A home is much more than just a shelter: it’s the place where we build our future, where we nurture our relationships, and where we take care of our physical, mental, and emotional health.
A home is where we live and spend most of our time.
Resilience, well-being, beauty, connection with nature, efficiency, low consumption, healthy environments, and biophysics… all of these are elements found in residential certification programs such as LEED for Homes and WELL for Residential.
These third-party certifications were created to support the design and construction of healthier and more resilient homes all around the world. Eligible projects include apartments, condominiums, townhouses, and other residential complexes across all market segments – from affordable housing to luxury developments.
LEED for Residential
- Applicability: USGBC offers one single LEED v4.1 Residential BD+C certification program that consolidates all residential rating systems and guidance into three categories:
- Single Family Homes: New single-family homes that are attached or detached, and multifamily buildings with up to four units.
- Multifamily: Applicable to any predominantly multifamily building with two or more units and any number of stories.
- Multifamily Core and Shell: Applicable to the exterior shell and core mechanical, electrical and plumbing units, but not for a complete interior fit-out. It is the appropriate rating system to use if more than 40% of the gross floor area is incomplete at the time of certification.
- Award: The LEED Residential Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Certification levels of award recognizes your home has been design & constructed to meet the highest standards for the environment and energy performance.
- Third-party Verification: LEED Green Raters play a critical part by providing third-party verification services for LEED Residential projects and prepares the documentation submittal package & on-site verification reports to GBCI for review.
- Top Sustainable Strategies: Credits that have the highest value to investors & developers, such as climate resilience and decarbonization; and to consumers, such as energy & water savings, improved comfort, durability and health, and green materials are prioritized.
- Location & Transportation: To reduce the environmental impact sensitive land is avoided (e.g. flood hazard risk area). To promote sustainable mobility the use of bicycle & electric vehicles are encouraged. For community revitalisation brownfield remediation is a trending solution.
- Energy & Atmosphere: To improve the home’s overall energy performance and reduce its GHG Emissions establish a target no later than schematic design, conduct an energy simulation per ASHRAE 90.1 or with identification of the HERS Index and Energy Budget, and select an efficient Hot Water Distribution System are key actions.
- Materials & Resources: To increase demand for products or building components that minimize material consumption through recycled and recyclable content, reclamation, or overall reduced life-cycle impacts, the Environmentally Preferable Products is the ideal Credit.
- Indoor Environmental Quality: To protect and enhance human health, beyond the Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance required as per ASHRAE 62.2 and local exhaust requirements for Kitchen & Bathroom, special Credits are offered to address hazards such as Carbon Monoxide poisoning, Radon Exposure, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).
WELL for Residential
- Applicability: At this time IWBI offers two certification programs for Multifamily buildings (at least five dwelling units):
- WELL v2 to target building-level certification
- The new pilot WELL for Residential to target dwelling unit-level certification. This framework is also applicable to Single Family Homes.
- Award: In comparison to WELL v2, WELL for Residential does not have levels of award during the pilot phase. The WELL Residence Seal is achieved with at least 40 points and illustrates your home has been met the highest standards for health and well-being.
- Flexibility: In comparison to WELL v2, WELL for Residential does not have Preconditions as mandatory strategies, and onsite testing is optional – Performance Verification is not mandatory.
- Top Well-being Qualities: Informed by the WELL Building Standard, WELL for Residential equips project teams with more than 100 strategies to improve residents’ well-being and foster healthier environments at home.
- Improve air and water quality
- Use better, safer building materials
- Promote safety and privacy
- Encourage healthier eating habits
- Boost activity and daily movement
- Provide good lighting and optimize sleep
- Elevate in-home accessibility
- Optimize productivity and energy
Macro Design Studio offers consulting services in the ESG and built environment sectors. Our team includes LEED Green Raters and numerous LEED & WELL accredited professionals. We are also a LEED Proven Provider and the first LEED Residential Provider in Europe – a designation for organizations that oversee the LEED for Homes certification process on behalf of GBCI.
If you’re looking for a qualified partner to guide you through the certification process, contact us at: info@macrodesignstudio.it.
Join us to accelerate change: together, we continue our commitment to improving lives every day.
