WELL Certification for The Sonnentag Center

Abstract

Within college organizations, very few encompass certifications that promote environmental health, students’ physical well-being, and the community. With the Eau Claire community being 75k+ members, a center that has good quality access to health care is vital to seniors, children and young adults. The UWEC Sonnentag Center has Gold LEED certification, which states the building has outstanding sustainability energy efficiency and environmental design. However, this is not enough to tackle the environmental issues in Eau Claire. Within our research to achieve the WELL certification, we collected data on the clarity of the water (turbidity), total and free chlorine, the pH levels of the water; levels of volatile inorganic compounds (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide), ozone levels, and humidity in the air. Interestingly, what our team found was that the turbidity, as well as, free and total chlorine levels were low, and the pH was slightly higher but within range. In addition, the air quality was above and beyond good standards for the WELL Certification, due to the ventilation systems in and around the building. However, nightly cleaning procedures caused a rise in VOC’s and low humidity. Overall, the measures of WELL Certification build upon the LEED certification principles, allowing for the best achievable environmental impact.​