According to the Global Wellness Institute*, health is the new wealth, with wellness features and healthy design considered key components in luxury properties. Wellness amenities for luxury properties have expanded from gyms, spas and swimming pools to a wide variety of design features that encourage contact with nature, mindfulness, sleep and other aspects of mental and social wellness. The Institute predicts that many of these features will increasingly be found in mid-market and more affordable properties, including purpose-built rental communities of single and multi-family homes.
According to the Global Wellness Institute’s report, ‘Wellness Real Estate: Market Growth (2019-2023), & Future Developments’, wellness real estate has been the fastest-growing market in the wellness economy sector over the last six years, surging from USD225.2 billion in 2019 to USD438.2 billion in 2023.
Says Dr Andrew Golding, chief executive of the Pam Golding Property group: “The trend towards connecting with our natural environment, among other contributory factors towards wellness from both a mental and physical perspective, continues to gather traction. South Africa is particularly well suited to this movement given our great climate and outdoor lifestyle, as well as the exceptional natural beauty of our surroundings – both coastal and inland, combined with expansive green open spaces.
“ The GWI report places the 18.1% annual growth rate for wellness real estate during this period into perspective, as the annual growth rate for overall global construction was only 5.1% during the same time frame. Furthermore, the GWI forecast that the wellness real estate market will grow by 15.8% annually from 2023 to 2028, when it is anticipated to approach the trillion-dollar mark – with USD912.6 billion forecasted for 2028.”
The GWI says that wellness lifestyle real estate – defined as homes that are proactively designed and built to support the holistic health of their residents – puts people’s wellness at the centre of the conception, design, creation and redevelopment of our homes and neighbourhoods. Many elements of the green/sustainable building movement, design-driven movements, the food movement, New Urbanism, intentional communities and others, are already being adapted, mixed and incorporated in innovative ways into new and upcoming wellness-focused residential projects and communities.
Says Dr Golding: “Positively, the GWI recognises there is growing demand across all demographic groups to incorporate more wellness into all types of living environments including urban high-rises, suburban homes for families, rental apartments, university/college housing, senior independent living, assisted living, co-living and co-housing for all age groups, and digital nomads seeking co-working and short-term living arrangements.
“The GWI reveals that post-pandemic, across the world, there is rising demand for buildings, homes and communities that help people to live a healthier lifestyle and protect their health, creating vast potential for the wellness real estate sector. The renewed appreciation for green assets that began during the pandemic has continued to build, with a growing interest in incorporating more parks, natural areas for outdoor recreation, landscaping, trees and green public spaces into more projects and communities.”
Coupled with this, says GWI’s report, to combat loneliness and social isolation, many projects are employing pro-social design features to make people feel more connected to street life and to their neighbours, to allow people to gather in public spaces, and to encourage spontaneous social interactions. Developers have opportunities to create unique wellness living concepts by leveraging locational and site-specific characteristics, such as unique city amenities, urban greenspaces, nature preserves, mountains and bodies of water, outdoor sports facilities, thermal/mineral springs, local, historical and cultural heritage sites, and proximity to world-class medical technologies and health offerings.
Zen-like property captures essence of wellness
Just minutes from Hermanus and in prime, elevated position amidst natural fynbos and terrain in exclusive Leopard Rock Mountain Estate, is a property that prioritises and epitomises wellness in terms of mindfulness, tranquillity, and surrounding natural beauty.
Nestled on the Onrus mountains overlooking Onrus and Vermont, yet easily accessible to Cape Town, this private, gated estate comprises only 30 large and private erven.
Completed at the end of 2020, and in a prime, elevated location, the contemporary three-bedroom, three-bathroom home distinctively designed by Gass Architecture Studio, exudes the calm and harmonious aesthetic of Japanese-inspired elegance, with a hallmark feature being an authentic Kyudojo studio, a place of natural and quiet dignity which was guided by examples of ancient traditional tea houses and similar cultural buildings in Japan. This is the only example of its kind in Africa, of such importance that a prominent figure from Japan flew over to celebrate its launch and bless the dojo as part of an authentic Japanese ritual.
Applying basic principles of Japanese architecture, the architects designed the dojo in such a way as to create a visual floating effect melding into the natural fynbos landscape and creating a calm, harmonious and almost spiritual experience.
Says Annien Borg, Pam Golding Properties area manager in the Boland and Overberg region, exclusive marketers of the property: “The serene setting of the dojo with soft light filtering through and spectacular views could be used as a yoga studio or recreational room.
“The current owner, who is the Secretary of the All South African Kyudo Federation, has gone to meticulous lengths to create a Zen-like retreat with special features, such as the rooftop terrace with a KolKol hot tub. Created to optimise the views and embrace nature, it is perfect for hosting friends and family while gazing over the spectacular panorama.”
Set on a sprawling erf of 1 667sqm, with every detail meticulously curated, this minimalist, contemporary residence offers an exclusive and elevated lifestyle. Set over two levels, a broad driveway bordered by lush indigenous vegetation and a Zen garden invites visitors to the entrance of the home. Adjacent to the entrance, the third bedroom has been converted into a state-of-the-art home theatre, calibrated for optimal sound effects. A guest suite with its own separate entrance is on the ground floor, while at the heart of the residence is an open-plan kitchen finished to the highest standards with Gaggenau appliances and Hansgrohe fittings.
Other features include expansive views of Walker Bay and the ocean from the main living areas, and Oggie Oak French floors which infuse the interior with warmth and character, extending to the covered patio. A saltwater swimming pool completes the experience, offering a rejuvenating retreat against the backdrop of mountainous terrain. Geared for sustainable living, the home has 14 solar panels and a Tesla smart system that can be controlled via a phone app from anywhere in the world, enabling you to manage the electricity supply.
For further information contact Hannah Maury, hannah.maury@pamgolding.co.za , 071 298 5400, or visit: https://www.pamgolding.co.za/property-details/3-bedroom-double-storey-house-for-sale-chanteclair/on1658497
