When a company embarks on certifying or labeling its workspaces, one question often comes up: “We already have an HQE / WELL / BREEAM certification — why would we need Spaces That Matter?”
It is an excellent question. And the answer fits in one sentence: because these certifications do not measure the same thing.
What HQE, WELL and BREEAM measure
The three major environmental building certifications — Haute Qualité Environnementale (HQE, French), the WELL Building Standard (American) and BREEAM (British) — were designed to assess and improve the technical and environmental performance of buildings.
Their scope covers:
- The building's energy performance (consumption, insulation, HVAC systems)
- Water and resource management
- Indoor air quality measured by sensors (CO₂, VOCs, fine particles)
- Objectively measured light quality (lux, uniformity, glare)
- Materials and their environmental impact
- Biodiversity and impact on the external environment
These certifications rely on technical audits, instrumented measurements and document checks. They are awarded by independent certification bodies, according to rigorous, internationally recognized frameworks. Their value is undeniable, particularly for property owners and real estate investors, who can leverage these certifications to increase the value of their assets.
What these certifications do not measure
The blind spot of these certifications is people. They measure what the building is technically — not what the space does to the people who use it.
A building can be WELL certified and score poorly on the “Relational dynamics” dimension of Spaces That Matter. How? Because a WELL-certified space can perfectly well:
- Be perceived as cold and impersonal by employees
- Fail to foster informal social connections, despite a designer cafeteria
- Fail to reflect the organization's values, despite a high-quality build-out
- Have been designed without any consultation of end users
STM dimensions such as Emotional adaptability, Relational dynamics or Engagement activation are invisible to sensors and technical auditors. They are not invisible to the employees who experience them every day.
"A compliant building and a space that performs for people are two realities that rarely coexist without deliberate effort!"
Spaces That Matter: a complementary approach
The Spaces That Matter label does not replace environmental certifications — it complements them. Its scope begins exactly where theirs ends: the human experience lived in the space.
In practice, the STM label assesses employees' subjective experience on topics such as:
- Psychological well-being: sense of autonomy, safety and control
- Social vitality: the quality of the connections the space fosters
- Meaning and identity: consistency between the space and the organization's culture
- Fairness and inclusion: adaptation to everyone's needs
- Governance and management: employee involvement in decisions
- Local roots: the relationship between the space and its neighborhood and ecosystem
These dimensions are assessed through an employee questionnaire rather than sensors. This is not a compromise: it is a deliberate choice, based on the conviction that only users can confirm whether a space performs for people.
The two approaches in practice
| HQE / WELL / BREEAM | Spaces That Matter | |
|---|---|---|
| What is assessed | Technical and environmental performance of the building | Human performance experienced in the space |
| Data source | Sensors, audits, instrumented measurements | Anonymous employee questionnaire |
| Who assesses | External certification body | The employees themselves |
| What is measured | Energy, water, air, light, materials | Relationships, meaning, engagement, well-being, hybrid work |
| For whom | Property owners and real estate investors | HR directors, executives, real estate managers |
| Validity | Varies by certification (3 to 5 years) | 2 years, renewable |
In practice, the two approaches reinforce each other. An organization that already holds an HQE, WELL or BREEAM certification benefits from a solid objective foundation on the physical and sensory dimensions.
By adding the Spaces That Matter label, it obtains an assessment of the human and social dimension of its spaces, can send a strong signal to employees (“Your experience matters”), steer the continuous improvement of the office experience and gain a differentiating advantage in attracting and retaining talent.
Conclusion: two dimensions of the same challenge
Environmental certifications answer the question “What building do we have?”. Spaces That Matter answers the question “What does this space do to our teams?”.
Both questions are equally important. And at a time when the war for talent, employee engagement and meaning at work are strategic issues for organizations, the second deserves to be asked rigorously, collaboratively and regularly.