When it comes to the construction sector you can often hear that the deadline for a certain action was actually yesterday and now it is time to combat strict deadlines. It is essential to build proper expectation management and discuss future timing with a client to avoid extra pressure and misleading expectations during the certification journey
Like any project, WELL certification of a building begins with planning, where each stage and person responsible must be identified in detail. Planning should include the following points:
In the following paragraphs, each building certification interval will be analyzed in detail.
Preparation of project portfolio documentation
This is a continuous process that accompanies construction throughout its entire journey. Each new stage of construction adds documents to the project folder, be it design documents, architectural drawings or maybe a letter of assurance signed by the project manager. At this stage, it is extremely important to collect and add documents as they come in to minimize the risk of delays in the next stages. Also add a sentence “discover how to use crosswalk documentation mechanism with a crosslink”
Completion of construction work
As mentioned in this article, construction is probably the industry where deadlines and timing are of the utmost importance. Therefore, a huge number of projects take an unjustified risk and set a date for on-site testing and performance verification during the completion of construction work. To begin with, it is worth noting that WELL standards require full completion of construction for CORE-type certificates and in addition at least of 50% occupancy has been reached for projects aiming the fit-out certification. In addition, the desire to combine performance tests with the completion of the work often leads to the fact that the results obtained during testing do not meet the limits and must be repeated. Which in turn leads to additional costs and, most importantly, time.
Contact with WELL Performance Testing Organization
From experience, the earlier the contacts with the WELL Performance Testing Organization the more optimized the certification process and the more prepared the building will be for D-day. Easing the assessment of all implemented solutions and innovations in the building by a team of experts. Therefore, do not put off the search for an organization for a long time, inquire in advance whether there is an authorized organization in your region through the WELL platform or through your own connections
Installation of necessary signs and pointers
Completion of construction, building launch and 50% occupancy does not mean that the building is ready for on-site testing. Before setting a date with an official WELL Performance Testing Agent, make sure that all signs (no smoking zone for air concept, quiet area mapping for sound concept, point-of-decision signs for movement concept) are installed and documented before the scheduled test date.
Preliminary documentation review
Once all construction work is completed, documents are collected, photographs of evidence are added to the project folder, and the project is ready for the initial document review. Standard review time varies from 4 to 6 weeks, after which the project will receive the green light if all documents meet the requirements or curative actions list that must be implemented.
On-site testing and performance verification
On-site testing and performance verification timelines mainly depend on the size of a project and target features. Consult in advance with an appointed agent on the best timeline and steps to follow. Sometimes, tests should be done in a few stages which is applicable for water pre-tests feature and actual water testing. For other features (Light concept), tests should be done after sunset or before sunrise. For the majority of the projects, the Performance Verification could be completed in 1 day with an early start and late end.
Review time and curative action if necessary.
As was already mentioned, a typical review time is between 4 and 6 weeks. However, this timing can be shortened if a project applies to a concurrent documentation and performance verification review. This way, the building can obtain a certificate in a shorter time frame. But for this, each team should be well aligned and the planning with each step described in this article should be implemented.
