SAS INVESTS IN WELL
SAS International is delighted to announce that we are the first UK supporting partner for the Blue Building Institute (BBI). The Netherlands-based organisation exists to spread understanding and adoption of the WELL Building Standard.
The WELL Building Standard itself originated in the US in 2013 and is the first ever building standard to focus exclusively on human health and wellness.
It is perhaps not surprising that issues such as air quality, light, acoustic comfort and fitness will make a huge contribution to the wellbeing of building occupants. The people-centric WELL Standard lays out how buildings should be designed to address specific performance criteria.
Importantly, every aspect of the environment, including interior fittings and furniture, are included, with potentially huge implications for both building designers and product manufacturers.
BBI was formed by two passionate advocates of WELL who vowed to bring the standard to Holland and convince the developers, investment houses and property owners of the commercial advantages to doing the right thing.
Five years on and a concentrated programme of networking and information sharing has resulted in approaching 60 projects in the Netherlands being built to the WELL Standard.
“We have had a demonstrable impact in Holland,” summarises BBI Strategy Director Ian Davies. “The next stage is to spread out into other countries across Europe.”
A not-for-profit organisation, BBI relies upon sponsorship and financial support from WELL advocates. SAS International, always keen to support initiatives that improve the built environment, is just such an advocate.
“While our products are supplied as part of the building fabric, we have to understand that a building is only successful if its occupants are healthy, happy and productive” says Phil Smith, SAS Sales and Marketing Director. “We absolutely support the objectives of the WELL Building Standard and are delighted to have the opportunity to bring it to the attention of the commercial design community in the UK.”
SAS products will help designers meet the WELL standard in practice. The predominantly metal systems support the indoor air quality standards while acoustic insulation makes an active contribution to a positive working environment.
SAS has experience of working with the standard, having recently been involved with the Fidelity International Building at 4 Cannon Street. This is the first UK building to go for Gold Certification under the WELL Standard.
From the BBI perspective, having the support of a high-profile product manufacturer is a significant coup. “Our partnership with the SAS brand should enable us to make an impact in the UK market quickly,” continues Ian Davies. “The WELL Standard places an unprecedented responsibility on product manufacturers so we are delighted that our first UK partner comes from that sector.”
BBI, with the support of SAS, will be promoting WELL in the UK through a series of events and promotional activity. Interested building professionals will be able to find out more through the training and research functions.