Andrea DuBois and Mary Lynn Mellinger of global spa consultancy and management firm WTS International (WTS) are among the first interior designers in the world to begin an accredited training programme with the WELL Building Institute.

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health and wellbeing through the built environment.

Its WELL Building Standard is a set of 102 performance metrics, design strategies and procedures that can be implemented by owners, designers, engineers, contractors and operators of a property. The Standard is third-party certified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), which also administers the respected LEED certification program and the LEED professional credentialing program.

During 2015, WTS designers, Andrea DuBois and Mary Lynn Mellinger, will undertake the work required to become fully accredited.

The process started with the awarding of the provisional Well Accredited Professional credential (WELL AP) at the conclusion of the IWBI’s first two-day inaugural WELL AP workshop.

During the workshop, which was held recently at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, DuBois and Mellinger were introduced to the purpose, key components and structure of the WELL Building Standard (WELL). It is the first building standard to focus on the health and wellness of people in buildings.

A WELL AP Exam will launch in November 2015 and will be complemented by a comprehensive educational programme. DuBois and Mellinger will be among the first to participate.

Mellinger said: “The exam will test knowledge of the WELL Building Standard. We will be tested on the 102 performance metrics, which involve air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mental wellbeing.

“In addition to the WELL Building Standard, we also need to be familiar with the body of research that supports the standard. These are contained in what are known as ‘WELLographies’.”

The WELL AP is an advanced credential designed for experienced building professionals and is not an entry-level accreditation. Mellinger says it will take WTS’ work to a higher level: “Not only will we be able to design for our clients with the highest level of attention to their wellbeing, we’ll also be able to provide leadership on projects that are pursuing WELL certification,” she said.

DuBois added: “WTS will continue to be at the front of the worldwide wellness movement, by having designers on staff who are equipped to provide a higher level of expertise when it comes to incorporating wellness into the built environment.”

WTS is currently working with a residential/ hotel project with a major developer in Kuala Lumpur, which has already benefited from the new-found expertise of the two designers, as have a number of other properties that are intent on pursuing WELL Certification.