WELL Addenda

WELL ADDENDA

Review the complete list of addenda changes made to the WELL Building Standard.

Feature 75: Internally generated noise

Type Description
Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 21 Aug, 2017

NEN-EN 15251:2007 has been accepted as an alternative for the requirements of Feature 75 Part 2.


Feature 76: Thermal comfort

Type Description
Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 11 May, 2018

Singapore Standard SS 554:2016 has not been accepted as an equivalent for ASHRAE 55-2013 of Feature 76. SS 554 does not appear to directly address metabolic rate or clothing insulation assumptions. Further, the submitted comfort analyses do not confirm that the design criteria listed in Table 1 meet ASHRAE 55-2013 requirements because the metabolic rate assumptions are inconsistent. Lastly, SS 554 does not appear to include design requirements because the limits listed in Table 1 are classified as recommended and are only referenced relative to audits of existing environments.
Please note that SS 554 Table 1 recommends using ISO 7730 as the analytical method for all thermal comfort parameters and ISO 7730 is already an approved equivalent. Please also note that it is acceptable for the project team to bring on another individual with experience using ASHRAE standards to verify design compliance and sign the LOA (e.g. as a peer review), if they wish and/or the engineer of record is unable to do so.


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 26 Jul, 2017

Previously published as AAP:
ISO 7730:2005 and/or CEN Standard EN 15251:2007 may be used in lieu of ASHRAE 55-2003 Sections 5.3 and 5.4. The requirements of these standards must be met in all spaces, rather than 75% of regularly occupied spaces in the project. When selecting either ISO 7730:2005 or CEN Standard EN 15251:2007, the most appropriate standard must be selected for the space. Note that some naturally ventilated spaces may not qualify to use CEN Standard EN 15251:2007 if certain criteria are not met.

In addition, when utilizing CEN Standard EN 15251:2007, the project must comply with either Category I or Category II as described in Table A.1 of the standard in order to be within +/- 0.5 of the PMV for the space.


Feature 79: Sound masking

Type Description
Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 04 Dec, 2017

AS/NZS 2107:2016 has been accepted as an alternative to the sound masking level requirements in Feature 79 Part 2. Note that Private Office and Open Workspace sound masking levels must fall within the background noise criteria ranges in Table 1 of AS/NZS 2107:2016. This equivalency applies only to projects in Australia and New Zealand.


Feature 80: Sound reducing surfaces

Type Description
Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 16 Mar, 2018

Alpha W (αw) has been accepted as an equivalent to the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) requirements of Feature 80 – Sound Reducing Surfaces, Parts 1-3.

Note that Alpha W is, like NRC, a single number metric for sound absorption that ranges from 0.00 to 1.00 and represents the average absorption coefficient of a given material across 125 Hz to 4 kHz, while NRC is a metric based on absorptive coefficients of a given material across 250 Hz to 2 kHz.


Feature 81: Sound barriers

Type Description
Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 17 Jan, 2017

The China national standard 'Code for Design of Sound Insulation of Civil Buildings' (GB50118-2010) has been approved an acceptable method to comply with Feature 81, Part 1 when Dw levels under ‘High Limits’ are achieved. Note that projects must comply with the verification method according to Appendix D.


Feature 86: Post-occupancy surveys

Type Description
Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 03 Jul, 2019

The Subjective Assessment of Workplace Productivity (SAP 2019) survey administered by the JSBC - Japan Sustainable Building Consortium has been accepted as an equivalent for the Occupant Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Survey™ from the Center for the Built Environment at UC Berkeley for Feature 86 Part 1 for Japan. Note that the SAP 2019 survey tool must meet with the following:
I. The survey must be completed by a representative sample of at least 30% of occupants.
II. Occupants must be surveyed regarding thermal comfort conditions at least two different times per year (e.g., once during the cooling season and once during the heating season).


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 05 Jun, 2019

The Eurac Research survey tool has been accepted as an equivalent for the Occupant Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Survey™ from the Center for the Built Environment at UC Berkeley for Feature 86. Part 1 for Europe.

Note that, in addition to the survey requirements in The Eurac Research survey tool:
I. The survey must be completed by a representative sample of at least 30% of occupants.
II. Occupants must be surveyed about thermal comfort conditions that occur at least two different times per year (e.g., once during the cooling season and once during the heating season).


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 05 Feb, 2018

PeopleLOOK™ of the UK has been accepted as an equivalent for the Occupant Indoor Environmental Quality Survey of Feature 86 Part 1. Note that, in addition to the survey requirements in PeopleLOOK™, thermal comfort parameters must be surveyed twice a year.


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 05 Feb, 2018

The Comfortmeter survey has been accepted as an equivalent for the Occupant Indoor Environmental Quality Survey of Feature 86 Part 1. Note that, in addition to the survey requirements in Comfortmeter, thermal comfort parameters must be surveyed twice a year.


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 14 Jul, 2017

The Building Use Studies (BUS) methodology of Occupant Satisfaction Evaluation has been accepted as an alternative for the Occupant Indoor Environmental Quality Survey required for Feature 86 Part 1.


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 24 Oct, 2016

The Leesman Survey is an accepted alternative to the Occupant Indoor Environmental Quality Survey required for Feature 86, Part 1: Occupant Survey Content.


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 24 Oct, 2016

The BOSSA Survey and its newer version, the SHE (Sustainable and Healthy Environments) Survey are accepted alternatives to the Occupant Indoor Environmental Quality Survey required for Feature 86, Part 1: Occupant Survey Content.


Feature 92: Building health policy

Type Description
Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 17 Jan, 2017

The 'Five Insurance' offered under the Labor Law of the People’s Republic of China has been approved as an acceptable method to comply with F92.


Feature 97: Material transparency

Type Description
Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 30 Nov, 2018

Building materials evaluated as "recommended" or "accepted" in byggvarubedömningen has not been accepted as an equivalent to meet the requirements of Feature 97 – Material Transparency, Part 1 - Material Information.


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 29 May, 2018

The Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) Furniture, Fittings, Foam and Mattresses (Level A) (FFF&M v3.0-2017) standard has not been accepted as an alternative for the requirements of Feature 97 Part 1. Note that the intent of the feature is to promote material transparency along the supply chain. Feature 97 Part 1 requires that “the product must indicate that all ingredients have been evaluated and disclosed down to 1,000 ppm.” The GECA FFF&M v3.0-2017 standard requires products to disclose hazardous ingredients but not all ingredients (including non-hazardous).


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 29 May, 2018

The Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) Furniture & Fittings (Level B) (FFv3.0-2017) standard has not been accepted as an alternative for the requirements of Feature 97 Part 1. Note that the intent of the feature is to promote material transparency along the supply chain. Feature 97 Part 1 requires that “the product must indicate that all ingredients have been evaluated and disclosed down to 1,000 ppm.” The GECA FFF&M v3.0-2017 standard does require products to disclose hazardous ingredients, but not all ingredients (including non-hazardous).


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 01 Mar, 2018

The Global GreenTag Standard v4.0 and PhD Methodology are accepted as an alternative to the requirements of Feature 97 Part 1.


Feature 98: Organizational transparency

Type Description
Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 22 Mar, 2022

The BITC (Business in the Community) has been approved as an acceptable alternative for Part 1 in The United Kingdom.


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 24 Jan, 2019

The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting Guide has not been accepted as an alternative for the requirements of Feature 98 Part 1.


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 05 Feb, 2018

The GRESB certificate and policy document has not been accepted as an equivalent for JUST and G4 of Feature 98 Part 1. Note that JUST and G4 provide ample sections in their survey for addressing employee equity, transparency and disclosure, where GRESB assesses only some of these parameters in brief, multiple choice questions.


Equivalency
Type: Equivalency
Post Date: 26 Jul, 2017

The Business Working Responsibly Mark has been approved as an acceptable alternative for Feature 98, Part 1. In order to fully comply with this feature, the results of the program must be publicly available within the project premises and on the entity's website.