What is additional guidance?

Registered projects can request complimentary additional guidance to clarify how they can successfully implement WELL strategies in unique spaces and/or for unique occupant types within their project.

Additional guidance can be requested for any WELL strategy that requires a specific threshold to be met in the space or implementation of a specific design strategy or policy.

What is considered a unique project?

A unique project has one or more unique spaces types or unique occupant types, defined as:

• Space type: An area of a project that is not already covered in the “space types” listed in the WELL Standard or is otherwise not included in a “typical” commercial, residential, hospitality, or retail building.  
• Occupant type: A group of individuals who are not already covered in the “occupant types” listed in the WELL Standard or are otherwise not a typical user group of commercial, residential, hospitality, or retail buildings.

How can I request additional guidance?

•  
  1. Create a scorecard.
  2. Identify the unique space types and / or unique occupant types in your project.
  3. Review your project’s scorecard and identify any WELL strategies that may require modifications to work for your project’s unique space/occupant type(s).
  4. Go to the Support tab of your project account and click the "Get Help" button.
  5. Submit a detailed request including: 
     • Whether you are requesting guidance for a unique space type or occupant type
     • The feature part your request applies to
     • Rationale for your request including why the requirements, as written, do not accommodate your unique space and/or occupants.
•  
  1. Create a scorecard.
  2. Identify the unique space types and / or unique occupant types in your project. 
  3. Review your project’s scorecard and identify any feature requirement(s) that may require modifications to work for your project’s unique space/occupant type(s).
  4. Go to the Alternatives tab of your project account.
  5. Navigate to the Additional Guidance sub-tab and click Request Guidance as shown below.
  6. Fill out the required fields and submit as shown below.

What is the timeline for receiving additional guidance?

You can expect to receive an Additional Guidance ruling within 8 - 10 business days.

Where can I see additional guidance rulings for my project?

• Submitting a request for additional guidance generates a Support ticket. Once reviewed by IWBI, you will receive a response via the support ticket containing the ruling.

  

  
  If approved, the additional guidance ruling will be documented under the relevant feature part in your project's scorecard.

  

• Once reviewed by IWBI, the additional guidance ruling will be documented in two places:

  • The Alternatives tab
    • Click the request number in the "#" column to view the additional guidance request

  

  • If approved, the additional guidance ruling will be documented under the relevant feature part in your project's scorecard.

  

Examples where additional guidance may be beneficial for your project

WELL strategy V02: Ergonomic Workstation Design

• Example project: A hospital
• Unique spaces within the project: Exam rooms, Operating rooms, Laboratories 
• Typical spaces within the project: Private offices used by medical staff and circulation areas
• The project team is uncertain how to apply ergonomic furnishing requirements in WELL strategy V02 to unique spaces used by hospital staff (e.g., medical exam rooms) and are unsure how to adapt the ergonomic requirements for the types of work being performed in those spaces.

WELL strategy N08: Mindful Eating

• Example project: A hospital
• Unique occupants within the project: Patients
• Typical occupants within the project: Employees (i.e., hospital staff)
• The project team is uncertain how to apply the requirements for dedicated eating spaces in WELL strategy N08 to patients, a unique occupant type.

WELL strategy T03: Thermal Zoning

• Example project: A school
• Unique spaces within the project: Classrooms
• Typical spaces within the project: Private offices used by school staff and circulation areas
• The project team is uncertain how to apply the requirements around thermostat control in WELL strategy T03 to classrooms in their school project, given that the number of occupants per thermal zone would likely exceed the maximum size allowed per the part requirements.

WELL strategy S03: Sound Barriers

• Example project: A senior/assisted living facility
• Unique spaces within the project: Resident rooms
• Typical spaces within the project: Private offices used by staff, commercial kitchen and dining spaces used by staff and residents
• The project team is uncertain how to apply the requirements for sound isolation in WELL strategy S03 to resident rooms.

WELL strategy T07: Humidity Control

• Example project: A research facility
• Unique spaces within the project: laboratories
• Typical spaces within the project: Private offices used by staff
• The project team is uncertain how to apply the requirements for managing relative humidity in WELL strategy T07 to the laboratory spaces, as these spaces are designed to meet laboratory-specific design codes/guidelines.