KB Home and the Well Living Lab, a research lab founded by Delos and Mayo Clinic, have announced a multiyear research project that will focus on accelerating new healthy home discoveries by migrating findings from the Well Living Lab’s research to real-world assessments.
The project, executed through phases, aims to improve public awareness of the impact of the home environment on physical health, mental stress, and productivity. It is also an opportunity to advance personal comfort, resiliency, and overall wellness.
“We made the commitment almost two decades ago to building sustainable homes that can support the health of their residents,” says Jeffrey Mezger, KB Home’s chairman, president, and CEO. “Well before the current pandemic, we saw we could offer affordable homes that can make a positive impact on what we value most but can’t buy: our health. We’re proud to lead our industry in focusing on improved indoor air quality and other wellness features and honored to partner with the Well Living Lab on this multiyear research project directed at advancing the future of healthier homes.”
The KB Home and the Well Living Lab research project will span three phases:
- Phase 1: Launching in February 2021, KB Home and the Well Living Lab will educate buyers about current healthy home technologies and products at a new KB community model home in Phoenix near the Mayo Clinic Arizona campus.
- Phase 2: KB Home will build a dedicated “test laboratory” home for the Well Living Lab to conduct evidence-generating research about the impact of indoor environments on the health of occupants.
- Phase 3: KB Home and the Well Living Lab will begin pilot studies in partnership with homeowners in the Phoenix area to validate research outcomes to create healthier indoor environments and gain insight on how to best bring them to consumers.
“The Well Living Lab draws upon the expertise of our building, health, and behavioral scientists to conduct human-focused studies in both simulated and real-world settings,” says Dr. Win Shen, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and adviser to the Well Living Lab on its healthy home research project. “There are many benefits to this multiyear project that will allow the Well Living Lab to bring its research out of the lab and into real homes. By conducting studies with KB Home, we can gather valuable data to improve the places where people live, work, and play.”
In the past, KB Home has been a leader in advancing new technologies. In January 2019, the company debuted KB ProjeKt: Where Tomorrow Lives, a health-oriented concept home of the future that redefined the home as a “health hub.”
Today, every KB home is designed to be Energy Star certified and deliver an enhanced indoor environment. The builder incorporates design features guided by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor airPLUS standards, including low- or zero-VOC products in carpeting, paint, insulation, and cabinetry, and comprehensive air sealants to significantly reduce drafts, moisture, dust, and pollen as well as antimicrobial door handles and touchless faucets to reduce the spread of germs.
