Global Wellness Institute Releases 'Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies', an In-Depth Look at a Wide Range of Pioneering Wellness Real Estate Projects Across the US and UK

If you thought wellness real estate was only amenities-packed luxury homes for the rich, this report will make you think again, detailing how wellness-focused projects are now being built on every scale and for every price-point and real estate category––from college housing to corporate campuses, from subsidized housing to senior living

MIAMI, Sept. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The non-profit Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the leading research organization for the global wellness industry, today unveiled Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies Volume 1, a deep dive into 13 projects across the US and UK which illustrate the extraordinary diversity and creativity underway in the $548 billion wellness real estate sector––the fastest-growing wellness market.

If expensive wellness residences, involved in a constant amenities and programming war, get all the media coverage, these case studies serve as a correction. They illustrate how, with intention and thoughtful planning, wellness can be successfully embedded in projects of any size (from a single home to whole neighborhoods), at any price point, for any type of occupants. The report also details key takeaways––the big shifts underway in wellness real estate––from mental wellness moving far beyond meditation spaces to social connection and financial wellness becoming burning issues.

The case studies, 18 months in the making, were presented today by GWI researchers at the Women in Residential Construction conference in Austin, Texas. They're a companion to GWI's major report Build Well to Live Well: The Future, released in June, with new market data and insights on why we need more wellness real estate, how to build it, and how to communicate both its business case and health benefits. Future case study volumes will cover innovative projects in other global regions.

"We're thrilled to share this set of case studies, which illustrate the diversity and the enormous value that wellness real estate can bring to its occupants––from families to students to seniors, from healthcare workers in training to cancer patients undergoing treatment," said Ophelia Yeung and Katherine Johnston, GWI's senior research fellows. "The demand for wellness real estate is compelling, and the only constraint is our imagination. We hope that this volume inspires bold vision and creativity in builders and developers everywhere to create an ever-growing array of real estate that can bring wellness to all."

Download the free report here.

US Projects:

American Cancer Society Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Hope Lodge^©, Houston, Texas: One of 30-plus Hope Lodge facilities in the US, providing free stays for cancer patients and their caregivers when they travel for treatment.
Standout approaches: From healthcare clusters to healthy communities; infusing wellness into hospitality and travel.

Fox Point Farms, Encinitas, California: Suburban master-planned "agrihood" community, with 250 residences and a 5.5-acre working farm.
Standout approaches: Building healthier food environments; embracing nature's benefits.

Rancho Mission Viejo, Orange County, California: Suburban master-planned, mixed-use community on a 23,000-acre site (with 75% preserved open space) and up to 14,000 residences.
Standout approaches: Climate adaptation and resilience; embracing nature; improving healthspans and thriving in aging.

Rockaway Village, Queens, New York City: New urban affordable apartments (1,700 units) and mixed-use community built on an urban brownfield site.
Standout approaches: Healthy homes for the non-rich; wellness-centric urban regeneration.

Spring Creek Towers, Brooklyn, New York City: Renovation of large-scale urban affordable apartments (150 acres, 100 acres of green space, 46 towers, 5,881 units) first opened in 1974.
Standout approaches: Healthy homes for the non-rich; building healthier food environments.

The Mather, Tysons, Fairfax County, Virginia: A 62+ Life Plan Community reimagining the concept of senior living, with independent and assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing, 239 residences and a three-acre park.
Standout approaches: Improving healthspans and thriving in aging; earth friendly and sustainable buildings.

The Pearl, Silver Spring, Maryland: Urban Class A multifamily rental building (284 units) with a two-acre park and sprawling outdoor amenity spaces.
Standout approaches: Earth friendly and sustainable buildings; healthy homes for the non-rich; wellness-centric urban regeneration.

The Picket Fence, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Created as a single "concept house" to pioneer attainable urban homes that boost wellbeing and sustainability.
Standout approaches: Innovations to improve the construction process and home supply; earth-friendly and sustainable buildings; healthy homes for the non-rich.

UK Projects:

Barclays Bank Campus, Glasgow, Scotland: A 6.7-acre open corporate campus for Barclays Bank, within a larger mixed-use project, housing 6,500+ workers.
Standout approaches: Wellness-centered urban regeneration; improving sensory environments with neuroarchitecture and the arts; earth-friendly and sustainable living.

Brent Cross Town, Greater London: Suburban, high-density (6,700 residences planned), mixed-use "park town" (180-acre site with 50 acres of parks/recreational spaces).
Standout approaches: Wellness-centered urban regeneration; improving sensory environments with neuroarchitecture and the arts; healthy homes for the non-rich; earth-friendly and sustainable living.

Daphne Steele Building, Huddersfield: University building housing state-of-the-art health teaching and patient care facilities, the first constructed on the University of Huddersfield's new seven-acre National Health Innovation Campus.
Stand out approaches: From healthcare clusters to healthy communities; wellness-centric urban regeneration.

The Spine, Liverpool: The northern headquarters for the Royal College of Physicians, a 14-story commercial building with offices, clinical exams, research, training, and events.
Standout approaches: Embracing the benefits of nature; from healthcare clusters to healthy communities; earth-friendly and sustainable living.

Urbanest Battersea Student Accommodations, London: Purpose-built university student housing (853 beds), part of the Urbanest Battersea mixed-use development.
Standout approaches: Diversifying co-living models; earth-friendly and sustainable living; wellness-centric urban regeneration.

Key Takeaways:

The case studies revealcrucial shifts underway and future directions for wellness real estate:

1) Healthy building concepts are quickly transforming from niche market to mainstream:

• Expanding into every real estate category: residential, mixed-use, commercial/office, educational/research, healthcare, and hospitality.
• Being built at every scale, from a single house (The Picket Fence Concept) to massive town-sized developments with thousands of residents (Rancho Mission Viejo, Brent Cross Town).
• Spreading from the luxury market to all price-points, including large affordable housing communities (Spring Creek Towers, Rockaway Village).

2) Projects are finally embracing the multidimensional aspects of health and wellbeing:

• Physical wellness is becoming a given (healthy indoor air, physical activity, biophilic elements), but each project also places a high importance on mental, social and environmental wellness via design and programming.
• Green building and healthy-for-humans design are increasingly becoming inseparable. Many more projects are seeking dual certifications, such as Daphne Steele Building (WELL+BREEAM) and The Pearl (Fitwel+LEED).
• Mental wellness reaches beyond meditation and yoga spaces and can be as mundane as easing occupants' daily frictions and mental burdens. At The Pearl, vending machines let residents rent small appliances (vacuum cleaners, clothing steamers, etc.), so they don't have to own/store them. The Barclays Bank Campus engaged Scottish Autism to design workspaces for a wide range of sensory profiles, including neurodivergent individuals.
• Creating connected communities is a huge focus. Every project is designed and programmed for social connection, intentionally avoiding creating another gated "wellness bubble." The Mather at Tysons partnered with local government to create a community wellness center with free programming for all 50+ residents in the region.
• Financial wellness is no longer an afterthought, as consumers face rising economic challenges and unaffordable housing. Every case study has taken financial wellness into consideration. Rockaway Village and Spring Creek Towers, two affordable housing communities, provide extensive on-site social services for residents (from college counseling to job placement).

3) There is no one-size-fits all approach in wellness real estate:

• The most effective projects use intentional, thoughtful, and situational design and operations that consider their occupants' unique wellness needs. Fox Point Farms leverages its working farm for healthy eating and biophilic benefits, and while pro-social design is key for all projects, at Hope Lodge Houston, it means making the communal kitchen the social hub of the community.
• Wellness certifications are a useful tool but not a requirement for wellness real estate projects. Over half of the case studies have obtained, or are seeking, wellness certifications from WELL or Fitwel, reporting that these programs help identify evidence-based approaches for healthy built environments.

4) Wellness real estate projects are delivering both business and wellness benefits:

• Wellness benefits are not often measured, but projects that do, like Rancho Mission Viejo and Brent Cross Town,have found that their residents report more wellbeing and connection to their community.
• Projects are becoming more proactive and bold in using the language of wellness and in communicating their wellness features to current and potential occupants.
• Wellness real estate developments are performing strongly from a business perspective. Each case study reported positive returns, such as rapid sales and high occupancy rates. But not a single project cited price premiums as the motivator for their wellness focus—just that it was the right thing to do.

About the Global Wellness Institute
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is the leading research organization for the wellness industry. Since 2014, it's been the go-to resource for rigorous data and analysis on the global wellness economy and impactful policy interventions. It also spearheads major industry initiatives and events that bring together leaders to chart the future. Its mission is to empower wellness and prevention worldwide. GWI educates public institutions, businesses and individuals on how they can work to prevent disease and enhance overall quality of life, and its projects include WellnessEvidence.com, the first research platform dedicated to the medical evidence for wellness modalities; The Wellness Roundtable podcast; and a collaboration with BBC StoryWorks to produce the film series In Pursuit of Wellness.

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