Made up of ten concepts, the WELL Building Standard aims to encourage the construction of indoor spaces that enhance occupant health and wellbeing.
WELL certification is achieved following the assessment of Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Mind and Community, with four levels of certification available:
• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum
While all concepts above are important for the health and well-being of building users, three stand out as being pertinent in relation to the specification of glazed partitioning:
• Light
• Sound
• Mind.
We explain how below.
Light
First and foremost, WELL mandates that projects supply an adequate amount of light exposure in the interior space, emphasising daylight design techniques, daylight stimulation and visual balance. By allowing natural light to flow through a space, the use of acoustic glazed partitions in a design helps to create a more comfortable and productive environment and reduces the reliance on artificial lighting.
Sound
The WELL guidelines suggest managing noise levels, providing sound barriers and minimising background noise by increasing acoustical privacy are just some examples of how to manage sound in office environments. Of course, glazed partitioning systems, when specified correctly can hugely help with this.
Our highest performing Silence100D systems can provide acoustic performance of up to 53dB.
Mind
A University of California study found that after each interruption at work it takes around 23 minutes for most workers to regain focus.
Through integrating design strategies that enhance restorative spaces, by providing spaces for focus that reduce the stress of disruption, and by bringing a sense of Nature and place to the working environment employee mood, well-being, health and productivity can all be improved. Again, careful thought on the specification of glazed partitioning systems can positively affect this.
With studies showing that humans will spend one third of their life at work, creating comfortable office environments is key.
If you’re looking to achieve WELL certification for your project and require acoustic glazed partitions to assist with this, contact our team here.
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