VIDEO: What Jack Noonan loves most about his job with International WELL Building Institute is the way creative ideas can seed a faster, stronger, and better flow of ideas to the entire organisation.
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For our latest podcast/interview, Jack Noonan jumped on to tell us what’s happening in the world of healthy buildings.
These days he’s senior vice president, APAC, at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and has spent a lot of time travelling around the region and nurturing phenomenal growth for the organisation that we reported first when it was but a wee, fledgling ideal of a thing.
Since then, it’s developed in concept, tone and size and Noonan is unabashed when he says he’s got the “best job in the world”.
What he loves the most is the inspiring way that people come up with to make the workplace a better place. The ideas then make their way back to Aus and out to the broader group.
He’s particularly proud of the Well Equity Rating, which was born from the organisation’s desire for a way to achieve gender equality, equitable organisational performance, and the equitable design of spaces as a whole.
He said people often think of healthy buildings as having good air quality, lighting, acoustics, or food, but many don’t consider how policies or space can drive equitable outcomes. A common example was how the design of lighting or acoustics could drive more neuro-inclusive spaces, which is something the institute has “really leaned into”.
Noonan said he was particularly impressed with a pharmaceutical company in Australia that introduced a prayer room so one of its managers could practice their faith, despite being the only Muslim at the company.
The manager said he’d previously have to go to his car or find some other uncomfortable space to pray and now felt seen and acknowledged by his workplace.
The co-operative spirit in Australian property is “WELL” and growing
According to Noonan, Australia is a standout when it comes to WELL building ratings due to how competitive and collaborative the real estate market is.
“When one of them does something, they often share that story with others…it has really driven the real estate market from a healthy buildings and WELL perspective in Australia.
“Every year, we continue to see another major, big developer or building owner engage in what we call our WELL at scale program, which is a way …to WELL to not just one development…but across their entire portfolio of buildings – that is the way we’ve increased market uptake so significantly.”
But there’s a price to pay for the competitive spirit. While in many parts of APAC, more buildings are achieving silver certifications, in Australia “the market has become so ambitious that it’s platinum, gold or nothing”.
