A sustainable building project, worthy of international recognition
- Warren Stanley
- Oct 29
- 6 min read
Recently, we were honoured to discover that sustainable building project urbanest Battersea, a ground breaking new student housing development in London, was selected as one of just 13 case studies to feature in the new Global Wellness Institute (GWI) report, Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies Volume 1.
This study highlights how wellness real estate is transforming communities across the globe. It draws on real life examples to demonstrate how wellness can be successfully embedded in projects of any size, at any price point, and for any type of occupants, while celebrating their achievements.
In this month’s blog post we thought we’d take the opportunity to share with you some of the report’s key findings and takeaways. We will also provide you with some further insight into the urbanest Battersea project and the role we played at Henriksen Studio in helping to achieve this building’s impressive wellness and sustainability credentials.
This pioneering sustainable building project has secured Passivhaus certification, has been recognised as BREEAM Outstanding and is the first student housing project to participate in the WELL for Residential Pilot.
The Global Wellness Institute: Its role and its research
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) is a non-profit organisation, which focuses on research, education, and advocacy around wellness and well-being worldwide.
It is the leading research organisation for the global wellness industry. It provides valuable insights and resources, often setting the benchmark for data and standards across multiple sectors.
In September 2025, The Global Wellness Institute published Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies Volume 1. This research provides a deep dive into 13 projects across both the US and the UK. The case studies selected each illustrate how, with intention and thoughtful planning, wellness can be successfully embedded in projects of any size, at any price point, and for any type of occupants.
Key takeaways from the wellness research
1) The case studies selected each reveal crucial shifts taking place, as well as pointing to the future direction for wellness real estate. These include:
Healthy building concepts are quickly transforming from niche market to mainstream. They are expanding into residential, mixed-use, commercial/office, educational/research, healthcare, and hospitality.
Projects are being built at every scale, from a single house to large-scale town-sized developments with thousands of residents.
A focus on wellness is spreading from the luxury market to all price-points, including large affordable housing communities.
2) Projects are finally embracing the multidimensional aspects of health and wellbeing:
Factoring physical wellness into the design and delivery is becoming a standard approach (healthy indoor air, physical activity etc), but projects are also beginning to place a high level of importance on mental, social and environmental wellness too.
Green building and healthy-for-humans design are becoming inseparable, with many projects seeking dual certifications.
Mental wellness is reaching beyond meditation and yoga spaces to focus on practical ways to support day to day life – helping to ease occupants’ daily frictions and mental burdens.
Creating connected communities is a huge focus. Every project is designed and programmed for social connection, intentionally avoiding creating another gated “wellness bubble.”
Financial wellness is no-longer an afterthought. Every case study has taken financial wellness into consideration.
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.
Wellness certifications are a useful tool but not a requirement for wellness real estate projects. Over half of the case studies had obtained, or are seeking, wellness certifications from WELL or Fitwel.
4) Wellness real estate projects are delivering both business and wellness benefits:
Wellness benefits are not often measured, but projects that do, have found that their residents report more wellbeing and connection to their community.
Projects are becoming more proactive and bolder 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.
What is wellness real estate and how is it defined?
The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness real estate as: Built environments proactively designed, built, and operated to support the holistic health of occupants, visitors, and the community.
The six guiding principals
The Global Wellness Institute has identified six guiding principles for wellness real estate. They encourage developers and builders to think holistically about how health and wellness can be addressed and supported across every aspect of the development process.
1. From small to large scale: Wellness can be incorporated into any size, scale, and type of building or project, and at any price point.
2. From intentional to multidimensional: Wellness real estate should be intentional, starting at the early stage of the planning process; it should use a multidimensional and holistic approach.
3. From “do no harm” to optimising wellness: Our built environments should not be unhealthy or unsafe; they can also leave us feeling better than before we entered them.
4. From passive to active wellness: Our built environments can affect our health simply by existing within a space; they can also encourage the proactive behaviours that drive wellness.
5. From infrastructure to operations: Wellness should be embedded in the infrastructure and not just an amenity; it should also be activated through ongoing operations and programming.
6. From “me” to “we”: Apart from catering to individual wellness needs, wellness real estate recognises that connections and community are central to our well-being.
urbanest Battersea: the case study
Situated on the southern side of Battersea Park Road, close to the recently developed Battersea Power Station, urbanest Battersea is a purpose built student housing development. It is one of the largest Passivhaus Standard developments in the UK.
urbanest Battersea houses over 850 students. The project commenced in 2021, and it opened to receive its first student residents in Autumn 2024. It’s three high-rise towers are connected by a four-storey podium with common amenity spaces and courtyard gardens on the lower levels.
This sustainable building is the first project to achieve Passivhaus and to pursue WELL certification and net-zero carbon in operation. All of the wellness features within this project are designed to meet the needs of its student residents and their lifestyles.
urbanest Battersea: a sustainable building supporting student health and well-being
All of the student apartments provide an array of facilities to support comfort, wellness and productivity for student residents. These include:
Sustainable heating and cooling systems
Advanced air filtration
Noise dampening design features
High quality beds – for a good night’s sleep
Spacious desks
Free fast broadband
High speed Wi-Fi throughout the building
Within the communal spaces you will find:
An on-site gym
A fitness/yoga studio
A large bike storage facility
Quiet spaces for studying
Versatile rooms with city views
Enclosed outdoor roof terraces
Digital bulletin boards – displaying wellness reminders
A 24-hour staffed reception
A student support team
Henriksen Studio: Our role in delivering a pioneering, sustainable building project
urbanest Battersea achieved Passivhaus certification in December 2024. It became the largest Passivhaus project in the UK and the largest Passivhaus student housing/university building in Europe. Henriksen Studio was the Passivhaus designer on this project.
We were brought on board in 2021 and consulted with urbanest right from the concept design stage. We worked in collaboration to execute urbanest’s vision: to lead the way within student accommodation by delivering the most sustainable product on the market.
As a well-established and highly respected certification scheme, Passivhaus was the obvious vehicle, to assist in achieving this goal. As both façade and Passivhaus consultants, Henriksen Studio was able to offer a unique perspective and to bring a unique skill set to this project.
We developed a comprehensive strategy, which focused on the delivery of an ‘envelope first’ building concept. From the outset the high performing façade became the foundation onto which building efficiencies were built. Without an efficient envelope, it would have been virtually impossible to achieve an energy efficient building.
By drawing on our specialist services and insights, we facilitated the design and fabrication of one of the leading high-performance facades in the world. An impressive feat, and one which we are incredibly proud of.
What is Passivhaus certification and how was it achieved?
Passivhaus is a voluntary standard, which uses a rigorous whole-building approach to sustainability. It aims to provide a high level of occupant comfort while minimising energy usage and carbon footprint.
Working closely with the wider team, Henriksen Studio employed a number of measures to ensure that the project met stringent, Passivhaus standards:
The use of energy efficient and low carbon concrete technologies, construction methods and design throughout the project.
Minimising thermal bridge to reduce heat loss.
High levels of insulation - including high-performance windows and the use of airtight building fabric.
The installation of a mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery.
This groundbreaking sustainable building project comprises three Passivhaus Standard student accommodation buildings and a BREEAM Outstanding commercial building. The development was designed by AHMM for urbanest and built by Mace.
Henriksen Studio was the Passivhaus designer and façade advisor for the project.
urbanest Battersea is already clocking up the accolades. It has secured multiple awards and has received much praise and recognition from across the industry.
Read more about this project and our sustainable building services here.
Read the full report: The Global Wellness Institute - Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies, Volume 1 here.
