Build Better: A Home for Healthy Living

Increasingly, building custom homes or renovating existing buildings should focus on how the space performs for the occupant.

We spend a majority of our lives indoors. It’s long overdue to think about how to design spaces for our health.

Using the WELL Concepts

WELL is a building standard focused on human health and wellness. While LEED revolutionized the adaptation of building certifications, WELL is reevaluating building standards to include the occupant's livelihood.

We spend a majority of our lives indoors. The air we breathe, the light that hits our retinas, and the materials we touch every day are the primary drivers of our long-term health.

The 10 Concepts

Many people do not realize that building codes are the absolute minimum requirements for building. There are many areas that can be improved to create a healthy home that fall into one of the 10 categories of WELL:

1. Air: Moving beyond basic HVAC filtration to HEPA filtration and active VOC monitoring.
2. Water: Home filtration that treats water at the point of entry, not just the kitchen tap.
3. Light: Circadian lighting systems that mimic the sun’s color temperature to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
4. Thermal Comfort: HVAC zoning that respects individual metabolic rates so every family member is comfortable.
5. Sound: Engineering acoustic privacy so the home remains a sanctuary of focus and rest.
6. Materials: A list of banned materials for construction, eliminating endocrine disruptors and forever chemicals.
7. Mind: Integrating biophilic design; nature, natural patterns, and textures as a way to lower cortisol levels.
8. Movement: Designing homes that encourage natural physical activity through ergonomics.
9. Nourishment: Kitchens designed to make fresh, whole foods the easiest choice.
10. Community: Creating inclusive, universal spaces that support aging-in-place and social connection.