The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) will further push for building occupant wellbeing with a new rating tool aimed at the continuous monitoring and adaptation of health metrics including indoor air quality, lighting levels, and noise.
The WELL Performance Rating will reward building operators for monitoring the health and well-being of their tenants and actively enhancing conditions based on those insights.
To develop the rating, the IWBI consulted with a range of smart building industry leaders including Australian company, Cognian Technologies, alongside industry heavyweights, Carrier, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric, and Trane Technologies.
Cognian is the developer of Syncromesh, described as a wireless “plug and play” system for new and existing buildings to monitor and control lighting, HVAC and other building assets, as well as enabling data gathering and optimisation.
“We developed the Syncromesh smart building wireless canopy with the aim of enabling all buildings – new and existing – to be smart and human-centred,” Cognian chief executive and co-founder Mark Blum said.
“As employers look to attract employees away from the comfort of the home environment and back into the office, big areas of focus in the Australian market are occupancy analytics and optimising indoor air quality.
“To have people return to buildings, they need to be safe and foster wellbeing. Building owners and managers also need to emphasise smart technology and wellness initiatives in order to differentiate their spaces.”
IWBI’s new designation joins a growing suite of WELL ratings that include the WELL Health-Safety Rating and the forthcoming WELL Health Equity Rating. Each can be achieved on its own or as a stepping stone to WELL Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum Certification.