WELL Building Standard v2 (International WELL Building Institute)

Provide healthy indoor air through fundamental air quality thresholds for particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, and radon, with ongoing measurement and ventilation effectiveness verification.

• Independent indoor air quality test report against WELL thresholds
• Mechanical ventilation design calculations meeting ASHRAE 62.1
• Carbon dioxide and PM monitor placement plan
• Continuous monitoring data export
• Air handling unit maintenance log

• Spot testing only without continuous monitors
• Ventilation rates below ASHRAE
• Radon not tested in slab-on-grade buildings
• Monitors in atypical locations bias readings

Prohibit smoking and vaping inside the building and within a defined exterior buffer (typically 7.5 metres) from operable windows, entrances, and air intakes, with signage, enforcement procedures, and lease language covering tenants.

• Building smoke-free policy
• Signage location plan
• Lease and HR policy clauses
• Enforcement incident log
• Site plan showing buffer zones

• Vaping not explicitly prohibited
• Buffer zone too small near entrances
• No enforcement procedure
• Signage faded or removed

Establish fundamental indoor air quality standards including ventilation, filtration, and pollutant thresholds for occupied spaces.

• Air quality test reports
• Pollutant monitoring log
• Filtration specification

• No baseline testing
• Missing pollutants
• No remediation plan

Prohibit indoor smoking and restrict outdoor smoking near building entrances, operable windows, and air intakes.

• Smoking policy
• Signage inventory
• Compliance audit

• Inconsistent enforcement
• No outdoor zoning
• Missing signage

Design and maintain ventilation systems to deliver adequate outdoor air supply and distribution to all occupied spaces.

• Ventilation design docs
• Commissioning report
• Maintenance log

• Undersized ventilation
• No commissioning
• Missing maintenance

Implement enhanced filtration, source control, and air cleaning strategies to reduce indoor pollutant concentrations.

• Enhanced filtration plan
• MERV ratings
• Activated carbon spec

• Low-grade filters
• No carbon stage
• Bypass leakage

Per WELL Building Standard v2 (International WELL Building Institute): Air, Water, Nourishment. Source-grounded summary control covering authoritative framework structure + key obligations. See manifest + log for detailed mapping.

• Authoritative source-grounded evidence for WELLV-1

• see authoritative source for detailed gap analysis

Promote occupant health through ongoing health benefits, preventive screenings, immunisation access, lactation rooms, family leave policies, and inclusion of contractor and visitor wellbeing in policies and amenities.

• Health insurance and benefits summary
• On site or referred screening uptake
• Immunisation campaign records (annual flu)
• Lactation room access policy and inventory
• Parental and family leave policy

• Benefits available only to full time staff
• Contractors excluded from health programmes
• Lactation room shared with other uses
• Leave below national best practice

Maintain emergency preparedness plans for fire, natural hazard, active threat, medical emergency, and infectious disease, with documented procedures, training, drills, automated external defibrillators, and clear communication channels.

• Emergency preparedness plan
• Annual drill records
• AED placement plan and maintenance log
• First aid training records
• Pandemic readiness plan with infection control measures

• Drills not include all occupants
• AEDs not visible or maintained
• First aid coverage gaps on night shift
• Pandemic plan not updated post 2022

Maintain documentation supporting all pursued WELL features including narrative descriptions, drawings, specifications, policies, training records, and performance test results, organised in IWBI digital platform for assessor review.

• WELLonline submittal package
• Feature by feature documentation index
• Records retention policy covering WELL evidence
• Internal pre-submission review records
• Recertification documentation refresh log

• Documentation incomplete at submission
• Policies referenced but not attached
• Photos do not show feature implementation
• Documentation not updated for recertification

Engage a WELL Performance Testing Agent to conduct on site verification of measurable performance features including air quality, water quality, lighting, thermal, acoustic, and other parameters at certification and recertification.

• WELL Performance Testing Agent assignment
• Sampling plan signed off by IWBI
• Performance test report covering all measurable features
• Recertification cycle calendar (every 3 years)
• Corrective action plan for any failing measures

• Sampling locations not representative
• Failed measures not retested after remediation
• Recertification date missed
• Testing agent qualifications not verified

Pursue innovation features that go beyond prescribed WELL requirements through novel strategies, new research evidence, or alternative compliance paths, documented and submitted for WELL review with measurable health outcomes.

• Innovation feature narrative
• Supporting research citations
• Outcome measurement plan
• IWBI approval correspondence
• Sharing of lessons learned with WELL community

• Innovation lacks evidence base
• Outcome measurement not planned upfront
• IWBI feedback not addressed
• Innovation not maintained over time

Provide lighting that supports visual acuity and task performance, including illuminance levels appropriate to task, glare control, colour rendering index above 80, and balanced surface brightness ratios across work surfaces and walls.

• Lighting design calculations showing lux at task plane
• Glare assessment (UGR) for typical workstations
• CRI specifications for all luminaires
• Daylight integration design
• Post-occupancy lighting measurements

• Task lighting below 300 lux
• Glare from west windows uncontrolled
• CRI below 80 in legacy fittings
• Daylight not balanced with electric light

Provide lighting that supports circadian health through sufficient daytime exposure to bright, blue-rich light and reduced evening exposure, measured as equivalent melanopic lux (EML) at eye level during occupied hours.

• Circadian lighting calculations showing EML at eye level (vertical plane)
• Tunable white lighting specifications
• Lighting schedule mapped to occupied hours
• Daylight contribution analysis
• Post-occupancy EML measurements

• EML calculated at task plane not eye level
• Static lighting without tunable control
• Evening light not dimmed
• Daylight blocked by window film

Per WELL Building Standard v2 (International WELL Building Institute): Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort. Source-grounded summary control covering authoritative framework structure + key obligations. See manifest + log for detailed mapping.

• Authoritative source-grounded evidence for WELLV-2

• see authoritative source for detailed gap analysis

Restrict use of hazardous materials in building products including asbestos, lead, mercury, PCBs, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, perfluorinated compounds, and formaldehyde, with documentation tracing material composition through the supply chain.

• Building material inventory with chemical content disclosure (HPD, Declare label)
• Asbestos and lead survey for existing buildings
• Restricted substances list shared with suppliers
• Material safety data sheets archive
• Site inspection records confirming compliant materials installed

• HPDs not collected for all materials
• Asbestos survey older than 10 years
• Restricted list not in contracts
• Substitutions not vetted during construction

Use cleaning products certified as low hazard (Green Seal, EcoLogo, EPA Safer Choice) and equipment with HEPA filtration where appropriate, with training of cleaning staff, dilution control, and a cleaning plan covering high touch surfaces.

• Approved cleaning product list with certifications
• Cleaning plan with frequencies by area
• Dilution control system documentation
• Cleaning staff training records
• HEPA vacuum specifications

• Disinfectants used for routine cleaning unnecessarily
• Dilution control absent leading to overuse
• Cleaning staff not trained on certified products
• High touch surfaces not on enhanced schedule

Provide mental health support including access to counselling through employee assistance programmes, mental health first aid training for managers, anti stigma campaigns, and quiet spaces for restoration during the workday.

• Employee assistance programme contract and utilisation reports
• Mental health first aid training records
• Anti stigma campaign materials
• Restorative space design and access policy
• Annual employee wellbeing survey results

• EAP utilisation very low, indicating awareness gap
• First aid training limited to HR
• Restorative space used for storage
• Survey results not actioned

Provide programmes and environmental supports for stress management and resilience including mindfulness training, biophilic design elements, nature views, regenerative break areas, and policies promoting work life balance.

• Mindfulness or stress management programme records
• Biophilic design inventory (plants, water, natural materials)
• Window view assessment showing nature access
• Right to disconnect policy
• Workload monitoring data

• Programmes optional and unattended
• Biophilic elements ornamental without behavioural impact
• Window views obstructed
• Right to disconnect not enforced

Per WELL Building Standard v2 (International WELL Building Institute): Mind, Community, Innovations. Source-grounded summary control covering authoritative framework structure + key obligations. See manifest + log for detailed mapping.

• Authoritative source-grounded evidence for WELLV-4

• see authoritative source for detailed gap analysis

Design and operate the building to encourage physical activity including visible and accessible stairs, walkable paths, active workstations, and on site fitness amenities, with policies supporting active commuting and breaks.

• Floor plans showing stair locations and visibility
• Stair signage and motivational messaging
• Bike storage and shower facility inventory
• Active workstation (sit-stand) policy
• Fitness facility access records

• Stairs hidden behind doors with no signage
• Bike parking below WELL minimum
• Sit-stand desks not provided to all
• Fitness facility paid extra

Increase access to fruits and vegetables in cafeterias, vending, meetings, and events, with documented procurement standards, labelling, and pricing strategies that make produce visible, available, and competitively priced.

• Food service procurement standards
• Menu analysis showing produce frequency
• Vending machine product mix
• Pricing comparison of produce versus processed items
• Catering policy for meetings

• Vending dominated by processed snacks
• Produce more expensive than alternatives
• Catering defaults unhealthy
• No measurement of produce consumption

Provide clear nutritional information including calories, macronutrients, sodium, sugar, and allergens on all foods and beverages sold or served in the building, with allergen handling procedures and labelling for special diets.

• Menu labels with calories and nutrients
• Allergen control plan
• Food handler training records on allergens
• Special diet (vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free) availability
• Customer-facing ingredient lists

• Calories listed but no other nutrients
• Allergen cross contamination procedures weak
• Special diets limited
• Ingredients hidden behind QR code

Manage acoustic conditions including background noise, reverberation, sound isolation between spaces, and impact noise, with measurements meeting WELL thresholds for the space type (open office, focus rooms, meeting rooms).

• Acoustic design report
• Background noise measurements (NC or NR levels)
• Reverberation time measurements per space
• Sound isolation (STC/NIC) test results
• Sound masking system commissioning records

• Background noise too low for open office, increasing distraction
• Reverberation exceeds threshold in hard surfaced rooms
• Sound isolation gaps at door undercuts
• Masking system off in some zones

Per WELL Building Standard v2 (International WELL Building Institute): Sound, Materials. Source-grounded summary control covering authoritative framework structure + key obligations. See manifest + log for detailed mapping.

• Authoritative source-grounded evidence for WELLV-3

• see authoritative source for detailed gap analysis

Maintain thermal conditions within comfort ranges defined by ASHRAE 55, including air temperature, mean radiant temperature, humidity, and air speed, with occupant control over local conditions and post-occupancy thermal comfort surveys.

• ASHRAE 55 compliance documentation
• Thermal zoning plan
• Operable window count and local control devices
• Occupant thermal comfort survey results
• BMS thermal data trends

• Single zone serving many occupants
• No occupant control
• Humidity not actively controlled
• Surveys not acted upon

Ensure drinking water meets quality thresholds for microbiological contaminants, lead, copper, arsenic, disinfection byproducts, and other inorganic and organic contaminants, with periodic testing and lead-free fixtures throughout occupied spaces.

• Quarterly water quality test reports from accredited laboratory
• Lead-free fixture certifications (NSF/ANSI 372)
• Water filtration system specifications
• Plumbing material inventory
• Legionella management plan

• Testing at building inlet only, not at point of use
• Lead-free certification missing for older fixtures
• Legionella plan absent for cooling towers
• Test cadence below quarterly

Implement a water management plan addressing Legionella risk in plumbing systems, cooling towers, hot tubs, decorative fountains, and humidifiers, with routine sampling, temperature control, and remediation procedures.

• ASHRAE 188 compliant water management plan
• Legionella sampling results
• Hot water temperature logs (above 60C storage)
• Cooling tower treatment records
• Stagnation flushing schedule

• Plan exists but not maintained
• Sampling not done after construction or shutdown
• Hot water temperature below 60C
• No flushing of low-use fixtures