he design of a building can affect the quality of people’s lives and their productivity at work,” says Dana Nunn, director of interior design at Bettisworth North in Anchorage. Nunn is well aware of the intersection of mind and surroundings: she studied chemical engineering and worked in hospitality, and now she is an accredited professional in both the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and WELL building standards.

“WELL” is not an acronym for anything. It was devised by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) in 2013 to incorporate human comfort and mental health with environmental and engineering factors. The US Green Building Council (USGBC), which awards LEED credentials, can certify WELL as a third party, and it developed its own resilient design rating system: RELi.

An evolving set of standards like WELL and RELi encourage holistic building design that focuses on the health and well-being of building occupants in addition to the efficiency and longevity of the structure. In Alaska, only a select few architects are WELL and/or RELi certified, while others are implementing parts of these standards to benefit building occupants.

According to Nunn, the WELL standard builds upon LEED’s initial concept of a green building that analyzes how buildings can have both a positive and negative impact on the natural environment and people. Nunn says WELL focuses on additional factors such as lighting, acoustics, and access to space. Likewise, she says WELL buildings are also meant to prompt activity, maintain physiological health through ergonomics, and inspire proper health and nutrition.

As the name implies, the WELL Building Standard focuses on building that impacts human health and wellbeing. The point-based system measures, certifies, and monitors features of the building for its entire life cycle. The standard is upheld by IWBI, a public corporation whose mission is to improve human health and well-being through a well-designed building environment.

The initial WELL standards measured seven concepts affecting occupants, but that list expanded to twelve in 2018 with the launch of WELL v2. A holistic design addresses factors such as air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind, and community. Optimizing indoor air and water quality, improving lighting, and creating distraction-free, acoustically pleasant buildings with good temperature regulation seems like a straightforward concept. However, designing a building that encourages healthy food choices and positive behavior cues is less obvious, as is a structure that supports positive mental and emotional health.

“When it comes to concepts like the mind, we consider what is relevant to the occupants,” says Nunn. “We look to incorporate biophilic design, cultural elements, and natural resources. It’s something that we’ve done for a long time, but using WELL standards, we’re doing it better and more deliberately.”

Nunn adds that WELL design is suited to any type of building except single-family homes.

Any designer can include concepts from the WELL standard; however, WELL Accredited Professionals know how to take a project from inception to certification. Ideally, designers start discussing WELL certification with clients at the start of the project since meeting the criteria will influence the team’s approach, decision-making, project cost, technological choices, materials, construction, and building maintenance. Designers will also help project teams decide whether to pursue a WELL certification for an owner-occupied building or a WELL Core certification for shell buildings implementing fundamental features to benefit tenants.

Building certification is based on points awarded to the finished project. WELL and WELL Core both have four levels of certification, bronze through platinum. A building must meet a minimum of forty points for a WELL/WELL Core bronze status and eighty points for a WELL/WELL Core platinum status. Owner-occupied buildings also must earn additional points per concept in the top three certification levels. For WELL certification to remain in good standing, project owners need to apply for recertification every year. Since a commitment to a certified building standard requires ongoing funding, Nunn says many clients include elements of the standard without seeking certification.

Though the Resilience Action List (RELi) is also a points-based system based on holistic design, the focus combines the well-being of its occupants with the resiliency of the structure. Like WELL, RELi is an evolution of the LEED standard but includes action items that result in a building design capable of weathering social, economic, and environmental change. Structures built using RELi guidelines are robust structures designed for community vitality despite emergency circumstances such as extreme weather or a disruptive event.

A RELi-compliant building must meet a list of requisites in seven categories: Panoramic Approach, Hazard Preparedness, Hazard Adaptation, Community Vitality, Productivity/Health + Diversity, Energy/Water + Food, Materials + Artifacts, and Applied Creativity.

There are four levels of certification, from entry-level certification to platinum certification, based on the number of points earned during project review. The points needed for certification range from 300 points for entry-level to a minimum of 600 points for platinum level. Annual recertification is not required, but certification may be revoked within eighteen months if there is a successful challenge made by Market Transformation to Sustainability (MTS) or a third party.

The initial RELi standard was developed by MTS and the Chicago-based design firm Perkins&Will in 2012. From 2017 to 2022, USGBC managed certification and developed the RELi 2.0 standard but returned the ownership of the rating system back to MTS when USGBC decided to integrate resilience strategies in its flagship LEED program.

Despite this shift, both RELi and WELL have paved a way for designers to incorporate, and at times substitute, LEED standards that count toward prerequisites for certification.

Finding a RELi-trained designer is difficult in Alaska, as several firms have opted out of point-based standards or chosen to follow a different standard, such as LEED or WELL. Nunn suspects RELi is still new enough that firms have not dedicated the time and money to certify designers.

“My WELL exam is probably the toughest thing I’ve ever taken,” says Nunn. “Probably tougher than my accreditation exam. Plus, there is a two-year recertification cycle that includes thirty-plus credits on specific topics on top of my regular CEUs [continuing education units].”

Design standards are always going to play a role in building architecture and construction. At the very minimum, they ensure the safety and efficiency of occupants and other nearby structures. New building technologies may not necessarily be good choices for a particular building. A good designer, combined with the right design standards, will know which technologies to adopt.

“Like LEED, we have to remember that these newer standards are just a tool and not an end-all solution,” says Nunn. “They equip project owners and design teams with the tools and guidance for an environmentally positive building that benefits the people inhabiting the building.”

According to IWBI, investing in WELL-certified buildings has shown measurable success. Recent summary reports identified $200 billion in productivity gains among US office workers, a 28 percent increase in worker satisfaction, and an 8 percent increase in employee performance due to improved air quality. The full report goes into further detail about strengthened real estate returns, increased diversity, and better investment decisions.

Designing a building for either WELL or RELi certification is highly achievable in Alaska. Nunn says that Bettisworth North has implemented WELL standards in many urban and rural buildings, including prisons, office spaces, healthcare clinics, military facilities, and schools. The firm even designed its new office using the WELL standard, though it chose not to apply for certification.

“It’s the right thing to do, whether or not our clients ask for us to meet these standards or plan on applying for certification,” says Nunn. “As long as the design solution fits the goals and budget, then it’s good for the community.”

Aside from the cost of certification and ongoing renewal fees, Nunn feels clients don’t necessarily understand point-based standards. Likewise, she says conversations about design standards, when they happen, either don’t happen early enough in the process or don’t include all the stakeholders. Since buildings are designed to benefit the occupants, she feels their input provides insight into how people operate in these spaces. For example, consulting with human resources managers may result in a design that improves recruitment and retention, input from safety managers may reduce employee risk, or the right room may influence how businesses develop strategies or make financial decisions. As people become more familiar with WELL and RELi standards, Nunn suspects more people will implement the concepts and possibly pursue certification.