Transforming Homes for Health: Explore the IWBI's WELL for Residential Program
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and Seneca, a Division of Christopher Homes in Henderson, Nevada, have joined forces to redefine luxury living by embracing purposeful, tech-driven, and sustainable residential communities. Seneca has become an early adopter of IWBI's WELL for residential program, now accepting enrollments. This pioneering program, WELL for residential, is a third-party verified certification initiative aimed at revolutionizing the design, construction, and maintenance of homes to promote human health and well-being.
This collaboration empowers Seneca to incorporate WELL strategies into the development of Seneca at Southern Highlands, with a focus on positively impacting the health of residents. The WELL for residential program draws upon the evidence-based principles of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and its 10 concepts, offering over 100 health strategies applicable to both single-family homes and multifamily buildings. In the initial stages of the program's launch, IWBI is partnering with industry leaders, including Seneca, to drive global transformation in the residential market, making healthier and more resilient homes accessible to a wider audience.
“Seneca is excited to announce its participation in IWBI’s WELL for residential program,” said Michael Stuhmer, Principal of Seneca. “As a developer dedicated to transforming luxury living, this collaboration is pivotal for Seneca. Seneca at Southern Highlands marks our inaugural development, and our commitment to purposeful, tech-driven, and sustainable communities aligns seamlessly with the mission of establishing healthier and more resilient homes. Joining IWBI’s new residential program empowers us to pioneer the integration of WELL strategies, fostering resident well-being and shaping the future of healthier living environments.”
“Healthier and more resilient homes are better positioned to respond to climate impacts, and the WELL for residential program provides an actionable framework to design and build such communities,” said Liz Miles, vice president for stakeholder relations at IWBI “Congratulations to Seneca for becoming an early adopter of these new WELL strategies and integrating them into its sustainable design approach.”
The development of the WELL for residential program is the result of two years of collaboration, incorporating industry input, market insights, and expert recommendations from the WELL Residential Advisory by IWBI. This advisory consists of over 100 globally renowned subject matter experts, including leading builders, developers, architects, engineers, public health and building scientists, government officials, academics, and other real estate professionals.
Companies seeking the WELL Residence seal for their residences must undergo a third-party review and verification of selected strategies. To be certified as a WELL Residence, a home must achieve a minimum of 40 points. Additionally, projects can attain precertified WELL Residence status for participating units after a preliminary design review, allowing them to communicate their achievements before construction completion.
In the United States alone, the residential sector comprises over 120 million homes with a total of approximately 224 billion square feet of real estate. Creating healthier environments in residential spaces has become a paramount concern for homeowners. The WELL for residential program enriches the WELL ecosystem and establishes a new pathway for designing people-centric residences. This program extends IWBI's work in the multifamily sector, leveraging insights from WELL Certification and WELL ratings in that domain.
The WELL for residential program addresses the increasing demand for healthy homes, recognizing the lack of regulations and standards focused on resident health in homes. It aims to transform the global residential market, ensuring that individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, have access to homes that enhance their health and facilitate healthier decisions.
The broader WELL ecosystem includes WELL Certification under the WELL Building Standard, offering a range of building and organizational strategies centered on health. It encompasses the WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Performance Rating, WELL Equity Rating, and certification under the WELL Community Standard.
This holistic, evidence-based approach provides organizations with a roadmap to enhance human and social capital performance, contributing to their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy. As a result, thousands of organizations, including nearly 30% of Fortune 500 companies across almost 130 countries, have implemented WELL strategies in over 40,000 locations, totaling nearly five billion square feet of space.
This collaboration empowers Seneca to incorporate WELL strategies into the development of Seneca at Southern Highlands, with a focus on positively impacting the health of residents. The WELL for residential program draws upon the evidence-based principles of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and its 10 concepts, offering over 100 health strategies applicable to both single-family homes and multifamily buildings. In the initial stages of the program's launch, IWBI is partnering with industry leaders, including Seneca, to drive global transformation in the residential market, making healthier and more resilient homes accessible to a wider audience.
“Seneca is excited to announce its participation in IWBI’s WELL for residential program,” said Michael Stuhmer, Principal of Seneca. “As a developer dedicated to transforming luxury living, this collaboration is pivotal for Seneca. Seneca at Southern Highlands marks our inaugural development, and our commitment to purposeful, tech-driven, and sustainable communities aligns seamlessly with the mission of establishing healthier and more resilient homes. Joining IWBI’s new residential program empowers us to pioneer the integration of WELL strategies, fostering resident well-being and shaping the future of healthier living environments.”
“Healthier and more resilient homes are better positioned to respond to climate impacts, and the WELL for residential program provides an actionable framework to design and build such communities,” said Liz Miles, vice president for stakeholder relations at IWBI “Congratulations to Seneca for becoming an early adopter of these new WELL strategies and integrating them into its sustainable design approach.”
The development of the WELL for residential program is the result of two years of collaboration, incorporating industry input, market insights, and expert recommendations from the WELL Residential Advisory by IWBI. This advisory consists of over 100 globally renowned subject matter experts, including leading builders, developers, architects, engineers, public health and building scientists, government officials, academics, and other real estate professionals.
Companies seeking the WELL Residence seal for their residences must undergo a third-party review and verification of selected strategies. To be certified as a WELL Residence, a home must achieve a minimum of 40 points. Additionally, projects can attain precertified WELL Residence status for participating units after a preliminary design review, allowing them to communicate their achievements before construction completion.
In the United States alone, the residential sector comprises over 120 million homes with a total of approximately 224 billion square feet of real estate. Creating healthier environments in residential spaces has become a paramount concern for homeowners. The WELL for residential program enriches the WELL ecosystem and establishes a new pathway for designing people-centric residences. This program extends IWBI's work in the multifamily sector, leveraging insights from WELL Certification and WELL ratings in that domain.
The WELL for residential program addresses the increasing demand for healthy homes, recognizing the lack of regulations and standards focused on resident health in homes. It aims to transform the global residential market, ensuring that individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, have access to homes that enhance their health and facilitate healthier decisions.
The broader WELL ecosystem includes WELL Certification under the WELL Building Standard, offering a range of building and organizational strategies centered on health. It encompasses the WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Performance Rating, WELL Equity Rating, and certification under the WELL Community Standard.
This holistic, evidence-based approach provides organizations with a roadmap to enhance human and social capital performance, contributing to their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy. As a result, thousands of organizations, including nearly 30% of Fortune 500 companies across almost 130 countries, have implemented WELL strategies in over 40,000 locations, totaling nearly five billion square feet of space.
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