According to the Global Wellness Institute, the UK is the 3rd biggest wellness real estate* market in the world, with an average annual growth rate of 28% in the last 4 years. Consumers and the building industry increasingly understand the impact of environments on our physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing. Now more than ever, designing for wellbeing is of fundamental importance.
Wellbeing is not something we simply give to others; it is something we can promote and support using the building, and its interior, as a tool. For this to happen, we need to understand the specific needs of the people who will use the space.
When we talk about designing a space that allows wellbeing to happen, we often think of certifications such as the WELL Building Standard, often referred to simply as ‘WELL’. Although this can be a path to achieve it, it’s not the only one. Incorporating these aspects into the core of a space can often ensure a holistic success, and a sustainable impact. Our Design for Wellbeing process has been crafted with this concept in mind, but we want to consider the distinctions between achieving a WELL Certification and Designing for Wellbeing, and the importance of incorporating these aspects into our environments. The objective is not to find a winner, but find a process and knowledge which will best support your space’s performance on peoples’ wellbeing!
Firstly, let’s look at the main aspects each one targets.
The WELL Certification is divided into 10 main concepts: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community. Each of these concepts has features that need to be achieved to gain the certification. This framework applies to all buildings seeking certification, primarily focusing on commercial projects.
The Design for Wellbeing process is not a certification, but a design approach that aims to support the wellbeing of the occupants of a specific space. This method incorporates User Profiles to understand the needs of a space’s occupants, guiding decisions on various aesthetic and physical aspects of the space such as: Balance, Symmetry, Colour, Patterns, Textures, Art, Materials, Light, Indoor Air Quality, Thermal Comfort, Acoustics, Space Planning and Controllability.
Understanding the differences between a certification and a design process is crucial for clients and professionals to know their options and consider all aspects when deciding to pursue one or the other.
The main difference is that while the WELL Certification provides a standardised framework for creating spaces that promote health and wellbeing, it is not tailored to the specifics of each space. In contrast, the Design for Wellbeing approach is individualised, with all choices made based on the specific needs of a space’s occupants.
Additionally, the WELL certification includes parameters that do not relate specifically to the physical space, such as Nourishment or Mind, which aim to assist in creating healthy habits. Meanwhile, the Design for Wellbeing process focuses solely on the interior space and its impact.
Both WELL and Design for Wellbeing aim to support wellbeing. However, while the WELL Certification offers a one-size-fits-all solution based on scientific evidence but does not account for the individuality of each space and its occupants, the Design for Wellbeing practice creates a tailored strategy for each interior space based on its unique requirements and on evidence-based data, social sciences and psychology.
In a world where wellness is rapidly growing, it’s important to understand what can be offered and how we can intentionally support change by truly considering the people who will use a space.
For an example of Design for Wellbeing in action, take a look at the our project for Helsinki University here
If you are keen to explore the possibilities, we are always here and would love to talk with you about your needs and choices.
* Real Estate Definition of ‘Wellness’, according to the Global Wellness Institute: Expenditures on the construction of residential and commercial/institutional (office, hospitality, mixed-use/multifamily, medical, leisure, etc.) properties that incorporate intentional wellness elements in their design, materials and building as well as their amenities, services and/or programming. Note that wellness real estate is broader than (but encompasses) wellness lifestyle real estate, which focuses on the residential component.
