Wellness Real Estate Symposium Envisions New Ways To Work And Live

The Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium, the premier conference highlighting the growing global movement toward wellness-centered living, was held on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at West End Labs (WEL) in New York City. The WEL was originally built in the 1920s as an automotive showroom and repair facility for Chrysler and has since transformed into a state-of-the art research hub, making it the ideal venue for the occasion. The event was also streamed online for those joining virtually throughout the world. 

The Symposium, now in its fourth year, was hosted by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) and Global Wellness Summit (GWS). Via a full day of programming, it convened over 25 experts, leaders, and visionaries from real estate, architecture, design, medicine, technology, investment, and sustainability to explore opportunities within what is the fastest-growing sector of the now $6.3 trillion wellness industry.

The Symposium is an extension of GWS’s mission to shape the future of wellness globally through bold thinking, collaboration, and high-impact dialogue and aims to explore how wellness is transforming the way we live and work.

Key highlights included the following: 

Wellness Real Estate can be defined as developments, ranging from luxury resorts to affordable housing, designed to support holistic health, sustainability, and community well-being. The focus is on creating physical spaces that inspire health, connection, and environmental responsibility. This is done by challenging outdated regulations, activating outdoor and communal areas, and repurposing existing structures into collaborative spaces.

Speakers highlighted that wellness is both personal and environmental. Tye Farrow, senior partner of Farrow Partners Architects, emphasized how enriched environments positively shape mental health, social connection, and resilience.

Veronica Schreibeis Smith, CEO & Founding Principal at Vera Iconica, reflected on past architectural health failures. She said she believes we are currently in a pivotal shift toward regenerative, human-centered design that recognizes humans as part of nature.

In addition, Emmy-winning lifestyle expert Danny Seo stressed the value of real-world experiences, like refillable water stations in hotels, that are accessible and “impactfully sustainable.”

Wellness real estate is expanding globally at a very rapid pace. Currently valued at $548 billion, it is projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2029, according to experts at the symposium.

Wellness real estate, which spans several different property types, from luxury residences to public housing to healthcare facilities was reframed as essential infrastructure, not simply a nice to have. Speakers emphasized its potential to address urgent global issues like climate risk, aging populations, and affordability. 

A major theme of the event was social responsibility. Sharon Prince discussed “Design for Freedom,” a global initiative tackling forced labor in building materials by creating transparency and accountability in supply chains. Through her company “Grace Farms,” she promotes ethical sourcing, wellness, and sustainability in architecture and advocates for both human dignity and systemic change across the construction industry.

Beth McGroarty, VP of Research and Forecasting at the GWS & GWI, discussed three major trends with big impacts: analog homes aimed to promote digital detox and human connection, the rise of co-wellness living to combat loneliness and housing costs associated with single living, and the urgent need for climate-adaptive designs to address environmental threats.

Vlada Tusco and Elan Shuker, Global Head and Global VP of Programme Partnerships at BBC Studios, respectively, shared how their documentary series In Pursuit of Wellness, premiering on July 1, uses authentic storytelling to highlight how built environments impact well-being.

Lastly, a panel from the Mayo Clinic and the Destination Medical Center (DMC), based in Rochester Minnesota, discussed integrating wellness technology into housing. The initiative focuses on modular homes designed to promote preventive health and dignity in order to support aging in place.