#wellcertification

// 17 February 2020

This visit to a Gold standard Well certified space was the Hilson Moran office in the Neo building in Manchester.

I sat through a presentation on what the Well Building standards entail and learned a great deal about the concepts measured through this form of building regulation. These seven concepts in the Well v1 are centered around wellbeing: air; water; nourishment; light; fitness; comfort; mind. I think that as a designer these seven concepts should always be on our minds when working on any project.

Throughout the office, there were notices that explained how different elements of the space aided the office in reaching it’s Well certification and I think these were useful notices that make one realise that there is depth to the design decisions in the space.

The carpet in the office was green in more relaxed and informal spaces. This was to mimic nature in a very obvious way. A running theme through the office was very obvious visual cues to wellbeing and nature - I think this was effective in this case as the office wasn’t very big.

The kitchen cabinetry was made from potato skin with hay and plywood that helps with the Air concept as it reduces VOC levels and incorporates natural materials. I think this was a nice touch since the kitchen area was small, however I don’t think it would be suitable for much larger spaces, unless it was used alongside other materials. 

The office featured more natural cues with preserved moss in an area used for brainstorming and collaboration.