The partnership between the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and the International Well (WELL) Building Institute (IWBI) has received a boost with several updates announced recently by IWBI Chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi at the Green Cities conference in Sydney.
The new updates will help Australian building owners increase the sustainability of their assets while supporting the health of building occupants.
According to Fedrizzi, the Well Building Standard (WELL) provides a framework for focusing on building enhancements that can have direct positive impact on human health. IWBI’s new ‘all projects in’ strategy allows any building type to use their Alternative Adherence Path process to account for variables needed for a specific building type.
GBCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Romilly Madew says their job is to get the best outcomes for their buildings, environment, industry, and ultimately, the tenants. Working in partnership is the best way to achieve these objectives.
The GBCA and IWBI followed up the announcement of their partnership in March 2016 with the release of the Green Star and Well Building Standard: Approaches to buildings or fitouts seeking a dual rating. This document maps the credits and criteria that may be used for an assessment under both Green Star and Well.
Madew commented that the organisations have since identified several pathways to add more value to industry by reducing the time and cost of certification and harmonising Green Star and Well.
Education and training in Australia will be delivered by both GBCA and IWBI in partnership.
The GBCA will work with IWBI on the product development of other Well standards, including the Well Community Standard.
Download ‘Green Star and Well Building Standard: Approaches to buildings or fitouts seeking a dual rating’ from the GBCA and IWBI websites.
Image: Romilly Madew and Rick Fedrizzi - March 2017 - Green Cities
