How to Approach Design with Public Health in Mind: Build for Impact

The International WELL Building Institute has released its newly-developed WELL Health-Safety Rating building certification. Build for Impact host, LEED fellow, and WELL faculty member, Daniel Huard, addressed this hot topic in the Build for Impact podcast.

Huard posed the questions, “Why is this rating important?  Why does it matter now?” and took a deeper dive into this IWBI release to address these questions and provide more details around the recently developed health-safety rating.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created the need for improving the safety of buildings, where interpersonal interactions are concentrated and the potential for the spread of infectious diseases is elevated.  The WELL Health-Safety Rating addresses the emergent need to  respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as prepare building management procedures and best practices for future health and safety concerns.

A collaboration of public health experts, virologists, government officials, academics, business leaders, real estate professionals, and many others came together to form the IWBI Task Force to understand what causes the spread of pathogens within buildings, how to best mitigate the health and safety risk to people, and formulate recommended practices for an effective response to pandemic situations as well as the prevention of future outbreaks.  The IWBI Health-Safety Rating addresses 5 key themes.

  1. Cleaning and sanitation procedures
  2. Emergency preparedness programs
  3. Health services resources
  4. Air and water quality management
  5. Stakeholder engagement and communication

Listen To Previous Episodes of Build for Impact Right Here!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

private equity
Alts Innovators: UT Austin’s Dr. Ken Wiles on Private Equity
December 15, 2025

Private equity is entering a period of adjustment after decades of expansion fueled by falling interest rates and abundant capital. That long-running tailwind reversed beginning in 2022, when interest rates rose sharply, disrupting deal activity, slowing exits, and bringing renewed attention to a long-standing vulnerability in private markets: liquidity. Industry reports have highlighted softer fundraising,…

Read More
SPD
Getting SPD Teams to the Table: Why Sterile Processing Deserves a Central Role in Surgical Planning and Operations
December 15, 2025

Sterile Processing Departments (SPDs) remain the backbone of safe surgical care, yet across the country, they’re still routinely left out of early decision-making around products, construction, staffing, and case planning. As hospitals juggle tighter margins, higher patient acuity, and growing procedural demands, the consequences of excluding SPD voices become unmistakably real—showing up in daily…

Read More
WireXpert
WireXpert MP Wire Mapping Overview
December 13, 2025

In modern network installations, speed alone isn’t enough—precision is what keeps systems reliable and downtime low. Tools like the WireXpert MP cable certifier reflect how far copper cable diagnostics have evolved, moving beyond simple pass-or-fail testing into actionable insight. By running a full 500 MHz sweep on a Category 6A link, technicians can…

Read More
Why Connectivity Has Become the Cornerstone of Modern Industrial Automation
December 11, 2025

Industrial automation is in the middle of a profound shift, as manufacturers push beyond basic control toward fully connected, data-driven operations that bridge the plant floor and the enterprise. What began years ago as early experiments in digital transformation—simply getting PLC data into IT systems—has now accelerated into a critical business imperative fueled by…

Read More