FMJ.CO.UK WELLBEING FOCUS
FEBRUARY 2020 35
o ices are beginning to be seen as much
more than places where teaching and work
happens, and more as part of the solution
itself: an e ective, positive environment
where the very make-up of the building and
its features can contribute to the success
and happiness of its occupants.
In the working world, many companies
are now employing wellbeing o icers or
heads of employee wellbeing, where the
traditional HR role is extended or adapted
to cover issues such as physical
and mental health, positive
working environments
and optimal working
conditions.
Any environment
where we spend
a great deal of
time, whether it’s
an o ice, school
or healthcare
facility, needs to
have fundamental
features in place
to ensure we are
comfortable. This
includes quality of light, air
quality, adequate space and ideal
temperature. No matter how interesting the
lesson, productive the meeting or delicious
the canteen food, the experiences we have
in these settings are compromised if we
feel uncomfortable. It’s a simple fact: our
comfort a ects our ability to concentrate,
enjoy ourselves and be productive.
FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION
For e ective working or learning to take
place, a combination of stimulation and
concentration in the workplace is required.
Much of the stimulation aspect will arise
from the work itself: interesting topics,
engaging resources and lively discussion.
Concentration is a little more complex.
Individual factors, of course, contribute to
this. How willing are people to participate?
How much sleep have they had? What is
their personality type? But basic human and
environmental conditions also play a part.
Being hungry, overtired, feeling too hot or
too cold also a ect how much attention we
can pay and how much information we
can process.
Take thermal comfort (2).
Being too hot or cold
seriously impairs
our comfort level
and can distract
us from focusing
on anything
else – our human
instincts prompt
us to redress the
balance and adjust
our temperature
until we feel ‘just right’.
In working environments,
this distraction can lead to
reduced concentration, disruption
and ultimately, a lack of e ective working.
In an o ice or employment setting, this may
lead to dissatisfaction on the part of both
employee and employer as productivity
levels drop and the quality of work is
compromised. As a result, symptoms of socalled
SBS may rise, leading to an increase
in sick days.
Noise is also an issue. Public buildings
such as o ices and schools are expected to
be busy, bustling places, but providing for
quiet in these environments, or at least a
WELL V.2
The WELL Building Standard is the premier standard for
buildings, interior spaces and communities that aim to
implement, validate and measure features that support
and advance human health and wellness. Meeting the
rigorous standards of the WELL Building Standard has
proved a challenge which has prompted its founders the
International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to introduce
WELL v2 - a more flexible and highest impact version of
WELL, combining feedback from users with the most
current health data and research.
The idea behind WELL v2 is to empower project teams to pursue the
interventions that matter most to their project and their community
without sacrificing WELL’s comprehensive and evidence-based
approach and commitment to performance verification.
According to IWBI Chief Product Officer Rachel Gutter, “WELL v2 is
our effort to consolidate the latest knowledge, leading research, new
technology and advanced building practice to extend the benefits of
WELL buildings to more people in more places.”
This means it aims to offer more choice to participants, and is
flexible enough to evolve to meet the needs of any type of building
in any part of the world. In order to make WELL v2 a better fit for
people and spaces around the world, the standard now takes into
consideration regional health concerns, cultural norms and market
realities. It will also be regularly and proactively adapted to varying
contexts and constructs, making it more relevant and readily
applicable to spaces and places across the globe.
WELL v2 is also designed to be dynamic; working as a system that
can continuously learn, evolve and improve. Moving away from a fixed
scorecard of the earlier version gives users the opportunity to focus on
the outcomes that matter most for their project and their community,
and it allows the standard to regularly introduce new pathways and
parts to make WELL a better and better fit for all buildings everywhere.
The development of WELL v2 is founded on the
following principles:
Equitable: Provides the greatest benefit to the greatest number
of people, inclusive of all demographic and economic groups and
with special consideration of groups of the least advantage or
vulnerable populations.
Global: Proposes interventions that are feasible, achievable and
relevant across many applications throughout the world.
Evidence-based: Undergirded by strong, validated research
yielding conclusions that can reasonably be expected to receive
acceptance by the scientific community.
Technically robust: Draws upon industry best practices and
proven strategies, offering consistency in findings across the
relevant field or discipline.
Customer-focused: Defines program requirements through
a dynamic process, with multiple opportunities for stakeholder
engagement, and by tapping the expertise of established leaders in
science, medicine, business, design and operations.
Resilient: Responds to advances in scientific knowledge and
technology, continuously adapting and integrating new findings
in the field.
For more information visit https://v2.wellcertified.com
Any environment where
we spend a great deal of time,
whether it’s an offi ce, school
or healthcare facility, needs to
have fundamental features in
place to ensure we are
comfortable.”
/v2.wellcertified.com
