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The International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) have launched guidelines to help lighting designers more easily determine if their designs meet the WELL Building Standard criteria.
The WELL v2 pilot is the latest version of the WELL Building Standard, a rating system that focuses exclusively on the way buildings and everything in them—including lighting—can improve comfort and enhance health and wellness.
“With the increasing number of projects seeking WELL certification, providing designers with the information they need in a consistent format is an important step in helping ensure lighting products are easily and correctly specified,” stated Grant Harlow of Cooledge, chair of the LIRC sub-committee who led the effort in developing the guidelines. “The IALD + the Lighting Industry Resource Council (LIRC) believe that this document accomplishes that goal.”
The WELL v2 pilot was launched in 2018 and included a revised section for light, one of the 10 concepts covered by the standard. The WELL light concept promotes exposure to light and aims to create environments that are optimal for visual, mental, and physical health.
Eight features (L01-L08) comprise the light concept and define specific technical requirements. Some of these features require documentation and validation from lighting manufacturers to assist specifiers in determining if their designs will meet the criteria. IALD and LIRC provide guidelines for best practices on technical requirements of four features requiring documentation: circadian lighting, glare, color rendering, and flicker.
