Herman Miller (NASDAQ:MLHR) recently announced that its Chicago showroom has been awarded the WELL v2 Gold Certification by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). This achievement comes in the company’s second year as a member of WELL and after achieving the WELL Health-Safety rating earlier this year.

In 2020, Herman Miller was the first in the furniture manufacturing industry to join the WELL Portfolio program, with a goal to build on the company’s approach of human-centered design and sharpen its focus on cultivating environments that maximize the health and well-being of its employees, customers, and visitors.

“We set out on this journey to improve how others experience and move through our spaces,” said Emily M Dunn, WELL Portfolio Administrator for the Herman Miller Global Portfolio and Senior Workplace Knowledge Consultant. “Achieving this certification demonstrates the positive impact on our employees and guests we are capable of making now and in the future. We won’t stop here though. This step is the first of many as we align our standard approach to a workplace experience focused on health and well-being for all.”

There are four WELL certification levels – silver, bronze, gold, and platinum. Each level analyzes how buildings implement the 10 concepts of WELL v2. These are: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind, and Community. To be awarded WELL Certification by IWBI, the Herman Miller Chicago Showroom underwent 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 gold level performance requirements.

With people being at the core of their partnership with IWBI and the WELL Portfolio program, the team at the Chicago Showroom placed a huge emphasis behind the concepts of Mind and Community. They also prioritized the Materials and Movement concepts. Some of the features that were implemented in the design include:

• The placement of live plants and use of natural patterns, shapes, images, and other materials to create an inviting and tranquil environment
• Operations and Policies that align in support of mental health and well-being
• Dedicated spaces to safely bring people together and foster an active community
• Integrated art and design elements that celebrate culture and diversity to create a place of uniqueness and sense of belonging
• Furnishings that contribute to healthy air quality, long-term emission control and promote material transparency
• A variety of ergonomically supportive workstations to support physical well-being

“Earning WELL v2 Gold is an exciting milestone,” said Matthew Stares, Senior Vice President of Global Real Estate, Architecture and Development. “It is a significant moment in the evolution of our own spaces around the globe; it bolsters the work we have long been known for in environmental stewardship with a renewed focus on design for the good of humankind.”

About Herman Miller
Herman Miller is a globally recognized leader in design. Since its inception in 1905, the company’s innovative, problem-solving designs and furnishings have inspired the best in people. Herman Miller is guided by an enduring legacy of design, innovation, and social good. In 2021, Herman Miller and Knoll created MillerKnoll, a collective of dynamic brands that comes together to design the world we live in.  

About MillerKnoll 
MillerKnoll is a collective of dynamic brands that comes together to design the world we live in. MillerKnoll includes Herman Miller and Knoll, plus Colebrook Bosson Saunders, DatesWeiser, Design Within Reach, Edelman Leather, Fully, Geiger, HAY, Holly Hunt, KnollExtra, KnollStudio, KnollTextiles, Maars Living Walls, Maharam, Muuto, naughtone, and Spinneybeck|FilzFelt. MillerKnoll is an unparalleled platform that redefines modern for the 21st century by building a more sustainable, equitable, and beautiful future for everyone.

About IWBI
International WELL Building Institute pbc is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delos Living LLC. International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL Portfolio, WELL Portfolio Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Health-Equity, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute in the United States and other countries.