Workbar in Back Bay has been awarded WELL Certification

Boston, MA According to Workbar, a Massachusetts-based coworking and office space company, its newest workspace in the city’s Back Bay, designed by Analogue Studio, has been awarded WELL Certification by the International WELL Building Institute. The distinction was awarded through IWBI’s WELL Building Standard (WELL), which is the premier building standard to focus on enhancing people’s health and wellness through the buildings where people live, work and play. The 11,000 s/f space can accommodate up to 300 coworking members and features Workbar’s signature neighborhoods designed to meet the needs of different work styles.

“Workbar’s vision of the ideal coworking space goes far beyond providing cool furniture, advanced tech, and free snacks. We create environments in which individuals and businesses forge healthy, productive, and innovative communities where people connect and great things happen,” said Bill Jacobson, CEO of Workbar. “Earning this WELL certification is the culmination of our efforts to provide an unparalleled coworking experience.”

Created through seven years of rigorous research and development working with leading physicians, scientists, and industry professionals, the WELL Building StandardTMis a performance-based certification system that marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based scientific research. Workbar Back Bay earned the distinction based on seven categories of building performance: Air, water, light, nourishment, fitness, comfort and mind–and achieved a Silver level rating.

Project features that helped Workbar Back Bay achieve its WELL Certified Silver Rating include:

• Cutting-edge smart-lighting systems;

• WELL-managed energy efficiency and water conservation;

• Smart heating and cooling sensors that adjust room temperatures based upon the number of occupants in the room; 

• Healthy materials, finishes and furniture with little to no volatile organic compounds;

• Ultra-modern construction pollution management systems;

• Water filtration system; and

• Environmentally-safe cleaning products.

 “Analogue Studio’s workspace design is driven by the belief that thoughtful, holistic design can advance human well-being and productivity. This approach to designing the complete experience is what attracted Workbar to us in 2012 when our partnership began,” said Vince Pan, founder and principal of Analogue Studio. 

“Since then, Workbar and Analogue Studio have collaborated to create a member experience that is focused on taking care of people and enriching their lives rather than securing investment or chasing design trends. This core value drives every design decision and aligns closely with WELL standards - making the adoption of WELL a natural fit.”

“As a coworking space, Workbar is dedicated to creating motivational and productive work environments,” says IWBI Chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “Its achievement of WELL Certification in Boston's Back Bay office has deepened Workbar's commitment to productivity and growth, promoting the health and well-being of all of its clients.”

Steps from Boston’s Public Garden and Newbury St., Workbar Back Bay offers offers a functional neighborhood-style open plan design, ten private offices, ten phone rooms, nine conference rooms, a Café, multiple breakout meeting spaces, a podcast recording room, and free access to the location’s gym.In partnership with Analogue Studio, Osram, and Equity Office, Workbar Back Bay incorporates wellness features into seven concepts: air, mind, water, nourishment, light, fitness, and comfort.

WELL is grounded in a body of evidence-based research that explores the connection between the buildings where we spend approximately 90% of our time, and the health and wellness impacts on us as occupants of these buildings. To be awarded WELL Certification by IWBI, Workbar Back Bayunderwent rigorous testing and a final evaluation carried out by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which is the third-party certification body for WELL, to ensure it met all WELL Certified Silver performance requirements.