Green Globes Health and Wellness Distinction

1. Confirm Green Globes Eligibility: Ensure your building is currently certified under Green Globes or is actively pursuing Green Globes certification, as the Health and Wellness Distinction is an add-on and cannot be pursued independently.

1. Review the Health and Wellness Criteria: Download the Green Globes Health and Wellness Distinction criteria from the GBI website (thegbi.org) to understand the specific requirements across indoor air quality, natural light, ergonomics, biophilic design, and non-toxic materials.

1. Conduct a Gap Assessment: Evaluate your building's current features and documentation against the Health and Wellness criteria to identify gaps. Engage your facilities team, architect, or a Green Globes Professional (GGP) consultant to assist.

1. Implement Required Improvements: Address any gaps identified — this may involve upgrading HVAC filtration, improving daylighting, adding fitness amenities, incorporating plants or natural materials, or switching to low-VOC finishes.

1. Compile Documentation: Gather all required evidence, including air quality test results, lighting plans, material specifications, ergonomic design documentation, and records of wellness amenities.

1. Register and Apply Through GBI: Submit your application through the GBI portal (thegbi.org), paying the applicable assessment fees. Coordinate with GBI to schedule a licensed Green Globes assessor for the on-site visit.

1. Undergo the Third-Party Assessment: A licensed Green Globes assessor will conduct an on-site inspection and documentation review. Respond promptly to any clarification requests from the assessor.

1. Receive Determination and Display Recognition: Upon GBI's final approval, receive your Health and Wellness Distinction certificate and digital badge. Display the seal in your building and marketing materials, and list the distinction on GBI's online registry.

The Green Globes Health and Wellness Distinction evaluates buildings across several interconnected categories that collectively define a health-supportive indoor environment.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): This is a primary focus area, assessing ventilation rates, filtration efficiency (MERV ratings), CO₂ monitoring, control of pollutants and VOCs, and policies around smoking and chemical use. Buildings must demonstrate active management of air quality through both design and operational practices.

Daylighting and Visual Comfort: Assessors evaluate the availability of natural light in regularly occupied spaces, glare control strategies, access to views of the outdoors, and the quality of artificial lighting including color rendering and flicker control. Circadian-supportive lighting design is also considered.

Biophilic Design: This category examines the integration of natural elements into the built environment — including indoor plants, water features, natural materials, nature-inspired patterns, and visual or physical connections to outdoor green spaces. Biophilic design is assessed both for its physical presence and its intentional application to occupant well-being.

Ergonomics and Physical Activity: The distinction evaluates the availability of ergonomic workstations and furniture, staircase accessibility and design to encourage use, fitness facilities or proximity to outdoor exercise areas, and active design features that reduce sedentary behavior.

Non-Toxic and Sustainable Materials: Assessors review the specification and use of low-VOC paints, adhesives, flooring, and furnishings, as well as the avoidance of materials containing known harmful chemicals. Material transparency documentation (such as Health Product Declarations or Declare labels) may be considered.

Mental Health and Well-Being Amenities: This includes access to quiet spaces, meditation or relaxation rooms, outdoor terraces or green spaces, and policies or programs that support occupant mental health and stress reduction.

The Green Globes Health and Wellness Distinction occupies a niche but growing segment of the building certification market, positioned as an accessible add-on for buildings already in the Green Globes ecosystem. The broader wellness real estate market has expanded significantly since the mid-2010s, driven by post-pandemic awareness of indoor environment quality and employer demand for spaces that support workforce health and productivity. The Global Wellness Institute estimated the wellness real estate market at over $400 billion globally, signaling strong tailwinds for health-focused building credentials.

Within this market, the WELL Building Standard (administered by the International WELL Building Institute) is the dominant standalone health and wellness building certification, with over 4,000 certified and registered projects globally. Fitwel, developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and now managed by the Center for Active Design, is a lower-cost alternative with strong traction in commercial office and multifamily sectors. The Green Globes Health and Wellness Distinction differentiates itself by being integrated into an existing green building assessment rather than requiring a separate, standalone process — making it more cost-effective for buildings already pursuing Green Globes certification.

Green Globes itself holds a smaller market share than LEED in North America but has a loyal following among federal government projects, healthcare facilities, and mid-market commercial buildings that find its process more flexible and cost-effective. The Health and Wellness Distinction is relatively new and has lower market penetration than WELL or Fitwel, but it benefits from GBI's established relationships with the U.S. federal government (including GSA and the Army Corps of Engineers) and its ANSI-accredited standard. Demand is expected to grow as tenants and investors increasingly scrutinize indoor environment quality and occupant well-being as part of ESG and healthy building strategies.

The Green Globes Health and Wellness Distinction was developed by the Green Building Initiative (GBI), a nonprofit organization that has administered the Green Globes building certification system in North America since the early 2000s. GBI introduced the Health and Wellness Distinction as an add-on recognition layer to its core Green Globes rating system, reflecting the broader industry shift toward occupant-centered building design that accelerated through the 2010s. The distinction was designed to give buildings already pursuing Green Globes certification a structured pathway to formally recognize excellence in indoor environment quality, biophilic design, and wellness amenities — without requiring a separate, standalone certification process.

The development of the distinction was influenced by the rapid growth of dedicated health and wellness building standards, particularly the WELL Building Standard (launched in 2014) and Fitwel (launched publicly in 2017), which signaled strong market demand for credentialed wellness recognition in the built environment. GBI positioned the Health and Wellness Distinction as a practical, cost-effective complement to its ANSI-accredited Green Globes standard, particularly for federal government buildings, healthcare facilities, and commercial properties already embedded in the Green Globes ecosystem. The distinction aligns with GBI's broader mission to make high-performance, sustainable building certification accessible and flexible for a wide range of building types and owners.