Developers are putting a laser focus on all facets of an apartment community’s built environment to improve healthfulness, especially as Gen Z emphasizes concern and becomes the newest cohort of renters.  

The surging $6.3 trillion global wellness economy has evolved to encompass everything from how multifamily buildings are constructed for more light and air, to which healthy materials are incorporated, what amenities are offered for residents to pursue activities and which technologies are available to add desired conveniences for live, work and play.

Many experts peg the uptick in interest first to the emergence of COVID-19 and recently to Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) and slightly older Millennials (born 1981 to 1996). Both groups have delayed home purchases and want to rent in buildings with a smorgasbord of wellness systems, products and services for physical and mental healthfulness, according to health and wellness research from McKinsey & Company.

Exactly what features are incorporated and how wellness is defined differs for projects and locations, says Mary Cook, whose eponymous Mary Cook Associates firm acts as interior architects and designers on wellness and other trends for multifamily and student communities.

While the specifics may vary, the shared goal is to help individuals be healthy in the built environment, Cook says. Nowadays, properties can adopt a wider variety of features that foster exercise, socialization, spirituality, mental well-being and beauty as Gen Z recognizes the connection. “They are purpose driven, competitive and want to believe they can make a difference,” Cook says. “They are informed about their buying decisions, and you are not able to fool them. So, we curate amenity areas and unit finishes with brands and materials that are responsibly sourced, have low VOCs, minimally off-gas, are sustainable and also beautiful. All of this matters to them,” she says.

Other cohorts follow their lead with the result that changes are emerging. While buildings incorporate the expected well-equipped gym, flexible studios to serve distinct functions and parks for residents and pets, managers keep looking for newer trends that may gain traction such as infrared saunas and cold plunge pools, especially at Class A buildings. “Wellness—and all it represents—has become a differentiator for new developments or acquisitions that are remodeled,” says Chris Nebenzahl, Vice President of Rental Research at John Burns Research and Consulting.

Proof of the increased interest is that many industry sources such as Chris Yuko, Managing Director, Marquette Companies, says it’s hard to attract residents without adequate wellness features—and the right ones. Having the latest fitness equipment is a huge selling point for prospective residents, says Sarah Hunter, Associate Principal, KTGY.

For example, Optima began adding increasingly popular plunge pools, including at its Optima Kierland Apartments in Scottsdale, Ariz. Drawing inspiration from ancient Roman frigidariums, Nordic ice baths and other multicultural traditions, the practice of cold-water immersion has long been recognized for its restorative and therapeutic benefits but is now also used for athletic recovery to reduce muscle inflammation, accelerate healing and enhance blood circulation; bolster the immune system; and improve mental clarity. With a quick, invigorating dip, residents can experience reduced stress and elevated moods.

At the same time developers and architects add, they assess new amenities to be certain they’re utilized since maintaining some can be expensive, says architect Joshua Zinder, Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design (JZA+D). Those that don’t generate interest may be converted to maximize use, he says.

For now, these trends offer strong rewards:

Light, air, views, access.

Bigger windows and doors in units and shared spaces are a growing feature. What’s essential is that windows be operable, says Zinder, who designed many with floor-to-ceiling dimensions for the six apartments in the four-story former industrial Nelson Glass apartment building in Princeton, N.J. When feasible, balconies may also be incorporated, as they were at Nelson Glass. Even if they aren’t large enough for living space, Zinder may incorporate a Juliette-style balcony for fresh air, as he did at 30 Maclean, an old Masonic lodge in Princeton that he converted into 10 apartments, including two affordable units.

Residents also favor a view when feasible, dependent on where they live — scenic or of a downtown, says Matt Zielenski, Manager, Building Products Research, John Burns Research and Consulting. Many will pay a premium for that, plus access to public transportation, especially if they don’t own a car, he says. Walkability adds more to wellness routines.

Fitness facilities.

Besides having well-equipped cardio rooms, more spaces are designed to be flexible studios that work for yoga, Pilates, free weights and self-guided exercise programs with simple pieces of equipment, says Kayte Peters, Regional Property Manager, Northeast, Denholtz. Her firm has witnessed interest in expanding such spaces, so residents don’t feel alone when they exercise. Newer wellness-focused amenities include sound bath rooms, essential oil meditation spaces and fitness devices like stationary bikes that offer a workout without consuming much space and which can be switched when interests change, says Hunter.

In student communities, architect Paul J. Wuennenberg, AIA, Principal, LEED AP, KWK Architects, says universities encourage his firm and others to design buildings with stairs to provide built-in exercise rather than just offering elevators. He and his colleagues try to design staircase areas with windows and built-in window seating so they can become a place for students to hang out. Another reason for such exercise, he says, is that many students are intimidated by big campus gyms that may be used mostly by top athletes. In-building exercise also prevents students from having to go to an outside gym when it’s cold.

Communal passive and active outdoor spaces.

Almost anything that’s been found at resorts or single-family homes can be adapted for multifamily and student living, from terraces with private cabanas to pools with shallow shelves for lounging to grilling stations, walking trails, pet parks and courts for different sports. At properties that are part of a master-planned community, more extensive trails are included and as many trees as possible are retained for a bucolic setting, says Yuko. At two of his company’s properties set to open this year, The Sylvan in the Woodlands in Spring, Texas, near Houston, retained old oak trees and found space were used for pickleball and bocce ball courts. At its more urban Tempo at White Oak in Houston, space was also saved for pickleball and a pool. At many of its properties such as Overall Creek in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Vida in Kannapolis, N.C., Denholtz incorporates a park-like atmosphere outside the building for beauty and inserts activities such as playgrounds for young children and oversized yard games for older children and adults.

At Optima Lakeview in Chicago, the community extends outdoor living during colder months by heating the rooftop pool, providing fire tables on the outdoor terrace and heating the community’s private dog park.

Lendlease has adopted a similar approach at multiple sites but also incorporated parks that the wider community can use. At its The Riverie, in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, a waterfront esplanade will improve access to the East River, says Meg Spriggs, Managing Director, Development, Americas. There will also be a “living shoreline” to provide a riverside setting for residents and visitors and an open-air landscaped courtyard when it opens in 2026. And it designed its walking paths and four parks amid lush greenery, connecting to the adjacent 12-mile-long Expo Bike Path at its Habitat property outside Los Angeles.

And at purpose-built student housing (PBSH), developers like Pierce Education Properties (PEP) try indoors and outside, with study lounges, game rooms and fitness centers to promote mental clarity, relaxation, green spaces, walking paths, outdoor yoga areas and shaded seating.

Social wellness shared.

Scheduled events help attract residents and students to a property and connect them with peers, which has been found to help retain them, says Yuko. “It saves us money if we don’t have to renovate, paint and release a unit,” he says. Among the more popular programmed events are yoga classes, pop-up bars and restaurants, art exhibits, pickleball tournaments, personal trainers and fitness classes, as well as smoothie bars and supplement consultants. Peters says her firm tries to host one event per month and cater to different segments, so all feel represented. At Optima properties, residents can participate in organized pickleball leagues, fitness, yoga, Pilates and water aerobics classes and book sessions with massage therapists and personal trainers through the Optima app.

Another way to build connections is by placing laundry facilities upstairs in a well-illuminated and windowed space rather than in a dark basement, sometimes adjacent to other social spaces such as a lobby or coffee bar or with views of the outdoors, according to KWK Architects. Maker spaces can engage residents in creative activities such as small-scale crafting and hands-on building that stimulate the mind, says Hunter. Also popular are crafting studios that have sewing machines, cutting mats and various crafting tools, and woodworking shops that include larger tools that apartment residents may not have access to such as saws, drills, workbenches, sanders and other tools to take on larger DIY projects.

KrisAnn Kizer, Vice President of Marketing and Leasing at PEP, cites a slew or programming and services it orchestrates such as meditation and nutritional workshops. Because of all the pets, space where their owners can gather is another growing shared activity, says Zielenski.

Part of a neighborhood.

Besides inviting neighbors to use outdoor space, building management can encourage a stronger connection between apartment residents and the outside community by adding ground-floor retail space—bookstores, coffee houses and wine bars—for more mixed-use projects that benefit everyone. “The younger demographic is interested in community bonds,” says Nebenzahl. Many are returning to urban centers to find a plethora of such choices, Zielenski says. But even in the suburbs, developers incorporate typical urban amenities for this type of connection. At properties that don’t include features to share, managers try to work out arrangements with local businesses, he says.

Healthy building designs and products.

Biophilic design remains a strong influence with designs such as Lendlease’s Habitat incorporating terraced setbacks to mimic the surrounding hills. Live greenery may be brought inside, which Zinder tries to do.

Optima developed a proprietary vertical landscaping system that provides cascading greenery across building facades and balconies. First launched at its Arizona communities, the landscape system made its Midwest debut at Optima Verdana, a 100-unit rental community opened in Wilmette, Ill., in 2023. Optima adapted the system to the Midwestern climate by using coniferous plant species that remain green year-round. In addition to its aesthetic and biophilic appeal, the exterior landscaping provides a haven for urban wildlife; promotes evaporative cooling; re-oxygenates the air; reduces dust, smog and ambient noise; helps detain stormwater; and thermally insulates residents from the sun.

There’s also continued attention to using materials with low VOCs, limiting carpeting to areas where it’s important as a noise buffer, favoring more luxury vinyl planks or tiles that are easier to keep cleaner than carpet and incorporating more air filtration systems. The tiles or planks also work well with pets for cleanliness and durability, Zielenski says. Certain materials also offer a modern look and hold up well such as stainless steel appliances and polished concrete, granite and engineered quartz countertops. Some of these choices may cost a bit more but are considered a worthwhile investment, Zielenski says.

Peters says residents of buildings her firm designs have requested more filter changes and often inquired what chemicals are in cleaning products used or adhesives. Optima communities utilize plant-based and fragrance-free cleaning products in common areas when possible and rely on fresh floral arrangements in lobbies instead of chemical-based air fresheners or automated perfume dispensers. To improve results, more buildings hire outside specialists to clean systems, which scrub HVAC systems and ductwork of dust and allergens and seal them to mitigate future infiltration.

Colorful palettes and warm lighting.

More nature-inspired palettes that reflect biophilic design are used to connote a warm, homey feeling to help pare stress, a crucial factor among college students who often experience it psychologically and socially, Wuennenberg says. Besides soothing paint colors, lighting in a warm spectrum is favored, he says.

Open apartment layouts.

Design professionals have found that residents prefer relaxing, entertaining and studying in units with an open modern plan. One perk is they can set up in-home exercise equipment, even if just a mat and free weights, or have a place to use a laptop, says Peters. “They can more easily do different things at different times of the day and customize their layout to their needs,” Zielenski says.

Student apartments reflect such trends and others. Many include more bathrooms for a better student-to-bathroom ratio, which improves wellness, Wuennenberg says. Kizer also cites the need for good soundproofing for better rest, ergonomic furniture for studying since many come furnished and smart technology that help support a balanced lifestyle such as adjustable lighting.

Will the wellness surge continue? Zielenski thinks so. “People want to live healthier,” he says. However, one caveat is that rents have increased, and there may be a time when residents don’t want to keep paying more for extra amenities and features and go back to seeking basic affordable units.

What about mental wellness?  

Some developers, particularly those in the student housing niche, are allocating more resources. For example, Pierce Education Properties (PEP) has partnered with counseling services and telehealth providers to offer accessible mental health support for residents. Property staff receive training to recognize signs of mental health distress and direct students to appropriate resources. And the company is a member of the College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition to show its commitment to support students’ mental health on a broader scale. Through this partnership, PEP leverages research, advocacy and shared resources to ensure its properties align with the latest wellness trends and needs of colleges.

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