The WELL Building Standard - Commercial Office Space
"What surprises me is how spacious the office is while maintaining low noise and a quiet feel,” an employee stated. “In the old office, there was less space and more people. When they opened up the space like this, I thought it would be loud and noisy. But the sound suppressing system and the white noise provide an environment conducive to focus. It really helps me avoid distractions throughout the day. I wasn’t expecting that benefit."
Integrated Sink Systems
One of the most important lessons we learned from the pandemic is the importance of proper hand hygiene for keeping us safe from viruses, bacteria, and pathogens that are transmitted by touch. Hand hygiene will always be top of mind post-pandemic and remain vital to staying healthy. The Excel renovations included a new innovation and design trend in the restrooms, integrated sink systems. An integrated sink system features their latest hand dryer mounted on the deck next to the faucet allows a person to wash, rinse, and dry all in one place and achieve proper hand hygiene. A system was also installed in the building's conference area reinforces the importance of hand hygiene and that it can be accomplished in areas other than the restroom.
Photo courtesy of Excel Dryer
The integrated sink systems with touchless faucets, soap dispensers, and high-efficiency hand dryers contribute to hand hygiene and are featured in all restrooms, including this executive office restroom and the conference room.
WELL Concepts and Features–Water, Materials
WELL Concept: Water
WELL Feature: W08 Hygiene Support
Summary: Requires projects to provide bathrooms that accommodate users with diverse needs and to improve hygiene by offering large sinks, soap containers, hand drying support, and reduced touch points. For the Feature, hand dryers equipped with HEPA-compliant filters may be used for hand drying in non-healthcare WELL projects as an alternative to paper towels.4
WELL Concept: Materials
WELL Feature: X08 Materials Transparency
Summary: Requires the compilation and availability of product descriptions, with ingredients evaluated and disclosed through transparency programs.
"We looked for materials first that had the transparency documentation," Brekka recalled. "We could look at what is in the material with a product declaration or a declare label. One of the greatest resources we employed while searching for materials was the Mindful Materials Database. We also used the Sustainable Minds Transparency Catalog.5 Starting with that level of transparency is important to understand what's in this product."
Relevant LEED Credits
Indoor Water Use Reduction Prerequisite: Requires projects to install fixtures that meet specified water consumption requirements.
Indoor Water Use Reduction: Requires projects to further reduce fixtures and fitting water use from the calculated baseline.
Water Metering: Requires projects to install permanent water meters for indoor plumbing fixtures, including public lavatory (restroom) faucets.
Minimum Energy Performance Prerequisite: Requires projects to meet minimum energy use standards
Credit Optimize Energy Performance: Requires projects to lower their energy use further than baseline.
VIEW AND INTERACT WITH A 360-DEGREE VIEW OF THE EXCEL DRYER ADDITION AND RENOVATION
PRODUCT FOCUS: HOW HAND HYGIENE SUPPORTS A HEALTHY BUILDING AND HEALTHY PLANET
In the Excel Dryer project, integrated sink systems satisfy the most essential guidelines for hand hygiene. The three-part systems are touchless, meaning the faucet, soap dispenser, and high-speed, high-efficiency hand dryers all operate by sensors, eradicating the possibility of disease transmitted by touch.
In addition, the system allows users to complete the handwashing and hand-drying process in one spot, eliminating the need to travel around the restroom in search of paper towels. In fact, there are no paper towels at all.
The complete elimination of paper towels brings vast benefits to building occupants, maintenance personnel, building owners, and the planet:
- High-speed, high-efficiency hand dryers reduce the need for disposable paper towels which a recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) concluded can reduce a facility's carbon footprint by up to 94 percent.6 No trees are sacrificed to dry hands, and energy needs are minimal.
- Energy-efficient hand dryers are recognized for their green benefits and support LEED certification goals.
- WELL points can be earned by installing hand dryers with HEPA filtration as occupants have a hygienic hand drying solution.
- The specification of hand dryers reduces a facility’s labor and maintenance costs. No longer does the facility need to order, pay for, store, and dispose of paper waste.
This project has proven that renovating an office to achieve WELL certification by the International WELL Building Institute is crucial for enhancing the health and well-being of workplace occupants, setting a new standard in employee care that is becoming increasingly essential for future trends. The selection of appropriate products and materials is fundamental to the project's success, ensuring that the space not only meets stringent wellness criteria but also promotes a sustainable and productive environment.
"I believe we successfully achieved the project goal to promote occupant health and well-being, and embody the core values of Excel Dryer Inc. The integrated sink system was a perfect example of this, providing a beautiful, clean, and efficient design solution for handwashing," stated Katherine Brekka.
CONCLUSION
The COVID-19 pandemic and the WELL Building Standard are inextricably attached. With the rise of the pandemic came a parallel increased interest in healthy buildings. It was no longer a theory that a pandemic could stop society. The threat was real. Because research on the WELL standard for healthy buildings had been going on for a decade, the standard was singularly prepared to lead the way.
In this course, we learned about the 10 Concepts of WELL: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind, and Community. We learned about the importance of healthy buildings for occupants and how proper hand hygiene is paramount for all people and building types. Illustrating the certification process was a major remodel and addition to the Excel Dryer corporate headquarters. Such innovative products specified toward certification include living plant walls, air purification systems, lighting that mimics natural lighting, external or outside views from every workstation, low-VOC materials, sound masking, integrated sink systems featuring touchless, high-speed, high-efficiency hand dryers, and more. Going forward, based on the momentum of the WELL Building Standard, the spaces where we spend so much time will also help keep us healthy and safe.
END NOTES
1"Keeping Hands Clean." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed: 15 June 2022. Web: 11 March 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/hygiene/personal-hygiene/hands.html.
2Patrick, D.R.; Findon, C.; Miller, T.E. "Residual moisture determines the level of touch-contact-associated bacterial transfer following hand washing." Epidemiology & Infection. Cambridge University Press. 5 August 1997. Web: 11/3/2024.
3"How does WELL Certification Work?" International WELL Building Institute. Web: 11 March 2024.
4"Hygiene Support." Concepts/Water/Feature W08. International WELL Building Institute. Web: 11 March 2024.
5"Sustainable Minds Transparency Catalog." Sustainable Minds. Web: 11 March 2024.
6Freund, Julissa; Xue, Cher. “Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Hand Drying Systems: Excel Hand Dryers and Paper Towel Systems”. True North Collective. May 2023. Web: 11 March 2024.
Kathy Price-Robinson writes about building and design. Her remodeling series “Pardon Our Dust” ran for 12 years in the Los Angeles Times. She specializes in writing about buildings that are durable and resilient to climate disruptions, as well as products and designs that provide shade in hot climates.
www.kathyprice.com