The places where we live, work, and gather shape both our well-being and our environmental impact. A commitment to healthier buildings is, at its core, a commitment to healthier people and a healthier planet, a principle central to both LEED and WELL.
Growing market demand for integrated health and sustainability performance has led the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to establish a LEED + WELL streamlined certification process. By identifying aligned strategies and streamlining documentation requirements, this process helps project teams pursue both certifications more efficiently.
The following LEED versions are eligible for streamlined certification with WELL v2: LEED v4, v4.1, and v5 (BD+C and ID+C). The project boundary and scope must be identical for both certifications.
Supporting Resources
LEED + WELL Crosswalk (see below): Maps individual WELL feature parts to specific LEED credits and vice versa. Use this document during design to identify where a single strategy can satisfy requirements in both programs. Teams may pursue any or all listed credits and feature parts.
Three categories of alignment are used:
- Bidirectional: Achievement in either program satisfies the corresponding requirement in the other.
- LEED → WELL: LEED credit achievement satisfies the corresponding WELL feature part, but not the reverse.
- WELL → LEED: WELL feature part achievement satisfies the corresponding LEED credit, but not the reverse.
Step 1: Registration
Projects must be registered in both LEED and WELL. Registration steps vary by platform:
For LEED
- LEED Online (v4/v4.1): During registration or by editing the project details page, select the checkbox indicating the project is pursuing (or has earned) WELL certification, and enter the WELL project ID and project name.
- Arc (v5): After registration, use the Project Information form to indicate the project is pursuing compliance through this path, and enter the WELL project ID and project name.
For WELL
- WELL Online: During registration, opt into the LEED + WELL Streamlined Certification Process by clicking “opt-in” under the relevant “optional activities for success” card. Input your LEED project ID and name of your LEED projects. Then indicate which documentation submission approach you intend to take (see below).
Step 2: Documentation Submission
There are two options for submitting documentation. Choose the option that fits your project’s timeline. Either option requires that you reflect your intent within the platform.
- In LEED Online (LEED v4/v4.1): For each credit using the WELL compliance option, enter a “LEED + WELL” note in the Special Circumstances section in lieu of standard LEED documentation.
- In Arc (LEED v5): Select the LEED+WELL path within individual credit forms in lieu of standard LEED documentation.
- In WELL Online: For each feature part using the LEED compliance option, check the LEED + WELL Crosswalk box within that feature part in the scorecard. Select the relevant checkbox upon submitting for review.
Option 1: Proof of Award
If one certification has already been awarded, use that award as documentation for the other program. For WELL feature parts relying on an awarded LEED credit, substitute the required WELL documentation with a LEED report confirming the credit was awarded. For LEED credits relying on an awarded WELL feature part, substitute the required LEED documentation with a WELL report confirming the feature part was awarded.
Where a specific strategy or option is required for compliance, provide evidence that it was utilized and awarded.
Option 2: Synchronous Review
A synchronous review is one in which LEED v4/v4.1 and WELL submittals are submitted with overlapping timelines. This option is not currently available for LEED v5 projects. To proceed:
- Prior to submitting any phases of review, submit a request for a synchronous review to IWBI through your Support tab in the WELL platform at least 30 days before submitting documentation.
- For each strategy using the crosswalk, upload documentation only in the platform associated with your chosen compliance pathway—there is no need to upload in both. For example, if a LEED credit is used for compliance, upload documentation in LEED Online or Arc.
- Ensure digital scorecards in both platforms reflect all credits and feature parts being attempted—including those using the crosswalk—even when documentation is submitted through the other platform. (Make sure to follow the steps above for reflecting your intent within each platform.) Credits and feature parts marked as attempted in each scorecard must align with the relevant sections of the LEED + WELL Crosswalk.
- Submit in both platforms within two business days of each other to initiate a synchronous review.
When submitting for review in WELL Online you will be asked to reconfirm your intended approach.
Note: Projects using WELL at Scale, LEED Volume, LEED Proven Provider, or LEED Campus are not eligible for synchronous review.
Synchronous Review: What to Expect
Reviews for both programs will be completed and returned according to the applicable review phase timeline. Credits and feature parts using the crosswalk will reflect a coordinated status when returned.
If a credit or feature part relying on the other program’s compliance path is marked pending in preliminary review, it will also be marked pending in the other program.
If an issue affects both projects, both reviews will be placed on hold. If only one project is affected, that review may be placed on hold while the other proceeds. Upon completion, coordinated reviews will be returned in their respective platforms.
Have questions? Contact us at: coaching@wellcertified.com
Crosswalks: