Your guide to the Q1 2019 addenda

On behalf of the whole IWBI team, we’re excited to release the first addenda to the WELL Building Standard™ (WELL™) in 2019. The Q1 2019 addenda includes 139 (yes that’s right!) equivalencies, nine alternative adherence paths, 33 changes to WELL Guidebook language, 19 changes to verification methods for the WELL v2™pilot and 64 new amendments to feature language across WELL v1™, WELL v2 and the WELL Community Standard™ pilot. This cycle we are introducing a new, simplified resource that contains all equivalencies and their amendments – moving them out of the addenda table where they were previously recorded.

Quick links to Q1 2019 addenda resources:

• Download the addenda table
• Browse WELL v1 with Q1 2019 addenda
• Browse WELL v2 with Q1 2019 addenda
• Download the WELL Community Standard with Q1 2019 Addenda
• Download the WELL Performance Verification Guidebook for the WELL Building Standard
• Download the WELL Performance Verification Guidebook for the WELL Community Standard
• Download the WELL Certification Guidebook for the WELL Building Standard
• Download the WELL Certification Guidebook for the WELL Community Standard
• Download the new equivalencies table

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

We’ve included an overview below on key components of the Q1 2019 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 February 6, 10:00 a.m. ET or 7:00 p.m. ET.

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Q1 2019 addenda highlights:

Alternative adherence paths
Nine new alternative adherence paths across the rating systems were released to provide new pathways for project teams:

WELL v2

• Feature L03: Circadian Lighting Design, Part 1: project teams may use the Circadian Stimulus (CS) metric for 1 point of 150 EML for electric light. A CS of 0.3 or higher has been mathematically calculated as equivalent to an EML of 150 at most commonly used color temperatures.

WELL v1

• Five new AAPs, covering features 11, 22, 41 and 31-34

Equivalencies
A total of 139 equivalencies have been published across WELL v1, WELL v2 and the WELL Community Standard in the Q1 2019 addenda.

This quarter, we are launching a new equivalency tool in WELL Online. Equivalencies will continue to be evaluated on a rolling basis when they are submitted by project teams and will be published monthly. Each quarter, with the addenda cycle, we’ll update an equivalencies table where you can explore all equivalencies and their amendments for WELL v1, WELL v2 and the WELL Community Standard. The table will help project teams explore equivalencies available in their region and any additional amendments that have been made.

Amendments
Below are some amendment highlights from the Q1 2019 addenda:

WELL v2 pilot

• WELL Core and Multifamily Residential Appendix: Now includes guidance for all WELL Core and multifamily residential projects pursuing WELL Certification.
• WELL Core Bronze: In addition to Silver, Gold and Platinum, projects pursuing WELL Core Certification have a 40-point tier available to them, known previously as “WELL Core Certification.” To differentiate the certification pathway from the level of achievement, this level is now known as “Bronze.”
• Feature C09: New Mother Support: Adjusted language to allow lactation rooms to also serve as wellness rooms or other restorative spaces provided that signage indicates that the space is designated as a lactation room.

WELL Guidebooks

• Reduced the number of light samples required for light measurements. Projects are now only required to take 50 measurements per floor (provided there are at least three measurements per task).
• Clarified certification timelines and stages for documentation review, AAPs, and performance verification.

Stay up to date on future addenda releases
Follow these steps to subscribe to WELL technical updates:

• Log in to your account on wellcertified.com.
• Navigate to the “your account” section.

• Select the “edit” tab in the top right corner of the page.
• Select “subscription settings” from the left-hand menu.
• Check the box next to “WELL technical updates” and click save.

WELL addenda and the WELL AP exam
Changes to the WELL Building Standard v1 are incorporated into the WELL AP exam through an annual review and update cycle. The current version of the exam was released in August 2018 and reflects all published addenda through the Q1 2018 version of the WELL Building Standard v1 and WELL Certification Guidebook. The next update to the WELL AP exam is expected to be released in the summer of 2019 and will reflect the Q1 2019 version of the WELL Building Standard v1 and WELL Certification Guidebook.

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.