Community
Core concepts
WELL v2 Community promotes health awareness, engagement, preparedness, and social connection. Preconditions typically address health and wellness awareness, integrative design, and emergency preparedness. Optimizations include community engagement, health promotion, social cohesion, community access, and occupant support.
Health and wellness awareness makes WELL features visible and usable-orientation, signage, and communication. Integrative design brings stakeholders together early so health goals are embedded rather than added later. Emergency preparedness includes plans, supplies, drills, and communication. Community engagement involves occupants in decisions and programming. Social cohesion is supported by shared spaces, events, and norms that build trust. Community access considers how the building connects to neighborhood resources and services.
Traps
A common trap is assuming a community room creates social cohesion without programming or access. Another is treating emergency preparedness as only a written plan; drills, supplies, and communication matter. Health promotion is not the same as health awareness: awareness informs; promotion encourages action. Integrative design is a process requirement, not a design feature.
Rule of thumb
If the issue is knowing about health resources, think awareness; if it is acting on them, think promotion; if it is connecting people, think engagement and social cohesion.
Worked example
A project provides a shared lounge but schedules it only for private events and posts no health resources. Social cohesion and health awareness may be weak. The fix is open access, programmed activities, and visible wellness information.