Minto Communities Joins IWBI’s WELL for Residential Program
(Toronto / New York, November 20, 2023) The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for driving market transformation through healthy buildings, organizations and communities, and Minto Communities announced today that the Canadian-owned developer became an early adopter of IWBI’s WELL for residential program, which is now open for enrollments. The first-of-its-kind, WELL for residential is an evidence-based, third-party verified certification program designed to transform the way homes are designed, built and maintained to support human health and well-being. This collaboration will allow Minto Communities, which is part of IWBI’s WELL for residential advisory, to complete its 123 Portland project in Toronto using WELL strategies designed to positively impact resident health.
Grounded in the science-backed principles of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and its 10 WELL concepts, the WELL for residential program consists of more than 100 health strategies that support new and existing residences and are applicable to both single-family homes and multifamily buildings. During the launch phase of the program, IWBI is partnering with leading architects, builders, developers, operators and owners - such as Minto Communities - to transform the global residential market to make healthier and more resilient homes more accessible to more people in more places.
“At Minto Communities, we are always looking for ways to evolve our practices to advance environmental sustainability and human well-being. By working closely with IWBI, we are proud to become Canada’s first ever development project to pilot this new standard,” says Carl Pawlowski, Senior Manager, Sustainability, Minto Communities. “The WELL for residential program focuses on positively impacting resident health, something we are excited to give to each of our new residents at 123 Portland. Achieving the WELL Residence designation for each unit will communicate additional confidence to residents in the health benefits inside their homes.”
“As we set out to address the growing housing demand for the rapidly increasing population in Canada, it is essential to prioritize healthy homes designed, built and operated for long-term resilience, said Olesy Alekseev, IWBI’s Canada Country Lead and Vice President of Global Market Development. “The WELL for residential program rewards industry best practices to advance health and well-being in the residential sector. Congratulations to Minto Communities for championing health leadership by benchmarking its strategies in the 123 Portland project against the evidence-based WELL for residential framework.”
The development of the WELL for residential program drew upon two years of industry input, market insight and expert recommendations from IWBI’s WELL for residential advisory, a working group of over 100 globally renowned subject matter experts including leading builders and developers, architects and engineers, public health and building scientists, government officials and academics, as well as other real estate professionals. Companies can earn the WELL Residence seal for residences upon completion of third-party review and verification of selected strategies. To be certified as a WELL Residence, a home must achieve at least 40 points. Projects also have an opportunity to earn pre-certified WELL Residence status for participating units upon preliminary design review, a milestone step forward that allows participants to communicate achievement before construction is completed.
Today, in the U.S. alone, the residential sector spans more than 120 million homes totaling roughly 224 billion square feet of real estate. The importance of creating healthier environments in the residential sector has become a top priority among homeowners.
The WELL for residential program adds to the WELL ecosystem and provides a new pathway for creating people-first residences. This program builds upon the work IWBI has already done within the multifamily sector through its WELL Certification and WELL ratings. IWBI applauds the leadership demonstrated by the multifamily residential developers and owners who have pursued WELL Certification. Their experiences have helped inform and inspire the development of the new WELL for residential program.
While numerous studies show healthy homes are increasingly in demand, regulations and standards focused on resident health in homes are largely lacking. The WELL for residential program seeks to provide a solution that helps transform the global residential market and ensure that everyone, no matter their backgrounds, has access to a home that enhances their health and enables them to make healthier decisions.
The WELL ecosystem comprises WELL Certification under the WELL Building Standard, a library of building and organizational strategies focused on health, the WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Performance Rating, WELL Equity Rating and certification under the WELL Community Standard. WELL’s holistic, evidence-based approach has provided a roadmap for organizations to promote human and social capital performance and enhance their ESG strategy. As a result, thousands of organizations including nearly 30% of Fortune 500 companies across nearly 130 countries have adopted WELL strategies in more than 40,000 locations totaling almost five billion square feet of space.
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Justin Beaudoin
Vakis Boutsalis
About Minto Communities
Minto Communities is a family-owned, fully integrated real estate development, construction and management company with operations in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and South Florida, and has been instrumental in the design and construction of more than 100,000 homes.
An industry leader, Minto Communities is known for high-quality and sustainable urban developments. A testament to its outstanding leadership, Minto Communities has been recognized by Durham Region Home Builders' Association as Builder of the Year – Large Volume and Green Builder of The Year, ENERQUALITY Builder of the Year and more.
About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.