WELL certification consultancy for healthier buildings

We translate the WELL Building Standard into coordinated design, specification, operational and evidence requirements, helping teams make informed decisions early and prepare for third-party review and performance verification.

WELL is voluntary, but it gives projects a recognised framework for addressing how a building’s physical and social environment can support the health and wellbeing of the people who use it. In the Irish market it is particularly relevant where international occupiers or investors specify health and wellbeing standards, where ESG reporting obligations call for recognised benchmarks, or where an owner-occupier brief places wellbeing at the centre of the building proposition. The Dublin office market has seen growing uptake of WELL, driven largely by international tech and financial-services tenants who bring consistent expectations about indoor environment quality across their global portfolios.

What is WELL Certification?

WELL Certification is the International WELL Building Institute’s (IWBI) third-party certification programme for spaces seeking to implement the WELL Building Standard (WELL). Projects earn points by meeting applicable preconditions and selected optimisation features, then receive an independent review through IWBI’s certification process.

The current WELL v2 framework covers ten concepts:

• Air
• Water
• Nourishment
• Light
• Movement
• Thermal Comfort
• Sound
• Materials
• Mind
• Community

The features combine design measures, building-system performance, operational practices and policies. The appropriate strategy depends on the project boundary, building type, control of the space and the people who will operate it.

Certification levels are Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Under WELL v2, these correspond to 40, 50, 60 and 80 points respectively, subject to satisfying the programme’s applicable requirements. A certification target should be tested against the project scope and responsibilities, not treated as a simple specification checklist.

When should a project consider WELL?

WELL works best when it is considered at concept and scheme design stage, before key decisions on building services, facade, layout, materials, amenities and operational responsibilities are fixed. It can also be applied to refurbishment, fit-out and operational projects where the client wants a structured approach to healthy building outcomes.

Early WELL advice can help a project team:

• define a realistic certification target and project boundary;
• identify which requirements sit with the landlord, tenant, employer, operator and supply chain;
• assess implications for ventilation, filtration, water, lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort, materials and controls;
• coordinate wellbeing objectives with architecture, MEP design, sustainability, cost and programme decisions;
• establish the documentation, policies and testing plan needed before handover; and
• avoid late changes that can arise when a feature is reviewed only after design or construction decisions are made.

WELL sits alongside, and is separate from, Irish statutory requirements. Projects must continue to meet Technical Guidance Document L (TGD L) for energy performance, Technical Guidance Document F (TGD F) for ventilation, and all other applicable Building Regulations. Ireland’s NZEB requirements under TGD L set minimum energy performance standards that apply regardless of WELL. Where WELL targets interact with TGD F ventilation or filtration requirements, IN2 can map requirements across both frameworks to avoid contradictions or unnecessary duplication.

Planning context can also be relevant. Applications assessed by An Bord Pleanala or local planning authorities under the Planning and Development Act may be supported by documented evidence of health-focused design intent. SEAI grant and support programmes address energy performance, not WELL certification directly, but projects pursuing both WELL and high energy performance ratings should coordinate strategies from the outset to avoid conflicts. WELL does not substitute for any planning condition or statutory energy obligation.

WELL Certification, WELL Core, WELL Ratings and WELL at scale: which route is right?

These routes are related but they do not mean the same thing. Selecting the right route at the outset matters because it affects the project boundary, evidence requirements and long-term responsibilities.

WELL Certification

WELL Certification is generally suited to a defined space where the project team has control over design, construction and operation: for example, an occupier fit-out, an owner-occupied building or another interior space. It addresses the conditions and strategies within the certified project boundary.

WELL Core

WELL Core is the certification pathway for base buildings. It is intended for owners and developers who control fundamental building features and common areas, rather than the design and operation of every tenant space. WELL Core can provide a health-focused base-building platform for present and future occupiers, while tenant projects pursue their own WELL Certification where appropriate. This route is increasingly relevant in Dublin’s speculative office market where developers seek to attract international occupiers with specific indoor environment requirements.

WELL Ratings

WELL Ratings are targeted, thematic achievements drawn from a subset of WELL strategies. IWBI currently presents the WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Performance Rating and WELL Equity Rating. They can be a focused route for organisations with a specific objective; they are not interchangeable with full WELL Certification or WELL Core.

WELL at scale

WELL at scale is IWBI’s subscription route for applying WELL across an organisation or real-estate portfolio. It enables participating organisations to pursue unlimited WELL Certifications and Ratings across locations. It is relevant where a client needs consistent governance, portfolio reporting and repeatable implementation across an Irish or international estate.

IN2 can help clients compare these options against their asset type, level of control, target outcomes and operational model. Certification and ratings are awarded by IWBI, not by IN2.

What does WELL consultancy from IN2 cover?

IN2 provides technical and strategic support to embed health-focused measures into building systems and operations. The exact scope is agreed around the project route, target level, programme and team responsibilities.

Typical support includes:

• initial route, boundary and target-level review;
• a WELL strategy and responsibility matrix for the client, design team, contractor and operator;
• review of relevant WELL features alongside MEP, architectural, interior, landscape and sustainability decisions;
• coordination of technical inputs for indoor air quality, water quality, lighting, thermal comfort, acoustics, materials and controls where relevant to the selected features;
• guidance on operational policies, occupant information and evidence requirements;
• tracking the project scorecard, feature status and evidence programme;
• support for design-stage and construction-stage documentation; and
• preparation and coordination for performance verification and IWBI submission.

This is a coordinated process. Final certification is determined through IWBI’s independent review. See also our service pages for projects where multiple certification frameworks form part of the same brief.

Performance verification and recertification

WELL is performance-based. For WELL Certification, IWBI requires third-party, on-site performance verification for applicable features. This is distinct from conventional commissioning: it is an assessment designed to confirm that the project meets relevant WELL requirements. Measurements can cover areas such as air and water quality, light, thermal conditions and acoustics, depending on the selected features and project scope.

IN2 can help the team plan for this stage by identifying applicable performance-verified features, coordinating information and site readiness with the contractor and operator, and addressing issues identified before the formal assessment where the programme allows. Testing is undertaken by an IWBI-approved performance testing organisation, not IN2 unless separately confirmed as an approved provider.

WELL Certified spaces must be recertified every three years to maintain their certification. Recertification involves renewed evidence and performance verification under the applicable programme rules. That ongoing commitment should be factored into facilities management responsibilities, policies, data and budgets from the outset.

What will you receive?

Deliverables are tailored to the appointment and project stage. They can include:

• a WELL route and target-level recommendation;
• a feature-by-feature strategy and gap assessment;
• project-boundary and responsibility matrix;
• design and specification comments for relevant WELL features, cross-referenced to TGD L and TGD F requirements where applicable;
• an evidence register and submission tracker;
• meeting coordination with the client, design team, contractor and operator;
• a performance-verification readiness plan; and
• support through IWBI review comments and certification submission.

How IN2 supports the design and certification process

Successful WELL projects need coordinated decisions across design, construction and operation. IN2 works with the wider team to turn the selected WELL features into clear actions, identify dependencies between disciplines and make ownership visible.

A typical process is:

1. Set the brief and route. Confirm the asset type, project boundary, certification ambition, stakeholders and likely delivery route. Identify any planning health conditions or ESG obligations that intersect with WELL.
2. Test feasibility early. Review selected WELL features against the emerging design, building systems, landlord and tenant responsibilities, and operational model. Map interactions with TGD L and TGD F requirements at this stage.
3. Integrate into the design. Coordinate actions, specifications and policies with the relevant consultants and client teams across scheme and detailed design stages.
4. Manage evidence and construction-stage delivery. Maintain the scorecard and evidence register, resolving gaps while changes can still be made.
5. Prepare for verification and review. Coordinate readiness for third-party performance verification and support the IWBI review and response process.
6. Plan for operation. Set out the information and responsibilities needed to maintain the certified space and prepare for recertification.

It all starts with a plan. Contact us today to chat about WELL certification for your next project.