The International WELL Building Institute has introduced a new designation, WELL Interiors, built specifically for the way interior spaces are designed to support health and well-being. Announced in London on October 14, 2026, it curates strategies from the 10 WELL Building Standard concepts into a dedicated pathway for healthy interiors—one that IWBI says emphasizes the physical elements designers can directly influence, with particular depth in Materials, Light, Sound, and Movement.
Introducing WELL Interiors: A New Standard for Healthy Spaces
WELL Interiors is a design-focused designation aimed squarely at the Architecture and Design community. IWBI, which describes itself as the global authority for advancing healthy buildings, organizations and communities, frames the new pathway as a way to "empower" designers to create people-first interiors.
What distinguishes it from IWBI's existing tools is its point of entry. Rather than requiring a project to sit within a WELL Certified base building, the new designation is tailored to interior design itself. As IWBI's Kay Aguilar explained in coverage of the announcement, WELL Interiors creates "a dedicated pathway that puts the design community and its unique contributions front and center."
It is worth being precise about what this is: a new designation announced through IWBI's press materials, not a full technical standard. The specific certification criteria have not yet been detailed in the announcement, so designers should treat this as a framework for planning rather than a step-by-step roadmap.
WELL Interiors: A Prioritized Framework for Designers
The designation draws on strategies across all 10 core WELL concepts. IWBI has identified four of these—Materials, Light, Sound, and Movement—as areas of deep emphasis, which gives designers a natural hierarchy for where to concentrate early effort. The framework below organizes the full set of concepts and marks where IWBI places that emphasis.
| WELL Concept | Emphasis Level | Core Purpose in Interiors |
|---|---|---|
| Air | Included concept | Strategies related to air quality within the interior |
| Water | Included concept | Strategies related to water quality and access |
| Nourishment | Included concept | Strategies related to nourishment |
| Light | Deep emphasis | Thoughtful lighting design |
| Movement | Deep emphasis | Spaces that promote movement |
| Thermal Comfort | Included concept | Strategies related to thermal comfort |
| Sound | Deep emphasis | Improved acoustics |
| Materials | Deep emphasis | Healthy materials |
| Mind | Included concept | Strategies supporting mental well-being |
| Community | Included concept | Strategies supporting connection and community |
Read as a prioritization tool, the framework tells a designer where to begin: lighting choices, material selection, acoustic performance, and opportunities for movement come first, while the remaining six concepts round out the approach. Coverage of the announcement also notes that key strategies include spaces promoting connection to nature, aligning with the biophilic elements IWBI highlights in its business case.
