I've been keeping up with the WELL® Building Standard for sometime and as a WELL AP, I'm so happy to see the role that the International Well Building Institute (IWBI) is playing in aiding building owners and managers in relation to COVID-19 risks. The current standard has a number of strategies that deal with indoor air quality and hygiene and now IWBI has issued a guidebook specifically organized around prevention and preparedness for buildings and their occupants, based on Well v2! The 20 page guide is centered around these key themes in are:
1. Promote clean contact
2. Improve air quality
3. Maintain water quality
4. Manage risk and create organizational resilience
5. Support movement and comfort, including work from home
6. Strengthen immune systems
7. Foster mental resilience
8. Champion community resilience and recovery
Particularly section /feature 23 - Advance Air Purification, Pt. 2, deals with Air Sanitization and using ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or photocatalytic oxidation integrated into the central ventilation or as a standalone device. These technologies take air sanitization and better indoor air quality to the next level. We are watching closing what is happening in the Twin Cities commercial real estate market and who will be leading mechanical manufacturer through these challenges as these technologies are implemented.
Of course, in our role as general contractor or construction manager for renovations and new construction, we are regularly taking part in industry forums and seminars on this and all new technology and updates to make the built environment safer for all.
MEGHAN HUBER President, Welsh Construction