In Romania, this phenomenon is in its early stage, and Colliers International becomes the first real estate consultancy with a team of WELL specialists - two of the five nationally active.
The WELL Building standard is the first system that provides a healthy interaction for the employees with the space they work in. It was launched in the US by the International WELL Building Institute in 2014, designed to complete the LEED or BREEAM New Construction green certification systems for new constructions, specifically geared to the technical specifications of a building. In contrast, compliance with the WELL standard requires that conditions are centered on the health and well-being of occupants of the building, as well as a periodic re-evaluation every three years to ensure that the project is maintained at the same high level of design and operations.
Approximately 90% of a person's time is spent indoors, an environment with a strong influence on the way of life. WELL certified spaces are designed to improve nutrition, physical activity, mood, sleep patterns, productivity and performance of people who work, live or go shopping. Also, the quality and accessibility of air, water and natural or artificial light should be optimized and space should be comfortable and support cognitive and emotional health through design and technology.
Obtaining WELL certification brings added value to any real estate project by approaching and understanding the human component that is ultimately its end-user. Thus, the benefits of WELL are reflected at the employee level - productivity and job satisfaction - and also at the company level - attracting and retaining talent, customers and investors, according to Colliers representative.
Considering the very good synergies WELL has with the main sustainable certification standards used in Romania (LEED and BREEAM), Colliers specialists expect, for the first time, an increased interest in office buildings in the project phase or in early construction, which are already seeking LEED or BREEAM certification.
The demand will gradually rise as the first WELL-certified buildings are completed, and the tenants and their employees will be aware of all the benefits they receive from working in such buildings. At the same time, demand will increase as a result of the tenant's global policies to operate in WELL-certified buildings, but also due to increased market competitiveness and the desire of developers to meet the highest standards of sustainability, health and productivity. (source: constructiv.ro)
