THE modern office worker spends 90% of his time indoors. An unhealthy diet, bad sleeping patterns, and constant sickness are usually attributed to the stress of the workplace.
In 1986, the World Health Organization coined the term “sick building syndrome.” It referred to situations where building occupants experienced acute health and comfort effects that appeared to be linked to time spent in a building.
In 2013, the International WELL Building Institute established the WELL Building Standard. Because of the amount of time spent indoors, a building’s environment can have a tremendous impact on wellness. WELL empowers the creation of healthy environments for people to live, work and play, which then enhances occupant health and quality of life. It measures and monitors the performance of building features that impact the users’ health.
Seven different areas (or what they call “concepts”) are measured and monitored: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. From the assessment of the number of polluting particles in the air to the creation of an indoor environment that is distraction-free, productive and soothing to the promotion of healthier eating habits, these are all analyzed and considered when awarding the WELL Building Standard certification.
WELL certification
Menarco Tower, a new office development located on 32nd Street in BGC, is the first building in the country to register for WELL certification.
“Getting certified for WELL is a natural offshoot of what we have envisioned for Menarco Tower,” said Carmen Jimenez Ong, managing director of Menarco Development Corporation.
Menarco Tower recently garnered three Philippine Property Awards: 2016 Best Green Development Winner, 2016 Best Office Development (Highly Commended) and 2015 Best Office Architectural Design (Highly Commended).
