The International WELL Building Institute has launched a new designation—WELL Interiors—tailored to how interior spaces support health and wellbeing. The new designation features a subset of evidence-based strategies from the WELL Standard and prioritizes the first phase of a project’s lifecycle, interior design and construction.

“As health and well-being become increasingly important considerations in how we design our spaces, we saw an opportunity to make WELL more accessible and relevant to the architecture and design community,” explained Ann Marie Aguilar, senior vice president, EMEA region, of the International WELL Building Institute. “Designers have tremendous influence over the health of indoor environments—from the materials we specify to the lighting we choose, to acoustics, and how spaces encourage movement. WELL has long recognized the importance of these design strategies as part of its comprehensive approach to healthy buildings. With WELL Interiors, we’re taking that commitment a step further by creating a dedicated pathway that puts the design community and its unique contributions front and center.”

Strategies Featured in WELL Interiors

The new designation draws on strategies across all 10 WELL concepts—Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind, and Community—but emphasizes the physical elements of interior spaces that architects and designers can directly influence, Aguilar said. This could include:

• Thoughtful lighting design that balances daylight and visual comfort
• Selecting interior materials and furnishings with health in mind
• Designing spaces with better acoustics and opportunities for movement
• Incorporating restorative spaces, connections to nature, and inclusive design principles that accommodate diverse occupant needs
• Access to drinking water, ventilation, and thermal comfort

“The idea is to bring together these interconnected aspects of health and well-being within a framework that fits naturally into the interior design process—from space planning and material specifications to furniture, fixtures, and equipment selection,” Aguilar said. “While the specific selection of WELL strategies are still being finalized with industry input, our goal is to give designers a practical, holistic approach to creating healthier interiors and recognizing their contributions.”

Who Contributes to Earning the WELL Interiors Designation?

Projects in the midst of an interior renovation are a strong fit for WELL Interiors. It offers a targeted pathway that focuses on elements within the design team’s control without requiring the broader operational components of full WELL certification, Aguilar explained.

In addition, facility managers and building owners can use WELL Interiors as a “practical, evidence-based framework to make health and wellbeing an intentional priority from the very beginning of a project,” Aguilar added.

“By incorporating WELL Interiors early in the planning process, they will be able to work with architects and designers to establish clear health-focused goals, guide decisions around materials, lighting, acoustics and spatial design, and ensure those priorities are carried through construction,” Aguilar said. “This is especially valuable when projects face competing demands during construction, as it helps safeguard health-focused design choices through value engineering.”