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 over-come 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.