Editor’s Letter

W

Working on Wellness

Last November, the Mart in Chicago became the largest privately owned building to receive a Fitwel twostar rating from the Center for Active design, which recognizes buildings that support the physical, mental, and social health of their occupants. the Mart’s achievement puts it in line with the growing movement toward wellness in American commercial interiors and, since it is the home of NeoCon, helps it set an example for those who have yet to get on board.

We all need to ask how our projects and products can have a positive impact on the well-being of humans and the planet, how we can verify and quantify that impact more precisely, and how that can in turn form the basis for continual improvement.

As the three pieces in the special section on Wellness (p. 67) in this edition of Specify explore, there is always room for growth. A school in Boston shows how our awareness of the connections between design and mental health can benefit educational spaces (“A Bridge Farther,” p. 68). the CEo of the international WELL Building institute shares her team’s efforts to make the WELL Building standard more inclusive (“Redefining Fitness,” p. 76). And finally, representatives from leading A&d firms share the products they specify to support wellness (p.72). in addition, as in our inaugural issue of Specify, we present ten of the most significant spaces designed in North America in the past year (“A Year in Interiors,” p. 14) and identify the big ideas reflected in the winners of the #MetropolisLikes awards (p. 36). our Hot List features product designers presenting innovations at NeoCon, as well as emerging and established talents in commercial interior design.

We hope you will find this companion to NeoCon and beyond both inspiring and informative. —Avinash Rajagopal, editor in chief

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