Adopting the WELL Standard, SAS International is pledging its support to a building standard focused on health and wellbeing.
SAS International has announced that it is to be a supporting partner
for the Blue Building Institute (BBI).
The Netherlands-based organisation exists to spread understanding and adoption of the WELL Building Standard, which itself originated in the US in 2013 and focuses exclusively on human health and wellness.
It is perhaps not surprising that issues such as air quality, light, acoustic comfort and fitness will make a huge contribution to the wellbeing of building occupants. The people-centric WELL Standard lays out how buildings should be designed to address specific performance criteria. Importantly, every aspect of the environment, including interior fittings and furniture, are included, with potentially huge implications for both building designers and product manufacturers.
BBI was formed by two passionate advocates of WELL, who vowed to bring the standard to Holland and convince professionals of the commercial advantages to doing the right thing. Five years on and a concentrated programme of networking and information sharing has resulted in almost 60 projects in the Netherlands being built to the WELL Standard.
A not-for-profit organisation, BBI relies upon sponsorship and financial support from WELL advocates. SAS International, always keen to support initiatives that improve the built environment, is just such an advocate. SAS products will help designers meet the WELL standard in practice. The predominantly metal systems support the indoor air quality standards while acoustic insulation makes an active contribution to a positive working environment.
SAS has experience of working with the standard, having recently been involved with the Fidelity International Building at 4 Cannon Street. This is one of the first UK buildings to go for Gold Certification under the WELL Standard.
