The U.S.-based International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and U.K-based building sciences authority, BRE, recently announced an agreement in order to pursue alignments between the WELL and BREEAM building standards that will make it easier for building projects pursuing both standards.
The WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, with certifications in 27 countries. BREEAM is an established measure of sustainability for master planning, infrastructure, buildings and communities, covering all stages of an asset’s life, including new construction, in-use and refurbishment, used in more than 70 countries.
According to the agreement, the organizations will identify specific credits whereby submitted documentation will be recognized by both organizations, saving project teams the time and costs associated with submitting the documentation twice.
"Since the beginning, IWBI has worked to find ways that WELL can work harmoniously with the world’s leading sustainable building standards, because we believe sustainability and health are synonymous," says Rick Fedrizzi, chairman and CEO, IWBI. "We look forward to partnering with BRE to advance this important concept by helping project teams who are using both BREEAM and WELL deliver a more sustainable and healthier built environment as efficiently as possible."
The crosswalk identifying the applicable credits between the WELL and BREEAM standards is being conducted by BRE and WELL’s certifying body, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), and is expected to be completed in January 2017.
