Are WELL Building Standard S02 sound levels too permissive of low frequency noise? Addressing the LFN in the room

The International Well Building Institute (IWBI) WELL Building Standard v2 is a performance-based system that measures, certifies, and monitors how buildings holistically impact the health and well-being of their occupants. There are ten Concepts in WELL v2. The WELL Sound Concept aims to bolster building occupant health and well-being through the identification and mitigation of acoustical comfort parameters that shape occupant experiences in the built environment. WELL Standard S02 prescribes maximum thresholds for ambient background noise that correspond to optimal levels of interior and exterior noise exposure. While the intent of WELL Standard S02 is to achieve desired ambient noise levels such that HVAC, exterior noise intrusion or other noise sources do not impact occupant health and well-being, compliance with the Standard may currently allow for permissible levels of low frequency noise (LFN) that are deleterious to health, negatively affecting both auditory and non-auditory outcomes. We explore the WELL Standard S02 here in the context of LFN and its health impacts, and recommend pragmatic solutions to decrease average and maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL) C-weighted noise levels by an additional -5 dB for optimal protection of occupants from LFN levels that may pose a health risk.