What’s this WELL Standard I Keep Hearing About?

We’re pleased to welcome Jennifer Berthelot-Jelovic to WestEdge this Friday, November 4. She’ll be presenting  Introduction to the WELL Building Standard: How It Can Benefit Your Projects and Clients  in the Jenn-Air Master Class Studio. Below Jennifer sheds light on what this WELL Standard is about and what it means for all of us.

By Jennifer Berthelot-Jelovic

We spend 90% of our time indoors and sitting is the new smoking.  Worse yet, physical inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor for mortality.  So what can we do about it?

In October of 2014, after years of development; The WELL Building Standard™, also known as WELL, was released as an evidence-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring the performance of building features that impact health and well-being where we live, work and play.  WELL takes a holistic approach to health in the built environment; addressing behavior, operations, policies, procedures and design.  Much like LEED was created to measure and verify how healthy a building is for the planet; WELL was created to measure and verify how healthy a building is for the people.

“Design for Healthy Behaviors” is ranked #1 as both the most transformative and fastest-moving sub-trend of the Health and Well-Being macro-trend,” reported ASID Industry Outlook, 2015.  Research also shows that most employers are already offering health and wellness programs or initiatives, or plan to start providing them in the near future.

WELL focuses on seven concepts: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind; while using behavior, operations and design to drive the measurement and verification for these concepts.  WELL is like a nutrition label for your building, providing transparency on the quality of our built environment. We don’t want to design buildings that are obsolete before they are finished with construction!

If you are familiar with LEED, WELL is extremely complimentary.  Certifications for both are administered by the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). WELL can be implemented alongside other rating systems such as LEED or Living Building Challenge; however, WELL also stands very solidly on its own as a Standard.  One of the highlights of WELL is that it is performance-based and focuses on meeting the intent, as opposed to being prescriptive and meeting a requirement.  There is much less paper documentation required by WELL, versus other rating systems.  WELL also uses performance verification audits to do on-site testing, visual inspections and spot checks; to ensure projects meet compliance.

Another benefit of WELL is that it does not separate Existing and New projects. There are standards and pilot programs aimed at a variety of situations.  If you want to check these out, please click here https://www.wellcertified.com/.

WELL is administered by the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI), whose mission is to improve human health and well-being through the built environment.  WELL is not about ‘Healthy just for the Wealthy’.  Thus, IWBI was set up as a Public For Benefit Corporation requiring IWBI to donate 51% of their profits to health and wellness housing initiatives in local communities and highly impacted/stressed international communities.  WELL is all about healthier, more productive places for people and is a confluence of Medical Science, Building Science and Business Science. WELL is an evidence based, peer reviewed Standard that is 3rd party administered by IWBI.  And its believers are impressive!  Beginning November 4, 2016, U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) CEO and founding Chairman, Rick Fedrizzi, is joining IWBI as CEO and Chairman of its Board of Directors. Rick brings with him decades of developing and implementing rating systems for the built environment such as LEED, all around the world.

There are a lot of different reasons people consider doing WELL certification. Some companies or multifamily residences are looking to attract the right employees, clients or tenants.  Some companies are looking to retain the people they have who might have a high cost to replace them.  Some companies are looking to do fewer negatives; while some companies are looking to do more positives.  Companies are looking for better ideas, fewer sick days, reduced presenteeism, higher return on investment, employee longevity, increased learning potential and more.  WELL provides a true benefits differentiator for those who achieve certification.

Many Owners, developers and self-insured companies see the return on investment for doing the WELL Standard.  The average company spends 1% of its annual budget on Energy.  Approximately 9% of that annual budget is spent on rent and operations.  That same budget focuses 90% of its allocations to the People.  From salaries, to benefits, to insurance, we spend most of our money on the people.  Where we work, play and live matters! WELL is providing a path to increase our ability to be healthy and productive, regardless of where we spend the majority of our time!

~ Jennifer Berthelot-Jelovic is President & CEO of A Sustainable Production (ASAP); a woman owned, full-service, global sustainability and wellness consulting firm based in Los Angeles, CA http://www.sustainpro.org/.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles chapter (www.usgbc-la.org) and is a WELL AP, LEED AP BD+C, LEED AP Homes, and USGBC LEED & WELL Faculty.

 

 

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Join Us for Eat2Give October 15 in Santa Monica

Purchase this image at https://www.stocksy.com/828264

We’re a proud sponsor of Eat2Give, a one day event here in Santa Monica that combines several of our favorite things: Supporting local, dining out at amazing spots and giving back to Santa Monica charities.

30 PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS and 23 PARTICIPATING CHARITIES!

The more people participate, the more money is raised, the more exposure the restaurants get and the more people find out about the non-profits. Talk about a win/win!

So if you’re in the area next Saturday, pop in to support the below establishments (and their aligned charity partners). We’re already mapping out our culinary tour and hope to see you along the route!

To learn more about Eat2Give, CLICK HERE.

eat2give-participants

Opening Night Party to Feature One-of-a-kind Auction of Schwinn Bikes

How Do You Ride in Style?

Schwinn EBlast 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year’s WestEdge floor-wide Opening Night Party will benefit Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House.  A highlight of the evening will be the auction of one-of-a-kind bicycles, generously donated by Schwinn to support the LARMH mission of providing comfort, care and support to caregivers of seriously ill children .

25 leading architects, designers and taste makers are being invited to show their creativity and put their style mark on a bike for charity. Each bike artist/designer has chosen their favorite Schwinn bike model, and will then have 4-5 weeks to customize their bike. From painted frames and branded spokes, to covered seats, unique bike baskets, and other accessories… the sky is the limit.

Participating Bike Designers/Teams Include:

We can’t wait to get the bidding started Nov. 3. TICKETS to the event are on sale now so come join the design celebration!

Opening-Night-Party-Instagram-Invite-01

DIFFA’s Picnic By Design Aligns with WestEdge Nov. 5

Southern California is THE place for year-round outdoor living and entertaining. So what better venue to launch the West Coast edition of DIFFA’s Picnic by Design than with us at The Barker Hangar this Nov. 5.

Picnic By Design NY

Picnic By Design NY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the city may be different, the DIFFA concept remains the same. Leading architects, designers and industry talents will create over-the-top picnic baskets that will be displayed and available for purchase at the fair as part of an online auction. On Saturday, November 5 from 3-6 PM, Picnic By Design guests will enjoy an afternoon of food and fine wine in the WestEdge outdoor lounge, designed and furnished by Roche Bobois. The lucky winners will be announced at the closing of the auction.

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“DIFFA is excited to partner with the energetic leadership at WestEdge Design Fair to bring Picnic By Design to LA! We know there is an incredibly generous and growing design community in Southern California who is willing to join the fight against HIV/AIDS—and this is an incredible opportunity to raise funds and awareness. We look forward to the start of this partnership and are grateful for the generosity of all involved!” said Johanna Osburn DIFFA executive director.

Picnic By Design is hosted in cities throughout the country such as New York and Las Vegas and is part of DIFFA’s effort to raise awareness and critical funds toward the mission of supporting HIV/AIDS organizations across the country. For more information about DIFFA and its fundraising efforts visit www.diffa.org.

If you or your design firm would like to create a picnic basket at Picnic By Design LA and support this great cause, please download the participation packet here or get in touch with Cray Bauxmont-Flynn to sign up.

We hope to see you there!

Opening Night to Benefit Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House

We’re thrilled to partner with Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House for this year’s WestEdge Opening Night Party on November 3.

LARMH Logo White Background

 

 

 

 

 

 

This festive evening of cocktails, fine food and shopping the best in design is a great occasion to network with the global design community including interior designers, architects, art directors, artists, set decorators, educators, gallery owners and other community influentials. And this year, we’ve aligned with Schwinn Bikes who has generously donated a collection of bikes for a one-of-a-kind silent auction; each bike will be stylized/customized by a luminary tastemaker.  If your design brand would like to put their creative stamp on a bike, please get in touch with us to discuss this promotional opportunity and fabulous way to support the cause.

Schwinn Bikes Image

In case you didn’t know, The Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House is the flagship program of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California whose mission is to provide comfort, care and support to children and families in Southern California. One of the few organizations designed specifically to support caregivers of seriously ill children, Ronald McDonald Houses are the primary enabler of family-centered medical care around the world.

And this year, the RMH has an especially important tie-in with the design community. The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), has partnered with the Ronald McDonald House to revitalize and redesign the common areas and guest rooms of the House over the next eighteen months.

Make plans to join us on November 3. Early bird tickets are on sale here and are $80 now through October 15.

Want to learn how your brand can get involved and support Ronald McDonald House. Click here for sponsorship details. We hope to see you there!

Pasadena Showcase House Runs Through May 15

Last Friday, we had the privilege of attending the 2016 Pasadena Showcase House Premier Night.  Now in its 52nd year, the Show House did not disappoint. 30 designers came together, each putting their decorating talent to work and leaving a house that is charmingly Pasadena with modern style sensibility. The showcase house runs through May 15.

Here’s a peek at some of the rooms on display; there’s no shortage of inspiration and innovative design ideas to be found here.

Master Suite designed by Ederra Design Studio

Master Suite designed by Ederra Design Studio

Breakfast room by GH Wood

Breakfast room by GH Wood

Kitchen by GH Wood with Jenn-Air

Kitchen by GH Wood with Jenn-Air

Dining Room by Kelly Ferm

Dining Room by Kelly Ferm

Young adult bedroom by L2 Interiors

Fergusson

Guest house kitchen by Fergusson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Devine blue room

Paul Devine blue room

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sitting room by Robert Frank

PoolAndDeck

pool deck furnished by Tidelli

 

EMI Design Studio cloak room

EMI Design Studio cloak room

bathroom by Julia Wong

bathroom by Julia Wong

We hope you have a chance to check out the house for yourself. In addition to touring the home, there’s a restaurant and shopping bazaar on the grounds—so if you are looking for a perfect Mother’s Day excursion, this may fit the bill!

We’re pleased to offer WestEdge friends $5 off the ticket price. Enter WE2016 online here.

Ticket proceeds help support local symphonic, cultural and educational musically oriented programs for youth. The organization has awarded over $20 million dollars in gifts and grants to support the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Walt Disney Concert Hall, among other non-profit organizations.

For additional details, visit www.pasadenashowcase.org