Santiago declares environmental pre-emergency and emergency episodes almost every winter, when thermal inversion traps smog generated by wood-burning heating and traffic in the basin where the city sits. Chile is also one of Latin America's most mature LEED and EDGE markets, meaning energy and water efficiency have stopped being a differentiator for many corporate buildings in Las Condes or Providencia — it's an expected baseline. In that context, WELL becomes the next layer of differentiation: it certifies something neither LEED nor EDGE assesses directly — the air quality occupants breathe day to day, an issue with very concrete, measurable seasonal relevance in Santiago.
Seasonal air quality diagnosis: we assess the building's performance during peak environmental pre-emergency months and compare it against WELL v2's thresholds.
Concept-based strategy: we prioritize Air, Mind, and Thermal Comfort, the concepts most relevant to Santiago's context.
On-site performance verification: we coordinate the physical air and water quality tests an IWBI-accredited performance testing agent carries out in the building before certification.
GBCI certification and three-year recertification: we manage seal issuance and the three-year recertification cycle that keeps the credential active.
IWBI's fees are calculated by built-area range, plus the cost of on-site performance verification — physical air and water quality tests — exclusive to WELL. In a mature market like Chile's, where prior experience with LEED and EDGE already exists, the process tends to move with greater predictability. The full process takes 12 to 18 months from registration and requires recertification every three years to keep the seal active.
Yes. The filtration systems and continuous PM2.5 monitoring WELL requires keep indoor air quality within healthy thresholds regardless of outdoor smog conditions during winter.
Yes, and it's more efficient than it seems. Mechanical systems and air quality documentation developed for LEED or EDGE reduces the work needed for WELL, and adding the credential differentiates the building in a market where those other certifications are already common.
12 to 18 months on average from registration, including the on-site performance testing period. Timelines can shrink if the building already has air quality monitoring systems installed.
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