How Can Healthy Buildings Stop Covid-19 | WSP Skip to content
  • Who we are

    We exist to future proof our cities and environment.

    We change the landscape, helping societies thrive, and continually challenge the status quo, asking: “What if we can?”

    Read more
    Who we are
    • What We Stand For
    • Our Story
    • Corporate Responsibility
    • UK Leadership
    Corporate Responsibility
    • Communities
    • Corporate Governance
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Ethics and Integrity
    • Health and Safety
    • Sustainability
    • UK Policies
    Featured Content
    We value - Square

    Can we help societies thrive in a world we do not…

    We believe that for societies to thrive, we must all hold ourselves accountable for tomorrow. That…

  • What We Do

    We shape the communities of tomorrow and help society thrive.

    Our understanding of local, regional and national needs enables us to deliver solutions that better connect people with places, now and in the future.


    View All

    • Sectors
    • Services
    • Projects
    What We Do
    • Property and Buildings
    • Transport and Infrastructure
    • Environment
    • Water, Energy and Industry
    • Planning and Advisory
    Featured Content
    butterfly thn

    Protecting nature

    How can we safeguard our natural environment?

  • Insights

    Our experts offer compelling insights that provide new perspectives.

    Read inspiring articles that challenge the status quo by reframing current issues, sparking fresh ideas and conversations.

    View all
    Insights
    • Climate
    • Mobility
    • Places
    • Resources
    • Society
    • Technology
    Featured Content
    Emeka bnr

    Profiling our people – Emeka Okorocha, Technical…

    As our combined responsibility to design and build sustainable infrastructure is recognised and…

  • Careers

    Help us shape the future

    Join a collaborative team of experts that thrives on complex challenges and unconventional thinking.

    See more
    Careers
    • Early Career
    • Experienced Professionals
    • Why choose WSP
    • Job Opportunities
    Featured Content
    BNR_Careers_Why_Choose_WSP

    Why you should work for us

    Live a full life, enjoy the rewards you deserve and be part of a business that plans, manages and…

  • Who we are
    • What We Stand For
    • Our Story
    • Corporate Responsibility
      • Who we are
      • Accountable for Tomorrow
        • Communities
        • Corporate Governance
        • Diversity and Inclusion
        • Ethics and Integrity
        • Health and Safety
        • Sustainability
        • UK Policies
    • UK Leadership
  • What We Do
    • Property and Buildings
    • Transport and Infrastructure
    • Environment
    • Water, Energy and Industry
    • Planning and Advisory
  • Insights
    • Climate
    • Mobility
    • Places
    • Resources
    • Society
    • Technology
  • Careers
    • Early Career
    • Experienced Professionals
    • Why choose WSP
    • Job Opportunities
Back

We are locally dedicated with international scale.

United Kingdom - English

International

  • Global
    English - Français

Americas

  • Canada
    English - Français
  • Chile
    Español
  • Colombia
    Español
  • Mexico
    Español
  • Panama
    Español
  • Peru
    Español
  • United States
    English

Africa

  • South Africa
    English

Asia

  • China
    中文(简体) - English
  • Hong Kong
    English
  • India
    English
  • Malaysia
    English
  • Philippines
    English
  • Singapore
    English
  • South Korea
    한국어(대한민국) - English
  • Thailand
    English

Europe

  • Denmark
    Dansk
  • Finland
    Suomi
  • France
    Français
  • Germany
    Deutsch
  • Greenland
    Kalaallisut - English
  • Netherlands
    Nederlands
  • Norway
    Norsk
  • Poland
    Polski - English
  • Romania
    English
  • Spain
    Español
  • Sweden
    Svenska - English
  • Switzerland
    Deutsch - English
  • United Kingdom
    English

Middle East

  • Kuwait
    English
  • Oman
    English
  • Qatar
    English
  • Saudi Arabia
    English
  • United Arab Emirates
    English

Oceania

  • Australia
    English
  • New Zealand
    English
Worldwide Offices
    • Investors

      Discover our diverse business, financial results and strategic ambitions.

      We are committed to delivering sustainable value to our shareholders and exceptional professional services to our clients.

      Read more
      Investors
      • Corporate Governance
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
      • Stock Information
      • Shareholder Information
      • Presentations and Events
      Corporate Governance
      • Audit Committee
      • Board of Directors
      • Business Conduct Hotline
      • Constating Documents
      • Governance Documents
      • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
      • Mandates
      Reports & Filings
      • AIF
      • Annual
      • Information Circular
      • Quarterly
      • SEDAR Filings
      • Sustainability
      Stock Information
      • Analyst Coverage
      Shareholder Information
      • Acquisitions
      • Dividends
      • Drip
      • FAQ
      Featured Content
      Thn-Web-Q42020-Results

      WSP's Q4 and 2020 Results

      We released our 2020 fourth quarter and fiscal results on February 24, 2021 after market close.

    • Investors
      • Corporate Governance
        • Investors
        • Corporate Governance
          • Audit Committee
          • Board of Directors
          • Business Conduct Hotline
          • Constating Documents
          • Governance Documents
          • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
          • Mandates
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
        • Investors
        • REPORTS & FILINGS
          • AIF
          • Annual
          • Information Circular
          • Quarterly
          • SEDAR Filings
          • Sustainability
      • Stock Information
        • Investors
        • Stock Information
          • Analyst Coverage
      • Shareholder Information
        • Investors
        • Shareholder Information
          • Acquisitions
          • Dividends
          • Drip
          • FAQ
      • Presentations and Events
    • News

      Progress happens quickly.

      Stay up to date with our projects, news, events and more.

      News
      • Latest News
      • Press Releases
      Featured Content
      Zero carbon photo 1920 x 750

      WSP to provide UK Government with technical advice…

      WSP will support the design of CCUS work programme and will advise BEIS on how to…

    • Contact us

      We are dedicated to our local communities and driven by global talent.

      We solve problems for our clients and the communities we serve, meeting the needs of today and tomorrow’s challenges. Contact us to find out how we…


      Follow us

      Contact us
      • Send a Message
      • Offices
      Featured Content
      Going net zero wind turbine 563 x 220

      Solutions for a net zero carbon future

      With the UK committed to a Clean Growth Strategy and becoming the first major economy to commit to a…

    • Investors

      Discover our diverse business, financial results and strategic ambitions.

      We are committed to delivering sustainable value to our shareholders and exceptional professional services to our clients.

      Read more
      Investors
      • Corporate Governance
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
      • Stock Information
      • Shareholder Information
      • Presentations and Events
      Corporate Governance
      • Audit Committee
      • Board of Directors
      • Business Conduct Hotline
      • Constating Documents
      • Governance Documents
      • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
      • Mandates
      Reports & Filings
      • AIF
      • Annual
      • Information Circular
      • Quarterly
      • SEDAR Filings
      • Sustainability
      Stock Information
      • Analyst Coverage
      Shareholder Information
      • Acquisitions
      • Dividends
      • Drip
      • FAQ
      Featured Content
      Thn-Web-Q42020-Results

      WSP's Q4 and 2020 Results

      We released our 2020 fourth quarter and fiscal results on February 24, 2021 after market close.

    • Investors
      • Corporate Governance
        • Investors
        • Corporate Governance
          • Audit Committee
          • Board of Directors
          • Business Conduct Hotline
          • Constating Documents
          • Governance Documents
          • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
          • Mandates
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
        • Investors
        • REPORTS & FILINGS
          • AIF
          • Annual
          • Information Circular
          • Quarterly
          • SEDAR Filings
          • Sustainability
      • Stock Information
        • Investors
        • Stock Information
          • Analyst Coverage
      • Shareholder Information
        • Investors
        • Shareholder Information
          • Acquisitions
          • Dividends
          • Drip
          • FAQ
      • Presentations and Events
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Press Releases
    • Contact us
      • Send a Message
      • Offices
  1. home
  2. Insights
  3. How Can Healthy Buildings Stop Covid-19

How Can Healthy Buildings Stop Covid-19?

Designing for wellness supports infection control now, but also resilience to future epidemics
By Meike Borchers, Head of Sustainability and WELL AP, WSP Germany

26 May 2020
Reading Time : 4 minutes

Do building wellness standards address infection control?

At the onset of the pandemic, the International Well Building Institute went into action quite quickly to review the WELL standard, examining how it affects the spread of infection and whether it can help to prevent it. WELL is organized around 10 themes, ranging from air and water quality to other concepts that have relevance for infection control, such as fitness and mental health. It does contain a lot of guidance to promote hygiene: it starts with very simple things, such as using signs to encourage people to wash their hands, but it also has very detailed policies for designers and facilities management staff. It looks at the types of surface that are specified – are they easily cleaned, do they harbour contaminants? On an operational level, it addresses aspects such as staff training, cleaning products and protocols. So with handwashing, for example, soap dispensers should be touch-free so that we can clean our hands without picking up pathogens, and we should be able to dry our hands using tissues or touch-free devices.

We don’t need “chemical bombs” – we can still use environmentally friendly and healthy products.

When you look at the chemicals that will kill the coronavirus, scientists have found that some very basic products, mainly containing alcohol and other standard ingredients, are the best way to deal with it. Using the right products is not just about containing viruses, but also ensuring that we don’t compromise air quality and health more broadly.

The air quality criteria of WELL make a huge difference.

The WELL air concept aims to ensure high levels of indoor air quality across a building’s lifetime, and if you are carefully controlling the airflow and the supply of fresh air, you can reduce the risk of cross-infection. For mechanically ventilated buildings, it’s absolutely crucial, for example, that the right filters are installed and regularly cleaned or exchanged to ensure that no bacteria or viruses are brought into the space. WELL contains strict requirements both on equipment specifications and maintenance regimes.

Perhaps now other areas of wellness standards will come to the fore.

A key aspect of WELL is that organizations have to prepare an emergency management plan, to deal with risks such as fires and earthquakes as well as infections. So in the case of a pandemic, they need to have measures in place for informing staff of the risk, providing alternative ways of working, implementing strategies for at-risk groups and so on. All of this was already in the standard, therefore buildings with a WELL strategy in place might be a bit better prepared for the current situation.

Buildings that promote use of stairs over lifts will fare better post-COVID.

Giving people access to stairs and making them a prominent feature of the building is a key aspect of WELL, because it encourages occupants to move about, socialize and stay fit. It will be easier to socially distance in a building with a well-dimensioned feature stair that provides enough space to allow people to go up and down at the same time, rather than a narrow fire escape stair or a small elevator.

Clearly, the WELL standard needs to work in parallel with other guidance.

A standard such as WELL is both guidance and – through certification – an assessment of conditions and intentions at a certain point in time. Organizations will still need to assess and adapt to how their particular space works for their staff and the activities they need to do. I am also curious to see how the current trend of increased working from home and its inevitable impact on workplace design will shape future versions of WELL.

The crisis has illuminated a wider point about wellness and why we need to keep people healthier.

It’s important to remember that there is more to reducing risk than good hygiene and social distancing. Aside from age, the groups that seem to be most vulnerable to COVID-19, are those with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, heart disease, obesity or type 2 diabetes. Quite often this is linked to an unhealthy lifestyle or poor living and working conditions. Taking one example, poor air quality is thought to be responsible for 400,000 premature deaths every year in Europe alone. A well-designed “healthy” building can contribute to physical and mental wellbeing – then if people do become infected with a virus, they have a better chance of a speedy and full recovery.

Subscribe to receive the latest updates

More on this subject

thn-wp-alliance-contracting

February 2021

Leveraging Project Procurement and Delivery Approaches for Positive Outcomes

White Paper
Mobility , Places , Resources , COVID-19 , Resilience
Indigenous Cultures-Thumbnail

February 2021

Embracing Indigenous Cultures to Address Infrastructure Needs

Feature
Places , Resilience , Society
thn-Winners-without-losers-better-normal

February 2021 | 8 minutes

Net Zero: Can We Have Winners Without Losers?

Blog
Places , Resilience , COVID-19
thn-what-else-Net-zero-better-normal

January 2021 | 11 minutes

What Else Can Net Zero Do For Us?

Blog
Resilience , Resources , Society , COVID-19
Manchester urban planning 1563 x 220

January 2021 | 10 minutes

Planning for Recovery: In conversation with Sean Anstee CBE

United Kingdom
Feature
Resilience , Society , Places
Change Makers Rebranded-51

January 2021

An hour in the life of an occupational health and safety advisor

United Kingdom
Blog
Resilience , Society
the-key-to-creating-social-value-is-leaving-a-tangible-outcome-focused-legacy-thn

January 2021

The key to creating social value is leaving a tangible, outcome-focused legacy

United Kingdom
Feature
Places , Climate , Society
thn-mlk-street-closure-encourages-recreation

December 2020 | 3:00 minutes

WSP USA Study: Street Closure Encourages Recreational Activity During Pandemic

United States
White Paper
COVID-19 , Mobility
journey to zero carbon in freight and logistics thn

December 2020

The journey to zero carbon in freight and logistics

United Kingdom
Feature
COVID-19 , Climate , Resilience , Resources , Technology
GB-JackHeslop-01122020-563x220 (1)

December 2020

An hour in the life of a coastal engineer

United Kingdom
Blog
Resilience , Places
thn-wsp-uber-whitepaper

December 2020

Future Ready Kerbside: Creating Places That Put People First

Australia
White Paper
Places , Resilience , Society
Thn-Web-VZ-ITS-Article5

November 2020

Designing Out Flaws Within Road Transportation Systems

Feature
Mobility , Places , Resilience , Society , Technology

Author

Meike Borchers
Germany

Share this page

  • Share on Facebook - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Linkedin - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Twitter - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Skype - Warning, this link will open your Skype application.


Related themes and tags

  • COVID-19 (66)

  • Places (180)


  • Better Normal (24)
  • Buildings (93)
  • Workplace (34)
  • Wellbeing (46)
  •  
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  • Who We Are
  • What We Stand For
  • Our Story
  • Future Ready
  • UK Leadership
  • Our Offices
  • What We Do
  • Sectors
  • Services
  • Projects
  • Insights
  • Climate
  • Mobility
  • Places
  • Society
  • Resources
  • Technology
  • Careers
  • Job Opportunities
  • Spontaneous Application
  • Corporate
  • Sustainability
  • Health and Safety
  • Investors
  • Business Conduct Hotline
  • News
  • Corporate Governance
  • Ethics and Integrity
    ©2021 WSP
    • The WSP Logo
    • Privacy Notice
    • Anti-Spam Commitment
    • WSP Slavery Prevention Policy
    • UK Corporate Governance Statement
    • UK Gender Pay Report
    • UK Modern Slavery Statement
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Use
    ©2021 WSP

    Exiting our Website

    You are about to leave WSP.com and are being redirected to a job opportunity at Louis Berger, which has been recently acquired by WSP in the US.