WELL AP Jason Li is transforming workplace interior architecture

Droning printers echo down beige plaster halls. Fluorescent lights ping and crackle overhead. In a long stretch of cubicles woven like a patchwork labyrinth, it sounds both loud and quiet at the same time. You’ve likely seen it a thousand times before: the traditional office space.

But around the world, WELL Accredited Professionals (WELL APs) like Jason Li, the lead interior architect of M Moser’s Building Experience Modeling ecosystem in Singapore, are implementing new ways to inspire and stimulate productivity and enthusiasm in the workplace—all with an emphasis on organizational health and wellness.

“I’ve seen many offices—but I’ve yet to see many workplaces,” Li says. “To me, a workplace is where minds come together. It’s not a weekly 40-hour fixed location, piled up with boring tasks to accomplish—it’s a place for creativity, passion and collaboration. To ensure all these things can happen, we must provide our people with the tools they need. The internet is a tool, IT infrastructure is a tool, and that means that the physical space must also be a tool.”

To tackle the wellness question, Li turned to the WELL AP credential in his effort to transform traditional offices spaces into something more.

The WELL AP journey

For architects like Li, the WELL AP will help highlight and implement design strategies from the International WELL Building Institute’s (IWBI’s) globally recognized WELL Building Standard. The credential shows a commitment to advancing human health and wellness in buildings and communities through evidence-based interventions and design best practices backed by a compendium of research.

Li first discovered the WELL AP after working as an interior architect for several years. A colleague, Dr. Christine Bruckner, visited Singapore to share information about the scope and concepts found in the WELL Building Standard.

“I was no different from other designers, believing aesthetics to be the priority of design. But as time went by and I gained more experience, I realized that aesthetics can only be one of many key factors—but not the only one,” Li says. “Just a few projects into my work at M Moser Associates, I started revisiting the question that had bothered me for three years: What are we designing for? We create workplaces that change peoples’ behaviors and attitudes. It’s an ecosystem, and people must be at the core of everything.”

Images: Jason is a keen presenter and WELL Faculty member; with his M Moser colleagues, including Dr. Christine Bruckner.

Deciding to get started, Li uncovered concepts and strategies to support better air quality, movement, access to nature and mental well-being—among many others—so he could incorporate an added dimension of health and wellness into his design projects. Since then, he’s encouraged his team members and colleagues to join the movement.

“The WELL standards have encouraged us to continuously rethink our planning, design, detailing and validation processes to address future operations and maintenance needs from the outset. The end result is an aesthetically beautiful workplace in which occupants feel healthier, happier and more productive,” Li says.

Images: Jason shares his expertise in a workshop and as part of a panel.

More than just a credential

Beyond changing his outlook for design, the WELL AP helped Li in other areas of his life—even his relationship with his mother.

“On a personal level, my communication with my mother has simply leveled up after I became a WELL AP. You know, typical Chinese parents love to share articles like “eat these 10 things and you’ll be healthier,” etc. Now I’m the one guiding her on how to read nutrition and organic labels,” Li laughs.

Li’s personal relationships have found a new dynamic, but he’s also quick to note how an understanding of health and holistic wellness through his WELL AP journey allowed him to better understand himself.

“I actually shared with friends from IWBI Asia that back in college, there was a year in my life where I suffered from depression,” Li says. “I really wish everyone could have the awareness of what I learned from the WELL AP, knowing that mindfulness and mental health are important and can have as much impact on a person as their physical health.”

Images: Jason is passionate about embedding movement and mental health opportunities throughout his day and even within his education workshops!

A movement for well-being

Now more than ever, the business implications of supporting health and wellness are being laid bare around the world. Li notes how he and his team are seeing new interests in the wake of a global pandemic.

“COVID-19 has changed things. I’ve had many conversations with colleagues in Vancouver, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong—from multiple disciplines. Nowadays, the workplace can no longer be a typical office like it’s been defined in the past,” Li stresses.

To the intrepid architects and designers looking to make a difference, Li recommends investigating what the WELL AP can do for you—and the people who live and breathe the spaces you create.

“It’s important to keep this in your mind: the WELL AP credential isn’t just about helping you become a better person or add a feather to your cap. It’s also about the people around you, the environment around you and the projects you’re creating that can make a real difference in the world,” Li says.