The National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Design and Environment has inked a memorandum of agreement (MOU) with International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to advance global standards for the promotion of health and wellness within buildings and the built environment.
The areas of cooperation include training, education and accreditation of the WELL Building Standard™, with both parties working closely to introduce this global standard to building industry stakeholders in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
The WELL Building Standard™ is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact the health and wellness of the people living, working, and learning in the buildings.
“To improve human health and well-being in buildings, we need to take bold steps to transform building practices and effect changes in mindsets and occupant behaviour,” said Professor Lam Khee Poh, who is also the dean at NUS SDE.
“Human-centric design that responds to health and well-being requirements of building occupants has not been fully capitalised beyond achieving sustainability and liveability. NUS School of Design and Environment hopes to champion this strategic effort.”
Meanwhile, IWBI chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi noted that major industry players understand that fostering human wellness makes good business sense.
“WELL was developed in response to the crucial need for a comprehensive performance-based tool for helping developers, landlords and tenants achieve healthier places and spaces for the people who live, work, play and learn in them every day,” he said.
“WELL has become an important catalyst in the global wellness movement for how buildings can be part of the wellness arsenal, driving efficiency and leading to better productivity and well-being of building users.”
This article was edited by Denise Djong.
