Baopu Development Joins IWBI's WELL for Residential Program

To help catalyze and spur leadership in health and well-being across the residential sector, Baopu Development is participating in a first-of-its-kind program aimed at establishing IWBI's new global standard for healthier and more resilient homes

TAIPEI and NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for driving market transformation through healthy buildings, organizations and communities, and BAOPU Development announced today that the Taiwan-based residential developer became an early adopter of IWBI's WELL for residential program, which is now open for enrollments. The first-of-its-kind, WELL for residential is an evidence-based, third-party verified certification program designed to transform the way homes are designed, built and maintained to support human health and well-being. This collaboration will allow BAOPU Development to build its BAOPU CARE project using WELL strategies designed to positively impact resident health.

"Baopu is thrilled to join IWBI as an early adopter to advance the WELL for residential program," said Ko-Chien Liu, chairman of Baopu Development. "As the first residential project in Taiwan to apply the new standard, Baopu Care, scheduled to complete in 2025, aims to become Taiwan's first residential new construction building to achieve the WELL for residential certification, setting a new benchmark for healthy living in Taiwan." Baopu is one of the early adopters of the WELL Building Standard in the Taiwan market. Its Infancix Postpartum Care Center and Baopu 212 showroom have both achieved WELL Certification at the Platinum level. Baopu's people-first commitment coupled with its WELL expertise demonstrates its market leadership on healthy buildings, Liu acknowledged.

Grounded in the science-backed principles of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and its 10 WELL concepts, the WELL for residential program consists of more than 100 health strategies that support new and existing residences and are applicable to both single-family homes and multifamily buildings. During the launch phase of the program, IWBI is partnering with leading architects, builders, developers, operators and owners - such as Baopu Development - to transform the global residential market to make healthier and more resilient homes more accessible to more people in more places.

"The WELL for residential program is a library of evidence-based strategies that can help design, build and maintain healthy residences," said Xue Ya, president of IWBI Asia. "Early adopters will have opportunities to help evolve the program by providing industry feedback. We are delighted to see that Baopu once again demonstrates health leadership by collaborating with IWBI to promote the new WELL program in Asia."

The development of the WELL for residential program drew upon two years of industry input, market insight and expert recommendations from IWBI's WELL for residential Advisory, a working group of over 100 globally renowned subject matter experts including leading builders and developers, architects and engineers, public health and building scientists, government officials and academics, as well as other real estate professionals. Companies can earn the WELL Residence seal for residences upon completion of third-party review and verification of selected strategies. To be certified as a WELL Residence, a home must achieve at least 40 points. Projects also have an opportunity to earn pre-certified WELL Residence status for participating units upon preliminary design review, a milestone step forward that allows participants to communicate achievement before construction is completed.

Today, in the U.S. alone, the residential sector spans more than 120 million homes totaling roughly 224 billion square feet of real estate. The importance of creating healthier environments in the residential sector has become a top priority among homeowners.

The WELL for residential program adds to the WELL ecosystem and provides a new pathway for creating people-first residences. This program builds upon the work IWBI has already done within the multifamily sector through its WELL Certification and WELL ratings. IWBI applauds the leadership demonstrated by the multifamily residential developers and owners who have pursued WELL Certification. Their experiences have helped inform and inspire the development of the new WELL for residential program.

While numerous studies show healthy homes are increasingly in demand, regulations and standards focused on resident health in homes are largely lacking. The WELL for residential program seeks to provide a solution that helps transform the global residential market and ensure that everyone, no matter their backgrounds, has access to a home that enhances their health and enables them to make healthier decisions.

The WELL ecosystem comprises WELL Certification under the WELL Building Standard, a library of building and organizational strategies focused on health, the WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Performance Rating, WELL Equity Rating and certification under the WELL Community Standard. WELL's holistic, evidence-based approach has provided a roadmap for organizations to promote human and social capital performance and enhance their ESG strategy. As a result, thousands of organizations including nearly 30% of Fortune 500 companies  across nearly 130 countries have adopted WELL strategies in more than 40,000 locations totalling almost five billion square feet of space.

About Baopu Development:
Baopu Development has been deeply rooted in Taipei's Da'an District for 19 years, which is a well-known District for its cultural, educational and environmental richness. Based on ESG principles, five core values, and six major databases of construction operation standards, Baopuexclusively established the "Eight Major Safety Systems," dedicating to build "Transparent and Original Healthy Buildings" thoroughly from the exterior to the interior. Remarkably, Baopu is the only developer certified by three international companies including SGS, WELL and BSI for its construction quality, health quality and product quality that sets numerous benchmarks and quality narratives in the industry. Furthermore, it has been honored as the world's first developer company to receive the BSI Kitemark™ for its "Full-life Cycle of BIM Assets," following the brand's value that is encapsulated in the motto "Architecture of Humanity and Health." The company prioritizes the "health rights" between residents and residential buildings as the core and is committed to high-quality demands in aesthetic design and healthy building. In 2024, it will officially become the first company in Taiwan to adopt and implement the WELL for residential program to advance healthy homes. It is steadfast on the path to improve Taiwan's residential environment, moving towards a new era of digital transformation in construction with BIM+FM and ushering in the next generation of Architecture 4.0, aiming to create a legacy of people and buildings both lasting 120 years.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world's leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

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