturing since 2008 has been Lead Free. Prolojik has always committed to being as sustainable as we can, and operating in a manner that minimises the impact on the environment. All of our suppliers and manufacturers are UK based, in fact, they are all within a 90-minute drive. Some are even on the same road as us! This means that we can maintain an excellent working relationship and ensure standards are maintained.
X08: Hazardous Material Reduction
All Prolojik manufacturing since 2003 has been Directive 2002/95/EC RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) compliant. Prolojik systems are specifically designed to not use unnecessary cabling or materials, and we ensure that we do not replace units that can be refurbished. Like a Hermit Crab, we don’t waste a shell!
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How do designers create WELL certified spaces?
Here at Prolojik, we are proud to contribute to WELL Building Standards compliance. We spoke to a number of our contacts in the world of smart building design to understand the process they go through when they are working on a project that requires conformity to these standards. It boiled down to the following steps:
Stage 1: Aspiration
The journey to WELL certification often begins with a visionary team of architects, designers, and developers who aspire to create a space that goes beyond conventional standards. Recognising the profound impact the built environment has on human health, these professionals commit to the WELL Building Standard. This initial stage involves setting clear objectives for improving air, water, light, fitness, and comfort within the building.
Stage 2: Registration and Assessment
Once the aspiration is defined, the project team registers for WELL certification, signalling their commitment to rigorous evaluation and improvement. A comprehensive assessment process follows, where the building is scrutinised across the ten core concepts outlined above. Each concept contains specific features and strategies and meeting them requires a holistic approach to building design and operation.
Stage 3: Design and Construction
Armed with insights from the assessment, the project team moves into the design and construction phases. This stage involves integrating WELL strategies into the building’s blueprint. For example, optimising natural light exposure and incorporating biophilic design elements to enhance mental well-being. The construction phase demands adherence to extremely strict guidelines, ensuring that every detail contributes to the overall wellness goals.
Stage 4: Performance Verification
With the building constructed, the focus shifts to performance verification. This involves on-site testing and assessments to confirm that the intended wellness features are effectively implemented. Air and water quality, lighting levels, and acoustics are among the factors closely monitored. It is a crucial step to ensure that the building not only meets but consistently maintains the WELL standards.
Stage 5: Certification
Upon successful completion of the performance verification, the building undergoes a final review for certification. This involves a thorough examination of documentation, test results, and adherence to WELL criteria. Achieving WELL certification is a significant accomplishment, signifying that the building provides a healthy and supportive environment for its occupants. Prolojik are proud to be able to contribute to this certification.
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We Never Negotiate on Quality…
Understanding the journey of a building becoming WELL certified reveals the depth of commitment required to prioritise human well-being in the built environment. From initial aspirations to the meticulous certification process, each stage plays a crucial role in creating spaces that promote health, happiness, and productivity.
Prolojik Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Asela Rodrigo, speaks of his pride that Prolojik lighting systems help the construction industry and designers achieve WELL building standard certification. “Ensuring our sensors and systems are compatible with companies who are looking to be compliant with WELL building standards is non-negotiable for us at Prolojik.”
He continues, “As a business, we have made a commitment to collaborating with our clients and customers to create spaces that are as clean, productive, and positive as possible, and the knowledge we have of the WELL certification process has helped us develop our products to be achieve this goal.”
Not an Accident!
So, the next time you step into a building or room and notice the general ambience is designed around your wellbeing, understand that this was not an accident, and an awful lot of time, effort and expertise has gone into making it so!
Want to know more? If you would like to hear more about Prolojik, or the projects we have worked on, visit our website, or call us on (01494) 515100, or even send us an email at [email protected] – there are many ways to reach us!