International WELL Building Institute Introduces WELL Interiors

(London, October 14, 2026) — The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for advancing healthy buildings, organizations and communities, today introduced a WELL Interiors designation, tailored specifically to how interior spaces are designed to support health and well-being. The new designation will be a specialized subset of evidence-based strategies from the WELL Standard (WELL), and specifically curated for the Architecture and Design community. The announcement was made on the occasion of IWBI’s WELL 2026 London Summit.

By focusing on the physical elements of a space—from furniture specifications to material health—this new designation will empower interior designers, architects and design-build firms with strategies to ensure health-centric design is a core, protected component of every project.

“As human-centered design continues to reshape our spaces, health and well-being frameworks must evolve to better support architects and designers,” said IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon. "Recognizing this transformative shift, the WELL Interiors designation arrives at a critical moment, championing people-first places and empowering practitioners to create healthier, more resilient interior spaces."
By prioritizing the first phase of a project’s lifecycle (interior design and construction), the WELL Interiors designation validates people-centric innovation as a standalone achievement, while eliminating the need for broader operational coordination like human resources policies or post-occupancy performance testing.

“Designers have long understood that our spaces should fundamentally be designed to prioritize people, and WELL has always recognized this, too,” said Jessica Cooper, IWBI Chief Product Officer. “This new specialty designation now presents an unprecedented opportunity to focus exclusively on design impact – ultimately making it simpler than ever to bring people-first interiors to life.”

Historically, full WELL certifications have presented scope-related challenges for projects in the midst of an interior renovation. The WELL Interiors designation removes these operational barriers, focusing exclusively on physical interior elements that fall directly under the design team’s purview and contractual control. In doing so, this new designation creates a streamlined, design-focused entry point into the WELL ecosystem. The framework draws on strategies across all 10 core WELL concepts, with deep emphasis on Materials, Light, Sound and Movement.

Research shows that health-focused design can safeguard quality specifications through independent, third-party verification and also delivers measurable financial returns. These design initiatives can boost productivity, improve overall occupant satisfaction by nearly 30%, and enhance asset value through rent premiums for commercial spaces featuring high levels of daylight and biophilia.

“Our primary goal is to support the A&D community with a designation that recognizes holistic health and well-being achievements, while offering a streamlined documentation process that preserves the health focus through value engineering,” said Ann Marie Aguilar, Senior Vice President, EMEA Region at IWBI, who has spearheaded the development process. “We welcome industry input that informs the WELL Interiors designation and helps shape the future of design.”

To ensure the designation seamlessly fits real-world practice, IWBI has convened the WELL Interiors Working Group. This advisory body brings together a diverse group of professionals from around the globe, including designers, engineers, lighting specialists, acousticians and real estate experts, alongside leading global firms. Key industry bodies are also joining the effort, in order to strengthen the bridge between standard design processes and health-based outcomes.

IWBI invites additional industry participation as it prepares to preview and launch this new designation. For more information and to participate in the WELL Interiors Working Group, please register your interest here.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

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