The International Well Building Institute (IWBI) kicked off a peer review process for the WELL Building Standard. The process will include three phases—a scientific, practitioner and medical review. Late this year, the results will be reflected in the release of v1.0 of the standard.
The standard is the first protocol of its kind that focuses on improving human wellness within the built environment by identifying specific conditions that, when holistically integrated into building interiors, enhance the health and wellbeing of the occupants.
The first phase—a thorough review of the underlying science behind the standard — will focus on performance benchmarks such as air and water contaminants, the relationship between indoor lighting and circadian rhythm, and mold and other biological contaminants. Later this year, two additional steps in the process towards v1.0 will include engaging with leading building and medical practitioners for further review and refinement of the standard.
The peer review will be transparent, and will include a published roster of contributing physicians, researchers, and practitioners. In addition, aggregated comments from the peer review will be published online along with an explanation of how the WELL Building Standard evolved as a result of this input.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 4, 2016
U.S. Supreme Court lets San Jose affordable housing law stand
Law attempts to alleviate Silicon Valley’s high housing costs.
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2016
WELL standard offers multiple benefits for owners, says real estate executive
Could be a recruiting tool for occupant companies.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 1, 2016
China bans ‘weird’ public architecture, gated communities
Directs designers of public buildings to focus on functionality.
Energy Efficiency | Feb 23, 2016
Economists, energy efficiency practitioners need to work together for better cost/benefit studies
Flawed energy efficiency research yields misleading, confusing results.
Codes and Standards | Feb 16, 2016
New York City implements new crane safety plan following deadly accident
The plan includes restrictions on crawler cranes during windy conditions.
Resiliency | Feb 16, 2016
Obama establishes federal earthquake risk management standard
The standard requires federal agencies to use earthquake-resistant design provisions in current building codes.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2016
ISO releases national assessment and state-by-state building codes evaluation
Report covers 87% of U.S. population.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2016
Huge fraud case involving alleged engineering impostors uncovered in California
Hundreds of buildings may have to be demolished.
Codes and Standards | Feb 11, 2016
New York governor makes emergency design-build authorization
The declaration was issued in response to Winter Storm Jonas which dumped over 18 inches of snow in parts of the state.
Green | Jan 29, 2016
USGBC names top 10 states for LEED green building
Illinois leads the list for the third straight year.