Manufacturer's Guide to WELL

As the global adoption of WELL continues to accelerate, product manufacturers have a unique opportunity to deliver new value to their clients and tap into a rapidly expanding market. If you’re a product manufacturer and want to learn how your products can support WELL requirements, check out our Manufacturer’s Guide to WELL.

The Manufacturer’s Guide to WELL

Reference the below guide to learn more about the features within each WELL concept that are relevant to the selection and production of furniture, flooring and other building materials. This guide also provides a comparison between WELL v1 and WELL v2 pilot as well as between WELL v2 pilot and WELL v2 to demonstrate the even greater opportunities for your product with the more recent iterations of our standard.

Please note that WELL requirements cover the performance of materials, not the performance of the individual products or brands. Products that can be used to satisfy the WELL performance criteria can only contribute toward earning points required for WELL Certification; they cannot be said to earn points toward WELL Certification on their own.

We value the input and participation of manufacturers in supporting our shared mission to advance healthier people through better spaces.

FURNITURE & FLOORING MANUFACTURERS

• WELL v1
• WELL v2 pilot
  • LIGHT
    • Optimizations:
    • Feature L06 Visual Balance, part 1
      • To create lighting environments that enhance visual comfort, this feature requires projects to develop and implement strategies that take into account the light sources used in a space and create a visually comfortable lighting environment.
  • MOVEMENT
    • Preconditions:
    • Feature V02 Visual and Physical Ergonomics, parts 1 - 4
      • To reduce physical strain and injury as well as improve ergonomic comfort, workplace safety and general well-being, this feature requires projects to provide basic ergonomic workstation furnishings for desk- and standing-based workstations and education about workplace risk factors, signs and symptoms of discomfort, ergonomic policies and available furnishings.
    • Optimizations:
    • V07 Active Furnishings, part 1
      • To discourage prolonged sitting and sedentary behavior, this feature requires projects to provide occupants access to traditional sit-stand desks and active workstations such as treadmill or cycle desks.
  • MATERIALS
    • Preconditions:
    • Feature X01 Fundamental Material Precautions, parts 1 - 3
      • To reduce or eliminate human exposure to building materials known to be hazardous, this feature requires the restriction of ingredient components in newly installed building materials, specifically the restriction of asbestos, mercury-containing lamps and lead in plumbing products and paint.
    • Optimizations:
    • Feature X08 Hazardous Material Reduction, part 1
      • To reduce or eliminate exposure to hazardous heavy metals and phthalates found in building materials, this feature requires the restriction of heavy metals in various building materials and products, including furniture and furnishings and electrical components.
    • Feature X10 Volatile Compound Reduction, parts 1 - 3
      • To minimize the impact of hazardous volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs) on indoor air quality, this feature requires the restriction of hazardous VOC and SVOC compounds, halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), urea-formaldehyde and select phthalates commonly used in building materials and products.
    • Feature X13 Enhanced Material Precaution, part 1
      • To minimize the impact of hazardous building material ingredients on indoor air quality, protect the environment, protect the health of workers and help support the demand for safer chemical alternatives, this feature requires screening and labeling of products in accordance with programs such as Declare: Living Building Challenge Compliant and Cradle to Cradle Certified™ that restrict the use of hazardous ingredient contents in materials and products.
    • Feature X14 Material Transparency, part 1
      • To promote material transparency across building material and product supply chains, this feature requires the compilation and availability of product descriptions, with ingredients evaluated and disclosed down to 1,000 ppm, through transparency labels.

AIR

• Feature 4, part 5
  - To minimize the effect of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in building materials on indoor air quality, this feature outlines VOC emissions requirements for furniture and furnishings.​​
• Feature 11, part 1
  - To reduce or eliminate occupant exposure to hazardous materials, this feature outlines restrictions and abatement strategies pertaining to lead, asbestos, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Optimizations:

• Features 25, parts 1-3, 5
  - To minimize impact of hazardous building material chemicals on indoor air quality and support the health of manufacturing and maintenance workers, this feature outlines limitations or restrictions on ingredients such as perfluorinated compounds, flame retardants, phthalate (plasticizers), isocyanate-based polyurethane, and urea-formaldehyde.

• Feature 26, part 1
  - To minimize the impact of hazardous building material ingredients on indoor air quality and help support the health manufacturing and maintenance workers, this feature outlines requirements for voluntary product screening programs for 25% of all furnishings, built-in furniture, interior finishes, and finish materials (calculated by cost).

• Feature 28, part 1

  • To reduce occupant exposure to pathogens on high-touch surfaces, this feature outlines requirements for material properties and cleanability.

LIGHT
Optimizations:

• Features 59
  • To increase overall room brightness through reflected light from room surfaces and avoiding glare, this feature outlines requirements for light reflectance values (LRV) for ceilings, walls, and furniture systems.

FITNESS
Optimizations:

• Features 71
  • To reduce sedentary behavior by making active workstations readily available to occupants, this feature outlines requirements to incorporate active workstations and standing desks.

COMFORT

• Feature 73, part 2
  - To reduce physical strain and maximize ergonomics and safety, this feature outlines requirements for screen, desk, and seat flexibility, including the provisions of at least 30% of workstations with the ability to alternate between sitting and standing positions through various combinations.
• Feature 80, part 2c
  - To reduce sound reverberation and maintain comfortable sound levels though absorptive ceiling and wall surfaces, this feature outlines requirements for noise reduction coefficients (NRC) for ceilings and walls. Flooring, furniture, and furnishings can contribute to spatial acoustic levels.

MIND
Optimizations:

• Feature 97
  • To promote material transparency along the supply chain, this feature outlines transparency and accessibility to material ingredient exposures.

FLOORING MANUFACTURERS

AIR
Preconditions:

• Feature 4, part 3
  • To minimize the effect of VOCs in building materials on indoor air quality, this Feature outlines VOC emissions requirements for flooring.
• Feature 11, part 1
  • To reduce or eliminate occupant exposure to hazardous materials, this Feature outlines restrictions and abatement strategies pertaining to lead, asbestos, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
• Feature 25, parts 2-3
  • To minimize impact of hazardous building material chemicals on indoor air quality and help support the health of manufacturing and maintenance workers, this feature outlines limitations or restrictions on ingredients such as perfluorinated compounds, flame retardants, phthalate (plasticizers), isocyanate-based polyurethane, and urea-formaldehyde.
• Feature 26, part 1
  - To minimize the impact of hazardous building material ingredients on indoor air quality and help support the health manufacturing and maintenance workers, this feature outlines requirements for voluntary product screening programs for 25% of all furnishings, built-in furniture, interior finishes, and finish materials (calculated by cost).
• Feature 28, part 2
  • To reduce occupant exposure to pathogens on high-touch surfaces, this feature outlines requirements for material properties and cleanability.

MIND
Optimizations:

• Feature 88, part 2
  • To nurture the innate human-nature connection within the project, this feature outlines opportunities for flooring, furniture, furnishings to contribute to overall biophilic design and natural pattern incorporation strategies.
• Feature 97
  • To promote material transparency along the supply chain, this feature outlines transparency and accessibility to material ingredient exposures.

CONTRIBUTING FEATURE SET

Separate to WELL features with explicit requirements for product specifications, furniture and flooring can also contribute to the achievement of several other WELL features. Below is a list of features where furniture and flooring products can indirectly support the achievement beyond the previously listed feature set.

AIR
Preconditions:

• Feature 1, part 1
  • To promote a basic level of high indoor air quality, this feature outlines performance-based thresholds for several categories of air pollutants. Material selection within flooring, furniture, and furnishing can contribute to overall indoor air quality.

COMFORT
Optimizations:

• Feature 80
  • To reduce sound reverberation and maintain comfortable sound levels through absorptive ceilings and wall surfaces, this feature outlines requirements for noise reduction coefficients (NRC) for ceilings and walls. Flooring, furniture, and furnishings can contribute to spatial acoustic levels

MIND
Precondition:

• Feature 87
  • To promote occupant comfort and spatial familiarity by designing spacious, familiar and aesthetically appealing spaces, this feature outlines requirements for ceiling height, artwork, and spatial familiarity and furniture and flooring can contribute to these overall strategies.

INNOVATION
Optimizations:

• Feature 101 to 105
  • To promote the continuous evolution of the standard by enabling projects to propose a new feature that addresses health and wellness in a novel way.

Does your product meet the requirements of WELL features? Please review the below excerpts from our
trademark guidelines before creating marketing or promotional materials.

Logos on product packaging
The International WELL Building Institute^TM (“IWBI^TM”) does not review, certify or endorse products. As such, trademarked logos may not be used to indicate any kind of endorsement by IWBI of any product or service, to indicate that any official status for any product or service has been conferred by, or is otherwise associated with IWBI. Logos may not be placed on product packaging under any circumstances.

Referencing the WELL Building Standard in product literature
Manufacturers may reference the WELL Building Standard in their product literature, provided that the language does not state or imply endorsement by IWBI or the WELL Building Standard. The language must clearly acknowledge that WELL requirements cover the performance of materials, not the performance of the individual products or brands. Products that can be used to satisfy the WELL performance criteria can only contribute toward earning points required for WELL Certification; they cannot be said to earn points toward WELL Certification on their own.

Do Say:

• Product ‘A’ contributes toward satisfying Feature # under the WELL Building Standard®

DON’T SAY:

• Product ‘A’ is WELL Certified, qualified, compliant, accredited, approved.
  -"WELL Certified Product”
• Product ‘A’ meets, satisfies, fulfills, complies with Feature #.

Keep in touch! In 2018, we will be convening advisories to formally solicit the feedback from the manufacturing community that will be used to inform the next evolution of WELL.