Best Spaces Certification™ Translating Engagement Insights into Design Solutions
About Best Spaces
Inclusive design plays a critical role in development, particularly in commercial real estate, where the built environment shapes access and experience for a wide range of users. Within SEAM Certification, it is a required task because of its foundational influence during the design phase. Though just one of many requirements, it is a vital early step that sets the tone for how a project will serve people across different backgrounds and abilities.
SEAM’s administration of the Best Spaces Certification gives project teams a focused entry point into this work, allowing deeper engagement with inclusive design strategies before or alongside a full SEAM Certification. As a robust, standalone evaluation of a project’s design intent and delivery, Best Spaces Certification is an ideal first step for teams seeking meaningful, measurable progress.
SEAM is the exclusive licensed administrator of Best Spaces Certification on behalf of Best Spaces Design Institute, LLC, the author and owner of the Best Spaces Standard. This partnership extends SEAM’s mission by offering practical tools for embedding inclusion at all stages of development—starting with design.
Advancing experience-driven design
The Best Spaces Standard™ is a certification framework grounded in a simple premise: the best spaces are those shaped by the people they serve.
The current Pilot Version (3.0) is actively supporting certification across sectors. Version 1.0 is under development and will introduce additional criteria, refine scoring pathways, and formalize the evaluation methodology while maintaining the core principles established in the Pilot.
Projects may continue registering under the Pilot during this transition.
A public comment period will open in Spring 2026, inviting practitioners, researchers, and organizations to participate in shaping the next evolution of the Standard.
Best Spaces Certification™
Projects applying the Best Spaces Standard may pursue two certifications confirming that the priorities of communities and end-users were met during design and post-occupancy. Best Spaces Certifications™ communicate to industry leaders, state and local governments, potential building end-users, and other stakeholders that your project is positioned to have a positive social impact.
Create value
with Best Spaces
The Best Spaces Standard supports meaningful, equitable, and inclusive community-engaged design, helping businesses, organizations, and building owners to:
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Enhance end-user satisfaction, improve project quality, and maximize property usage.
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Increase property desirability, market rents, and resale values.
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Create a stronger sense of community, boosting goodwill and public support for projects.
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Demonstrate leadership in social responsibility — a growing requirement in ESG and GRESB reporting, as well as RFP procurements.
