From Tampa to Brisbane: Four buildings that prove the future of global buildings is WELL
Optimum health and wellness is a right, not a privilege. At the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), our work and our passion is rooted in advancing and supporting human health through thoughtfully, healthfully designed buildings: the places where people spend the majority of their time each and every day. The WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, from the food we eat to the air we breathe.
Building WELL around the world
Last year, IWBI launched the WELL Building Standard in the United States, Canada, Europe, Qatar, India, China and Australia, and witnessed rapid adoption with projects registering in 14 different countries around the world. And this momentum continues to grow. I just returned from five weeks of travel to over 20 international cities in countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, China and more, where I witnessed first-hand WELL being embraced all over the world.
We believe in wellness for all, and a universal approach to advancing health-focused buildings and environments for people everywhere. Take a look at how innovative WELL buildings around the world are advancing human health in different countries, climates and cultures.
480 Queen Street – Brisbane, Australia
480 Queen Street brings green roofs to new heights: one of its health-based design elements includes a rooftop tree grove, offering building occupants spectacular views, as well as convenient access to greenery and nature. The building also bridges the gap between workplace and environment with an innovative 1,400-square meter in-building park. With people at the heart of its design principles, 480 Queen Street is raising the bar for the office work environment in Australia. In addition to its substantial focus on green space, the building fosters flexibility and collaboration with numerous open areas to work, mingle, create and connect. A flexible, activity-based workplace, 480 Queen Street is a market leader in energy efficiency, environmental performance and support for human health.
The greenhouse at Paharpur Business Center, where PBC’s air-purifying plants are grown.
The Paharpur Business Center – Delhi, India
The 25-year old Paharpur Business Centre (PBC) is one of the healthiest office buildings in Delhi and a leading model for indoor air quality (IAQ) in the region. Delhi has the worst air quality of any major city in the world, so PBC is focused on improving IAQ by ensuring mountain fresh air ambience for its building occupants. With the help of more than 1,500 air-purifying plants, PBC is able to grow its own fresh air. This system improves the health and wellness of occupants by improving their lung function, reducing overall number of sick days for employees and increasing worker productivity level.
Yuanyang Tianjiao – Guangzhou, China
Sino-Ocean Land is deeply committed to developing wellness-centered human habitats across China. Sino-Ocean and IWBI have partnered together to promote health and wellness in China by transforming indoor environments into spaces that help nurture, sustain and promote human health and well-being. Sino-Ocean’s Yuanyang Tianjiao is the first mixed-use complex to pursue WELL Certification in China. A truly remarkable development designed to be a livable community, Yuangyang Tianjiao totals nearly 1.4 million square feet and is part of Sino-Ocean’s larger Guangzhou Tianjiao project, which totals nearly 2.5 million square feet. Yuanyang Tianjiao will play an incredibly important and ongoing role in Guangzhou and China’s rapidly evolving future.
WELL Certified City District – Tampa, Florida
WELL’s principles extend beyond buildings – and in the case of Tampa, they’ll span 40 consecutive acres. At the 2015 Clinton Global Initiative, we announced a partnership to create the world’s first WELL Certified city district, a 40-acre urban mixed-use development project in Tampa that will create a roadmap for how cities worldwide can be designed and developed to support public health. Since more than half of all people in the world now live in cities, modern city planning plays an incredibly important role in ensuring health and wellness for all.
What’s next for health and wellness in our built environment?
Wellness is a global right, and IWBI is focused on making WELL’s principles accessible around the world. Since environmental and climate conditions, codes, standards, regulations and cultural context vary across our global geography, IWBI is working to recognize these differences while still achieving the same outcome: healthier indoor spaces, buildings and communities for all.
If your project needs assistance implementing a local feature in WELL, connect with us.
To learn more about how you can share your insights and expertise, please read Three Ways to Further Global Health and Wellness with WELL.
Paul Scialla is founder of the International WELL Building Institute.
