A comparison
WELL is a building-scale certification. MAVI is a residential-grade methodology. Both address the building’s effect on the body; they sit at different resolutions of the same problem.
The WELL Building Standard, launched by the International WELL Building Institute in 2014, is the most-recognised certification mark in the wellness-real-estate category. It is rigorous and evidence-based, now adopted across offices, hotels, multifamily, schools and, with WELL for Residential, homes.
That building-scale scope is its strength and its limit. A residential UHNW project has bespoke mechanical systems, fully customised material specification, single-occupancy circadian programming, and a level of per-room resolution that no broad certification addresses. MAVI was authored for that resolution.
| WELL | MAVI | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin and remit | WELL is a building-scale certification system from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), launched 2014. Originally authored for offices and large commercial real estate, now extended to residential. | MAVI is a residential-grade design methodology from MAVI World, Geneva. Authored for high-end residential and hospitality where building-scale certifications under-specify. |
| What it is | A certification with audit and renewal. | A design methodology with a measurable output (the MAVI Score) and a productised delivery ladder. |
| Scope | Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind, Community. Ten concepts, ~110 features. | Air, Water, Light, Sound, Temperature, Materials, Microbiology, Technology (EMF), Mind, Habits. Ten domains, 129 measurable factors. |
| Resolution | Building scale, strongest in office and large commercial, growing in residential. | Residential. Per-room, per-fixture, per-material specification. |
| Body-side science integration | Partial. Strong on air, water, nutrition; thinner on circadian biology, EMF, microbiome, microplastic, PFAS at residential resolution. | Full. Includes circadian biology, EMF, materials chemistry beyond VOCs, microbiome, microplastic and PFAS load, mental architecture. |
| Citation | Sourced. Each feature references peer-reviewed evidence in the WELL standard. | Every recommendation cited. Reference list at /references; framework re-rendered quarterly against latest sources for Living Diagnostic clients. |
| Evolution | Versioned. WELL v2 current. Major revisions every several years. | Continuous. Living Diagnostic carries quarterly re-renders against the latest peer-reviewed sources. |
| Cost structure | Registration plus per-square-foot fees plus performance verification. Recurring certification investment every three years. | Snapshot free. Diagnostic CHF 999. Living Diagnostic CHF 999 + CHF 199/month. Higher tiers by invitation. |
| Time to first signal | Months (precertification through performance verification). | Seven minutes (Snapshot). Twenty-four hours (Diagnostic). |
| Use case | Commercial offices, hotels, multifamily, residential and schools seeking a recognised certification mark. | Residential UHNW, hospitality concepts, branded residences seeking the methodology itself rather than a certification mark. |
WELL produces a certified building. MAVI produces a residence designed for the body that lives in it. On hospitality and branded-residence projects, the two run in parallel. On a private residence, MAVI is the resolution the client is paying for.
One adapts building standards for health. One translates longevity science into buildings. Direction matters.
WELL was designed for forty thousand units. MAVI was designed for your one home. Every specification is calibrated to your location, your biology, and how you actually live. One team, one fee, no recurring costs.
Begin with the free Snapshot of your address or read the full answers.