BRE and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) have released ‘a new, improved briefing paper’ that outlines how projects may achieve both a certified BREEAM rating and WELL Certification.
The updated document, ‘Assessing Health and Wellbeing in Buildings - Alignment between BREEAM and the WELL Building Standard’, was developed as part of a commitment to continuous improvement by IWBI and BRE using industry feedback from professionals working to achieve joint certification of BREEAM and the WELL Building Standard (WELL).
To simplify the process for project teams pursuing both standards, BRE and IWBI have worked together to compare performance requirements, harmonise evidence, and identify opportunities to streamline the process of achieving dual certification.
Specific improvements and enhancements to the guidance include instructions for projects that clarify how to use the ‘crosswalk’ (Crosswalks show people where to put the data from one scheme into a different scheme), minor amendments to the alignments and overlaps between the two standards, and a simplified labelling system.
Additionally, the project types and schemes for both certification programmes have expanded. Extra guidance is now included for core and shell projects targeting dual certification, to ensure that all WELL project types – ‘New and Existing Buildings’, ‘New and Existing Interiors’ and ‘Core & Shell’ – ‘have a clear roadmap forward’. BREEAM schemes in the crosswalk include BREEAM New Construction UK and International, BREEAM Refurbishment & Fit Out, BREEAM-In-Use, and BREEAM USA –In-Use.
IWBI chairman and CEO, Rick Fedrizzi, said: “Our friends working to deliver sustainable, healthy buildings in the UK and Europe have given us specific and thoughtful input that helped inform this update. We’re pleased to continue our collaboration with BREEAM to make it easier for project teams to link their sustainability initiatives to WELL.”
“We welcome this feedback from the early adopters of the crosswalk,” added Alan Yates, technical director of BREEAM. “Since its development over 25 years ago health and wellbeing factors like air quality, lighting, ventilation, and ecology, have been a key part of the BREEAM standard. WELL introduces further complementary factors and post-occupancy measurement. We look forward to working together to drive further progress in delivering a built environment that enhances the lives of people and the planet.”
Originally published in January 2017, the document ‘demonstrates the significant synergies between the two methods, and the efficiencies that exist between their assessment and certification processes’. It highlights the BREEAM credits that can be used to demonstrate compliance with WELL features and, conversely, the WELL features that can be used to demonstrate compliance with BREEAM assessment issues.
WELL is a global standard and addresses a number of issues already covered by regulations in the UK and across the EU; the document thus also sets out the areas where WELL requirements are aligned with UK and/or EU regulations.
BRE describes BREEAM as ‘the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for masterplanning projects, infrastructure, and buildings’. It is now applied in 77 countries worldwide, with over 2.2 million buildings registered under its schemes.
This work ‘forms a part of an ongoing collaboration between BRE and IWBI to work together to harmonise their approach to health and wellbeing in the built environment across their standards, research programmes, and services generally’.
