Built Environment and Wellbeing—Standards, Multi-Criteria Evaluation Methods, Certifications

Abstract

The debate on IEQ (Indoor Environmental Quality), with a focus on the healthiness of the built environment and its possible influence on the natural environment, has been a relevant topic for a decade. This interest has expanded to the quality of building technologies, specifically their performances and environmental effects. The objectives set by the 2030 Agenda have led to overcome the idea that sustainability is only related to environment; instead, a holistic vision aimed at human health has been affirmed (objective 3). The period marked by the Covid19 emergency contributed to strengthen the need for human well-being, as the “quarantine” made us observe our living spaces, reflecting on quality that we ourselves perceive. There is the need for a transition from a “Green” approach to architecture, toward a “Human Centered” approach with a user-centered design. The paper focuses on the factors that can affect users’ well-being in their living space, by comparing the most common building environmental certifications (LEED, BREEAM) with WELL, a tool designed to verify the level of users’ health and well-being. Specifically, the objective is to verify, within these methodologies, the presence and possible weight of the indicators that define a quality living space according to the user’s perception.