This is a legacy version of the WELL Building Standard. Please check the latest version here.

Light

Light

The WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) provides guidelines that minimize disruption to the body’s circadian system, enhance productivity, support good sleep quality and provide appropriate visual acuity.

Background

Light is a visible form of electromagnetic radiation, bordered in the spectrum by ultraviolet radiation at smaller wavelengths and infrared at larger wavelengths. Current lighting codes and guidelines provide illuminance recommendations for different room types, derived from usual lighting requirements for typical activities per room. These standards, created by technical groups such as Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), ensure good visual acuity in a variety of tasks to avoid eyestrain and to minimize productivity losses and headaches.

Light enters the eye and hits photoreceptors on the retina: rods, cones and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). All of these cells absorb light ...read more

53 Visual lighting design

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Visual Acuity for Focus - P P
2: Brightness Management Strategies - P P

54 Circadian lighting design

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Melanopic Light Intensity for Work Areas - P P

55 Electric light glare control

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Lamp Shielding - P P
2: Glare Minimization P P P

56 Solar glare control

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: View Window Shading O P P
2: Daylight Management O P P

57 Low-glare workstation design

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Glare Avoidance - O O

58 Color quality

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Color Rendering Index - O O

59 Surface design

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Working and Learning Area Surface Reflectivity - O O

60 Automated shading and dimming controls

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Automated Sunlight Control - O O
2: Responsive Light Control - O O

61 Right to light

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Lease Depth O O O
2: Window Access - O O

62 Daylight modeling

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Healthy Sunlight Exposure O O O

63 Daylighting fenestration

Core & Shell New & Existing Interiors New & Existing Buildings
1: Window Sizes for Working and Learning Spaces O O O
2: Window Transmittance in Working and Learning Areas O O O
3: Uniform Color Transmittance O O O

53 Visual lighting design

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Visual Acuity for Focus - P - - -
2: Brightness Management Strategies - P - - -
3: Commercial Kitchen Lighting P - - - -
4: Visual Acuity in Living Environments - - O - -
5: Visual Acuity for Learning - P - - -
6: Visual Acuity for Dining - - - P -

54 Circadian lighting design

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Melanopic Light Intensity for Work Areas O O - - -
2: Melanopic Light Intensity in Living Environments - - O - -
3: Melanopic Light Intensity in Breakrooms - - - O O
4: Melanopic Light Intensity in Learning Areas - O - - -

55 Electric light glare control

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Lamp Shielding P P P P O
2: Glare Minimization P P P P O

56 Solar glare control

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: View Window Shading P P - P P
2: Daylight Management P P - P P

57 Low-glare workstation design

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Glare Avoidance - O - - -

58 Color quality

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Color Rendering Index O O O O O

59 Surface design

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Working and Learning Area Surface Reflectivity O O - - -
2: Bedroom Wall and Ceiling Lightness - - O - -
3: Living Space Wall and Ceiling Lightness - - O - -

60 Automated shading and dimming controls

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Automated Sunlight Control O O O O O
2: Responsive Light Control O O O O O

61 Right to light

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Lease Depth O O P O O
2: Window Access - O - - O

62 Daylight modeling

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Healthy Sunlight Exposure O O O O O

63 Daylighting fenestration

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Window Sizes for Working and Learning Spaces O O - - O
2: Window Transmittance in Working and Learning Areas O O - - O
3: Uniform Color Transmittance O O O - O
4: Window Sizes for Living Spaces - - O - -

P2 Light at night

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Window Light Elimination - - O - -
2: Electric Light Elimination - - O - -
3: Safe Nighttime Navigation Lighting - - O - -

P3 Circadian emulation

Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
1: Circadian Lighting - - O - -
2: Dawn Simulation - - O - -