Hartford’s JCJ Architecture says it is one of the first U.S. design houses to move toward full accreditation using a new standard for designing buildings with the health and wellness of their occupants in mind.
JCJ said Wednesday some of its team leaders have earned provisional accreditation through the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) – making the company one of the first architecture firms in the nation to have such trained professionals on staff.
JCJ says it has launched a WELL-Environment Strategies Team, which will focus on implementing the WELL Building Standard. This standard identifies specific design strategies, performance targets, and operational policies that can enhance health and well-being when holistically integrated into building architecture and design.
WELL accreditation is akin to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, building protocol that promotes energy efficiency and sustainability through building design and construction materials and techniques.
“With people spending more than 90 percent of their time indoors, the built environment has a profound impact on our health, happiness, productivity and well-being,” said architect and JCJ Managing Director Alexandra Lopatynsky. “We see this not just as an outgrowth of the sustainability movement, but as the next logical step toward a holistic approach to design.”