CE Pro April 2024 - 52

HEALTH & WELLNESS TECH
Affinity Program that launched during the pandemic, but it
appears to have stalled with no information to be found on
the association's website.
On the plus side, as noted manufacturers continue to
deliver for the category, and we've outlined some of the
latest happenings and perspectives that integrators can use
as talking points to discuss health and wellness technologies
with customers.
IWBI's WELL for Residential
Program Finally Has Its
Global Launch
In a development years in the making, the International
WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has officially announced its
WELL for residential program. Launching initially with 25
global pilot participants, the program has nearly 30,000
homes and residences already enrolled.
During this pilot stage, IWBI will work with global users
and collect stakeholder feedback to refine the new standard,
ensuring it is a robust, globally applicable roadmap for
healthier, more resilient homes.
Initially introduced in 2014, the WELL Building Standard
nearly saw explosive growth following the pandemic and
continues to see widespread pursuit on a global scale as
both the health and financial benefits of better building
practices continue to be uncovered by both prospective
residents and researchers.
To date 30% of Fortune 500 companies across nearly 130
WELL for residential is " an evidence-based certification
program for architects, builders, developers, and operators
to create healthier, more resilient homes, " according to the
organization.
countries have adopted WELL strategies in more than 40,000
locations totaling almost 5 billion square feet of space.
Building upon the WELL Building Standard through the
work IWBI has already been conducting in the multifamily
resimercial sector, the WELL for residential uses a similar
evidence-based, third-party verified certification program.
The framework draws upon pre-established WELL concepts
that consist of Nourishment, Air, Materials, Sound,
Nourishment, Community, Mind, Water, Light, Thermal
Comfort and Movement as a means of developing evidence-backed
outcomes in building proposals.
According to IWBI, development of the residential program
drew upon nearly two years of industry input, market
insight and expert recommendations from its board of
roughly 100 globally renowned subject matter experts from
Graber: Smart Shades Lead to Better Sleep & Better Health
Darkness. It's a key
component for
quality sleep. But did
you know that light,
specifically daylight, is
just as important when
you wake up?
Before the widespread
use of alarm
clocks, sleep cycles were regulated by the use of daylight,
a phenomenon commonly known as our circadian rhythm.
Although many of us have schedules that differ from
daylight hours, our internal clocks still respond in a similar
way. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF),
exposure to natural light as soon as you wake up can help
you feel less groggy and more alert. Conversely, reducing
your exposure to bright lights before bed can help you fall
asleep faster and stay asleep.
But why does sleep matter? According to the NSF,
sleep impacts everything from mental health, memory,
and learning to physical health attributes such as weight,
immune functions and even your risk for certain cancers.
Creating the ideal sleeping environment can help maximize
the health benefits.
Using home automation to control light around the
home can help make it easier to stick to a routine bedtime
and optimize your night for solid sleep. Graber Smart
Shades are not only perfect for creating darkness but can
also be set to open when you wake up, providing daylight
that helps regulate your circadian rhythm. Enjoy all of the
benefits associated with natural light - with ease and
convenience provided by Graber Smart Shades.
52 | CE Pro April 2024
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COURTESY OF GRABER
COURTESY OF WELL
http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro April 2024

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