sustainable gym consultants

Design that leverages the innate human desire to connect with natural surroundings, in this case by bringing the outside world into the built environment through architecture, interiors, landscaping and products. Our particular definition of this concept integrates sustainability and wellbeing, the health of planet and people, with nature as the bridge that binds the two ideas together in one synergistic concept.

BREEAM covers Management, Health & Wellbeing, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Waste, Land Use & Ecology, Pollution and Innovation categories.

Certification levels range from Good (>40%), Very Good (>55%), Excellent (>70%) and Outstanding (>85%).

A design philosophy that focuses on closed loops, keeping materials and products at their highest value for as long as possible while encouraging recycling and reuse to avoid waste. This concept is part of the Circular Economy that promotes a transition to renewable energy and materials, the elimination of waste and pollution and a regeneration of nature.

A building that has taken measures to improve its energy, water and waste efficiency; reduce its use of natural resources generally reduce its environmental, even taking steps to do more good by re-introducing nature via biophilic design, green rooftops and landscaping. Specifically, a green building considers everything from initial site selection, transportation, energy efficiency, water usage, operations and maintenance, waste management, indoor environmental quality and its impact on the local community. See also the USGBC LEED and the UK BREEAM green building standards.

A building that integrates a variety of healthy design, MEP and operations strategies to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of its occupants. These include enhanced indoor air quality, active design, biophilic design, wellness lighting, multi-sensory design, acoustic design, healthy materials and fitness.

Healthy materials for buildings and interiors tend to fall into the category of a natural material such as stone or wood; a bio-based material such as mycelium or clay; or recycled materials such as plastic, glass, coffee or food waste to name a few. Their key characteristic, beyond their sustainability, is to be toxic chemical free, helping to ensure healthy indoor air quality and therefore building occupant wellbeing.

Indoor air is affected by a range of factors such as off-gassing Volatile Organic Compounds, dust and other particulate matter ( PM2.5 / PM10), Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and, indirectly, humidity, and temperature. Wrap all of that up in the context of a building's ventilation, be that natural or mechanical, and if not properly monitored and maintained, poor indoor air quality can be a major factor in Sick Building Syndrome causing fatigue, drowsiness, headaches and scratchy eyes.

LEED green building certification, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, offers various categories such as Building Design & Construction, Operations & Maintenance, Interior Design & Construction, Homes and Neighborhood Development.

There are six main credit categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation & Regional Priority. Certification levels are Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59), Gold (60-79) and Platinum (80+).

Their RESET AIR standard focuses specifically on indoor air quality. Its three main components are:

Deployment and installation of monitors (APs are trained to create a professional monitor deployment plan

Standards for qualified monitors (only Grade A and B, not retail grade C)

Standards for collecting and reporting data via accredited cloud data providers (priority is data completeness and data on a project meeting targets for key pollutants of TVOC, CO2 and PM2.5 specifically) escription

Don't be misled by the 'organic' part, Volatile Organic Compounds are toxic chemicals often introduced into indoor environments via adhesives, paints, coatings, and insulation. The ‘organic’ refers to the presence of carbon, often from petrochemicals in the material. When inhaled, VOCs can cause serious respiratory health problems for building occupants and therefore negatively impact Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). One of the primary data points measured by indoor air monitors. Common VOCs include formaldehyde, benzene, toluene and styrene. Long-term exposure to VOCs can cause damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system.

Among many green building standards and certification systems, the WELL standard completely re-wrote the rulebook of human-centric green building certification, going further than both LEED and BREEAM in its quest to promote healthy buildings.

As a result, it pairs well with LEED or BREEAM as it goes deep into the health aspects of a building rather than its environmental impact per se.

Credit categories cover air, water, nourishment, light, comfort, fitness, mind and innovation with WELL Associated Professionals (a.k.a “APs”) playing the role of project leadcription

The latest addition to the WELL stable is a new seal aimed at a broader audience than the full WELL Building Standard, focusing on a narrower selection of criteria that can be immediately implemented by owners and Facility Managers, without the need for large chunks of CAPEX as with the full WELL certification.

Principle categories in use here are Cleaning and Sanitization Procedures; Emergency Preparedness Programs; Health Service Resources; Air and Water Quality Management; and finally Stakeholder Engagement and Communication.

A total of 15 features need to be implemented from within these categories in order to secure the certification.