425 Park Ave. in New York City is the first full-block office development on Manhattan’s Park Avenue in nearly 50 years.

425 Park Ave. in New York City is the first full-block office
development on Manhattan’s Park Avenue in nearly 50 years.

LEED building standards gave developers and landlords an opportunity to brag about buildings that are good for the environment. The WELL standard aims to do the same for buildings that keep their inhabitants out of the hospital.

It’s still early in the game, but the set of criteria for ranking properties’ health-boosting qualities could be the next badge of honor in commercial real estate.
“(Office tenants) have been talking about health and wellness: the food choices in the cafeteria, mobility, standing up and getting around in the office,” said Frederick Kramer, a principal at Boston-based architects ADD Inc. “But there hasn’t been a form to measure that. That’s what the WELL building standard is beginning to do.”
Examples of WELL building standards range from removal of potentially toxic building materials to lighting systems that enforce circadian rhythms and promote healthy sleep patterns. Scoring high on the WELL building scale could give landlords an advantage in attracting industry-leading companies that use distinctive office spaces as a recruiting advantage.
The program dates back to 2012, when Paul Scialla, a former Goldman Sachs partner, started a development company called Delos that focuses on healthy building designs. A subsidiary, the Washington, D.C.-based International Well Building Institute (IWBI), carries the flag for the healthy building cause. The group has been promoting its standards this year through a series of seminars in various cities, including Boston. The current set of 102 standards applies to office buildings; a pilot program launched last week expands the program to include retail, multifamily residential, education and restaurant properties.
The IWBI is partnering with the U.S. Green Building Council – the same organization that oversees the LEED building standard – to certify the WELL building rankings. As with the LEED standard, buildings are evaluated to earn silver, gold or platinum certification.
The 220-page list of WELL standards falls into seven categories: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. It goes into painstaking detail on recommended designs and building materials, recommending enhanced ventilation and air purification systems. Filtration systems would bring drinking water to purer standards than public water supplies. The document asserts a “Right To Light” with an emphasis on natural sunlight, spelling out minimum window sizes and their recommended proximity to workspaces.

1KFulton in Chicago, a former cold storage building built in 1920, is registered to pursue WELL pilot certification.

Reflection Of Recent Trends
While WELL certification remains in its infancy, awareness of how commercial buildings promote wellness and productivity is becoming paramount throughout the industry.

“Whether it’s WELL or something else that becomes the front-runner, something will become the standard by which we judge our buildings and our environment,” said Victor Vizgaitis, a principal at Watertown-based Sasaki AssocEven without going through the WELL certification program, developers have embraced many of its priorities in recent years.
It’s a reflection of companies’ desire to cut health care costs through wellness initiatives, and changes in office design reflecting collaborative and rewarding work environments
Fitness centers and ample natural light have become prevalent at many new and repositioned office buildings in Greater Boston, for example. And spreads of fruit and vegetables are a common perk at local startups, lining up with the WELL building standards’ recommendations to encourage healthy eating habits. Commercial real estate brokerage CBRE was one of the first major companies to embrace the new standards, opening the first WELL-certified office building in Los Angeles in 2013. That office contains features such as sound damping walls, energy-absorbent floors and smart lighting systems.
Even without going through the WELL certification program, developers have embraced many of its priorities in recent years. It’s a reflection of companies’ desire to cut health care costs through wellness initiatives, and changes in office design to create collaborative and rewarding work environments.
Fitness centers and ample natural light have become prevalent at many new and repositioned office buildings in Greater Boston, for example. And spreads of fruit and vegetables are a common perk at local startups, lining up with the WELL building standards’ recommendations to encourage healthy eating habits.
Commercial real estate brokerage CBRE was one of the first major companies to embrace the new standards, opening the first WELL-certified office building in Los Angeles in 2013. That office contains features such as sound-damping walls, energy-absorbent floors and smart lighting systems.
Fitness facilities, natural light and common area amenities are currently the three most-desired features in current office projects, said Victor Vizgaitis, a principal at Watertown-based Sasaki Assoc. All three areas tap into the current focus on physical, emotional and social wellness that are high priorities among office users.
“A happy worker is a productive worker, and we derive satisfaction from being part of something bigger,” Vizgaitis said. “That means getting out of your individual desk.”

From Pilot Programs To Mainstream
The now-ubiquitous LEED certification for energy-efficient buildings offers a possible guideline for the growth and adoption of WELL standards throughout the industry.
The Green Building Council developed the Leadership In Energy Education standards in 1998 but it took over a decade for the ratings system to become widely adopted, ADD’s Kramer noted.
“Everybody followed the money, and today it’s a filter for design decision-making,” he said. “The commercial clients who went strong with LEED did create value, and you’re ahead for a while. Then it became best practices and you’re not ahead anymore.”