Your guide to Q1 2018 addenda

We’re excited to kick off 2018 with the release of the Q1 2018 WELL Building Standard™ addenda. After a comprehensive Q4 addenda cycle that shared clarifications for easier interpretation of  the WELL Building Standard and provided performance verification guidelines for all WELL Building Standard pilots. In this cycle, we’re publishing over thirty equivalencies, further clarifications of feature language and detailed project point and boundary criteria for the WELL Community Standard™ Pilot.

• Browse the addenda

• Download the updated WELL Building Standard

• Download the addenda table

Addenda are changes and improvements to the WELL Building Standard to help clarify, amend, interpret or provide alternative language for requirements. We allow projects to upgrade any individual feature to any version of the addenda that occurred after their registration date.

Among the changes included in this addenda release, we’re pleased to introduce:

• Amendments, equivalencies and alternative adherence paths that make it more feasible for projects to achieve WELL Certification.

• Clarifications to language in the WELL Building Standard and WELL Building Standard pilot programs, including the WELL Community Standard, to address questions and points of confusion raised by the WELL user community.

• Performance verification clarifications for the WELL Building Standard regarding sampling points and zones.

We’ve included an overview below on key components of the Q1 2018 addenda release. To learn more about the addenda process and the changes included in this round, please join us for one of our upcoming webinars on Wednesday, Feb. 7:

 

Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. ET     or    Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. ET

 

Have questions? Registered projects can reach out for WELL coaching support via the support tab of their WELL digital platform account and all others can contact us here.

Thank you for working alongside us to shape the evolution of WELL. Your feedback is essential to our success. Please continue to provide your thoughts and expertise as we strive to improve your WELL experience.

Q1 2018 addenda highlights:

Alternative adherence paths

New alternative adherence paths, to provide new pathways for project teams:

• Feature 11 (Fundamental Material Safety): Complex electrical or data products made up of small electrical components, such as fire alarms, meters, sensors, thermostats and load break switches, may meet the European Union’s Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive in lieu of the 100 ppm limit on added lead.

• Feature 53 (Visual Lighting Design): Projects may meet requirements of part 1b by zoning the space into banks according to proximity to windows or to location of departments even if the areas differ from those prescribed in part 1b.

• Feature 64 (Interior Fitness Circulation): Projects with more than one staircase that meets the requirements of part 1 and part 3 may use a staircase less than 1.4 m wide to comply with part 2c.

Equivalencies

A total of 31 equivalencies have been published, including:

• 23 equivalencies for Air, mainly for Feature 04 (VOC Reduction)

• 5 equivalencies for Comfort, mainly for Feature 72 (Accessible Design)

• 3 equivalencies for Mind

Amendments

Below are some highlights from the Q1 2018 addenda:

• Air: Feature 04 (VOC Reduction): Amended to clarify that all parts apply to interior materials, defined as those within (and including) the waterproofing membrane.

• Appendices: Appendices E and F have been removed, since projects pursuing dual rating systems can now use the published crosswalks for LEED and the Living Building Challenge.

Performance Verification Guidebook

• Designates decrease in radon sampling density for Feature 01, part 3.

• Clarifies air testing zones for Core and Shell projects.

WELL Community Standard

• Establishes inclusion criteria for health and wellness and green certification rating systems.

• Clarifies project boundaries must not contain non-contiguous parcels.