Two of the most popular certifications: LEED and WELL Building.
Want an office that’s better for people and the planet? You’re in luck: sustainability is a hot topic right now, and that means more options than ever. One available tool to manage your project’s sustainability goals is certification through an accredited organization. There are a variety of organizations that have developed guidelines for responsible design, each with its own focus and scientifically-backed criteria. However, choosing the certification that best meets your project’s needs can be difficult. To help you make the right call for your space, we’re going over two of the most popular certifications: LEED and WELL Building.
LEED and WELL both offer a framework for improved building standards.
However, they differ in focus: LEED standards are geared toward reducing environmental impact and energy consumption, while WELL Building standards are designed to ensure a healthy environment for those who use the building. There is some overlap between the two, but it’s important to choose the approach that best suits your project’s needs.
WELL Building certification
WELL’s goal is to promote the well-being of occupants by creating what they call “people-first places.” Going beyond the typical health and safety requirements, WELL-certified spaces must meet high standards for air and water quality, eye-friendly lighting, and other factors that impact users’ wellness. These standards impact all five senses – from improving acoustics and thermal comfort, to avoiding the use of harmful chemicals that can become airborne, and even ensuring access to healthy food and movement.
WELL Building certification is often a good choice for healthcare and lab applications, as well as other spaces where people spend long hours indoors. However, WELL Building standards can be applied to practically any space to provide a better, healthier experience for users.
WELL Building certification
WELL’s goal is to promote the well-being of occupants by creating what they call “people-first places.” Going beyond the typical health and safety requirements, WELL-certified spaces must meet high standards for air and water quality, eye-friendly lighting, and other factors that impact users’ wellness. These standards impact all five senses – from improving acoustics and thermal comfort, to avoiding the use of harmful chemicals that can become airborne, and even ensuring access to healthy food and movement.
WELL Building certification is often a good choice for healthcare and lab applications, as well as other spaces where people spend long hours indoors. However, WELL Building standards can be applied to practically any space to provide a better, healthier experience for users.
Leed Building certification
LEED, on the other hand, is designed to provide a framework for environmentally-conscious building. Within this framework, there are several sets of criteria based on the type of project. This means that new builds and major renovations, interior fit-outs, residential builds, and even entire cities can qualify for LEED certification. While many LEED criteria are focused on reducing energy consumption, projects can earn points toward their certification by ensuring access to transit, protecting local wildlife, and many other actions that help reduce the impact of construction.
Fortunately, making choices that are better for the planet often turns out to be better for people, and vice versa. For example, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) in the air are harmful to both human and environmental health – and maximizing natural light reduces energy use while promoting a healthy circadian rhythm. A skilled team can even optimize your project to qualify for both certifications. Whatever route you choose, it’s important to have people with experience and knowledge on your side – like our team here at Cox & Company.
ABOUT COX & COMPANY
Cox & Company is a leading full-service commercial construction firm offering general contracting and construction management services in the Atlanta area. We specialize in building and renovating best-in-class interior spaces through our experienced leadership, field staff and highly qualified subcontractors. Our project portfolio ranges from simple interior finishes to complex, multi-phased projects across many specialized and technical market sectors and industries. At our core, we strive to build long-term relationships through hard work, integrity and first-class customer service. With the unique ability to understand every phase of the construction process, we collaborate with our clients to define and execute a plan to reach their specific business goals. Our team takes every project personally and provides expert insight along the way to help businesses make decisions that will benefit them long after the project is complete.