Version 2 of WELL Building Standard Explained

The Well Building Standard was first created back in 2014 in a move designed to harness the positive elements from nature and bring their virtuous elements into indoor spaces. This something we’re very focused on at Varming Consulting Engineers and we’re here to tell you about an update to the standard.

Well Building Standard Version 2 has been launched and it’s of great interest to M&E consulting engineers, as it seeks to build upon the good work of the original version. In this blog, we look at what the updates mean for building design and the wider global construction industry.

So, What’s Changed?

The driving force behind version 2 of the WELL Building Standard was a desire to reduce entry barriers, as well as providing leadership to building services design consultants, architects and all parties within the construction industry. It was also designed to help the standard evolve to meet the requirements of any building in any area of the globe.

The new version was designed to improve:

• Equity – providing benefit to the most people possible, including all economic and demographic groups
• Global application – providing feasible interventions for many international applications
• Evidence-based conclusions – through validated research that are acceptable to the scientific community
• Resilience – providing the ability to respond and adapt to breakthroughs in science and technology
• Consistency – By allowing proven strategies and best practice to be drawn upon on a widespread basis
• Stakeholder engagement – by creating a dynamic process that full utilises the expertise of leaders of business, medicine, design and operations and allowing more opportunities for engagement

The ultimate goal of the WELL Building Standard is to create buildings that not only keep us healthy, but that support us and help us to be better and work to our full potential. The launch of version 2 is an attempt to take the objectives to the next level and make it widely available across the world.

Identifying Opportunities to Support Health

The task of creating buildings that have little or no impact on the local environment and that support the health and wellbeing of those inside is an ongoing one. The great work being done to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry continues unabated and bodies like the WELL Building Standard only serve to drive that objective forward. WELL Building seeks to create spaces that allow us to thrive, rather than simply be healthy and that is something everyone can get behind.

If you would like to know more about anything described here or about the great work being done by Varming Consulting Engineers, we recommend you take a look at our website www.varming.ie where you will find a wealth of information. However, if you would like to talk to us directly about your project, call our Dublin HQ today on +353 (0)1 4872300 and our friendly team will be able to answer any questions you might have.