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Delos, HKS to Explore Effects of the Built Environment

Delos, a wellness real estate and technology firm, today announced a partnership with HKS, an international design firm, to study and measure the impact of interventions in the built environment on human health and well-being. The new HKS and Delos partnership will focus on applied research and will build on the strengths of each company to target peer-reviewed open sourced publications, and advance Delos’ mission to transform buildings into healthier spaces.

As part of the partnership, Delos and HKS will explore collaborations between the Well Living Lab, Delos’ Applied Research Program, and a newly-opened applied research laboratory in HKS’ Dallas office. The HKS Lab will offer a facility in which the teams can test how features that are supported by basic research can be implemented in practice, and can result in improved and measurable health and well-being outcomes.

“We look forward to collaborating with HKS on research that will uncover new ways we can improve the effects of the built environment on occupants,” said Delos Founder and CEO Paul Scialla. “HKS is highly regarded for its work in health and we are excited to utilize these new findings as we continue to grow the healthy building movement.”

“At HKS, we believe in designing places that sustain life and regenerate people and communities,” said HKS Chief Sustainability Officer, Rand Ekman. “Our partnership with Delos will advance that mission in a way that connects research to projects and ultimately to people. Delos is clearly at the forefront of this work and we are proud to help.”

In addition to partnering with Delos to research the impact of the built environment on human health and well-being, HKS will educate and pursue accreditation of its teams through the WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP) program. The WELL AP credential signifies advanced knowledge of health and well-being in the built environment and specialization in the WELL Building Standard (WELL).

“Committing to WELL accreditation for its project teams is the kind of leadership that has made HKS a design and thought leader,” said Rick Fedrizzi, Chairman and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). “WELL is the market’s leading-edge tool that helps companies put people’s health at the center of how they design and construct the buildings where we spend 90 percent of our time. It’s a significant commitment by HKS, and we applaud them.”

Beyond its commitment to further the healthy building movement through these research and education initiatives, HKS is working on its first WELL project. The HKS-designed MeadowView of Marion senior care complex is registered to pursue WELL Certification through the multifamily residential and commercial kitchen pilot programs, and is set to become one of the earliest WELL Certified assisted living facilities in the world.

Administered by the International WELL Building Institute, WELL is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features that impact human health and well-being in the built environment. It marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research – harnessing the built environment as a vehicle to support human health and well-being. WELL Certified spaces can help create a built environment that improves the nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns and performance of its occupants. To date, WELL has enrolled nearly 330 projects encompassing 70 million square feet in 27 countries.