Mohawk Group Set to Achieve WELL Health-Safety Rating

Mohawk Group, a producer and distributor of commercial flooring, announced in a press release that all of its design studios and commercial showrooms are set to receive a WELL Health-Safety Rating, as determined by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). Mohawk is among the first flooring manufacturers to meet this standard.

The rating is meant to indicate a facility’s impact on community health. IWBI developed the WELL standard to focus on health and wellness inside buildings, considering factors like interior water and air quality, health-service resources, sanitizing and cleaning procedures, innovation, operational and maintenance policies, emergency plans, and stakeholder engagement.

“The rating is a third-party stamp of approval saying that our showrooms and spaces are clean and safe,” said Mohawk’s vice president of marketing and product development, Jackie Dettmar. “A WELL seal outside means people can feel safer inside.”

IWBI developed and modified the WELL Health-Safety Rating over a few years, most notably during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. In line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), global disease control and prevention centers, and academic and research institutions, the rating is evidence-based and third-party verified. The institute announced this month that its projects have hit the 1.5 billion SF mark in more than 80 countries, up from 500 million SF in less than 60 countries less than a year ago.

According to Mohawk senior manager of sustainability Ramie Vagal, “The WELL seal instills confidence and trust throughout the community as it ensures integrity, consistency and results. We believe our ranking communicates our commitment to the health and well-being of anyone who visits or works within our spaces.”

Mohawk Group will get access to a wider variety of health and safety maintenance strategies, as well as more specific methods to lessen the chance of disease transmission. Its WELL rating suggests an above-and-beyond level of commitment to public health and wellness, particularly against the background of the coronavirus pandemic.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.