WELL at Home: The WELL Residential Standard Unveiled
One notable project that’s made headlines across the architecture and design community is CM1 by Caplow Manzano in Miami, Florida. This was the first single-family residential project to receive the WELL Certification and it demonstrated what can be achieved when you question every element of the traditional building process.
CM1 was designed for health and wellness, but also for climate resiliency––a key priority in South Florida where flooding is common. At a glance, some of the health and wellness strategies included:
Eliminating all drywall, instead opting for water- and mold-resistant materials like concrete and lime plaster
Creating accessible plumbing cavities to easily detect and repair leaks
Eliminating all ductwork by using a series of mini splits throughout the home
Opting for non-toxic finishes and materials (all low- or no-VOC)
Eliminating the use of insulation inside the living space
Every room is also independently climate controlled and prioritizes the use of natural light. From a regenerative and resiliency standpoint, the team elevated the entire home 10 feet above grade to handle floods, designed irrigation-free landscaping, used lime plaster for walls, and implemented strategies to achieve the LEED platinum energy conservation standards.
CM1 was Caplow Manzano’s concept of “hypoconstruction” put to the test in the real world, and it undoubtedly set the tone for future WELL for Residential projects.
“There were so many great features they implemented in that project, but our reviewer most enjoyed the accessible plumbing panels,” Miles said. “That was, I would say, the most innovative that we saw on that project specifically.”
