When it came time for Delos — a pioneer of the Well Building Standard for indoor spaces — to upgrade its own offices into a 19,000-sq-ft headquarters, it pursued certification through the International WELL Building Institute.

The company also adhered to the Living Building Challenge, eschewing typical materials like the hexavalent chromium that is in certain types of sheet metal or the PVC that is in the jacket of most cabling.

Delos’ new space is also a working test lab for its own services. Sensors are located throughout the office to collect data on air quality, acoustics, thermal lighting and the number of steps taken up and down the staircase. Data collection sensors appear to be highly unusual and a big boost for industry standards, judges found.

The project’s additional sustainability and wellness goals weren’t an issue in themselves. Instead, the challenges arose in obtaining the correct materials and proper certification for LEED and the Living Building Challenge, especially when subcontractors weren’t familiar with them, or when items like sprinkler heads offered few compliant alternatives.

Our judges predict that many of the techniques and design elements of this project can serve as industry models for the future.

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