WELL Certification: What is it and how to get it?

The new times confirm that buildings are no longer mere constructions in which work or activities are carried out. Today, they must also promote the health and well-being of the people who occupy them.

Keep in mind that we spend more than ninety percent of our time indoors. This situation has a strong impact on both our well-being and our productivity.  The term wellness refers to the process by which people make decisions aimed at a healthier life and a higher level of well-being.

The WELL certification assesses how best practices in design and construction focused on the well-being of users can influence human health and performance. The demand for this type of certification increased dramatically in 2020 due to the pandemic. 

WELL Certification

It is a dynamic scoring method for buildings and communities that enables the identification, measurement and monitoring of the characteristics of built spaces that affect the well-being and health of their occupants. 

The main purpose of this certification is to generate a positive experience in the human being, reflected in the improvement of their contemplation, concentration and productivity capabilities. In this way, people’s social sense is reinforced, stimulating their sense of belonging to the environment. 

It contributes to such a built environment improving the physical well-being, nutrition, sleep patterns or behaviour of the people who inhabiting it. The certificate verifies in situ the construction based on health-related variables.

Although the existing versions have the same purpose, each has its own style and workflow for each team.  The WELL methodology is based on the implementation of preconditions (mandatory) and optimizations (according to the needs of the work team) divided into categories called concepts.  

WELL v1 Certification

This is the first version of the certification. It takes into account the quality and control within the space of the:

• Air (natural and mechanical ventilation, filtering, no smoking…)
• Water (legionella control, drinking water sources, water treatment)
• Lighting (visual acuity, access to natural lighting…)
• Nutrition (access to special diets, canteen for employees, fruit…)
• Physical well-being (ergonomics, promotion of physical activity, active furniture…)
• Comfort (humidity control, thermal comfort by means of radiant systems…)
• Mind (contact with nature, prevention of addictions…)

WELL v2 Certification

It’s an updated version that includes more universal preconditions together with more adaptable optimizations for all projects. In addition to the previous seven concepts, where physical well-being becomes movement and comfort is now called thermal comfort, it adds three new ones:

• Sound (acoustic barriers, noise cancellation systems…)
• Community (work-life balance policies, universal and accessible design…)
• Materials (waste management, reduction of VOCs, absence of lead, asbestos and mercury…)

WELL Core Certification

Special adaptation of WELL v2. Excellent option for those projects that intend to implement healthy features in the base building for the benefit of the tenants. It is available for constructions in which at least 75% of the building area of the project is occupied by one or more tenants, or serves as common space for all of them.

How the WELL certification works

As indicated above, the criteria are grouped into ten categories called concepts. In each of them there are a series of mandatory minimum requirements called Preconditions, as well as improvement criteria called Optimizations.

The score obtained with the certification will depend on the number of optimizations carried out. Depending on the points obtained in the optimizations, three levels are established:

• WELL Silver: 50 points
• WELL Gold: 60 points
• WELL Platinum: 80 points

Benefits of the Well certification

• Improved environment for employees, customers and visitors.
• Increased employee productivity and satisfaction. The company retains talent easily.
• Modernization of the corporate image, generating pride and self-identity for the employees and a great attraction for customers and collaborators.
• Added value of the brand and differentiation from the competition.
• Attractive return on investment.

Cloudworks and its WELL certification

One of Cloudworks‘ objectives is to create spaces in which its users can work in conditions that favour their well-being, health and productivity.

Our Gran Via 645 location is WELL certified. A space with more than 2,500 m² distributed in four floors adapted to your needs. 

With all the healthy benefits offered by the certificate (air quality, adequate lighting, thermal comfort…) and a professional environment to provide an ideal environment for your team, improving their motivation to help you retain talent.

It is located very close to Passeig de Gràcia, next to Gran Vía de les Corts Catalanes. Its easy accessibility and multiple public transportation connections make it an ideal space for coworkers.  

Looking for a WELL certified coworking space? Would you like to book a tour of our Gran Via 645? Contact us and we will gladly show it to you.