This Miami luxury condo is burying crystals in its building foundation to create good ‘vibes’

Many green buildings talk about energy efficiency. At Well Bay Harbor Island in Miami, an exclusive condo project centered on wellness , one of the selling points may be its vibrational energy.



Set to open next year, the project will feature an array of crystals embedded inside amenity spaces and even buried within the eight-story building’s foundation. In total, 33 pounds of hand-size rocks, all chosen by Valerie Oula, the building’s director of vibrational energy healing, will be included in the foundation, sized as to not impact the foundation’s integrity.



Considering the array of wellness-centric features front and center in the development’s marketing—a sauna and halotherapy steam room, a bathhouse featuring heated stone benches and kombucha, and even Theragun massagers on hand—does a few chunks of smoky quartz, green opal, and pink tourmaline make a difference?



[Image: courtesy Terra/The Well]



“When we decided to bury these crystals in the foundation, it was very, very much intention,” Oula says. “When we think about crystals, we tend to think, Oh, that’s so New Age , but when you really boil it down, crystals have a very stable structure, and that stable structure helps entrain vibration.”



Regardless of your feelings on the efficacy of crystals, there’s no doubting the significant growth of wellness-focused real estate. The nonprofit Global Wellness Institute estimates that last year the market hit $438 billion globally, and could top $913 billion by 2028. Gym use alone has doubled pre-pandemic levels, according to a new study by ABC Fitness . New building standards such as the International Well Building Standard (not related to the residence) and Fitwel have also become more popular; 2.5 billion square feet of real estate has been assessed on the Fitwel standard since it was established in 2016. 



“The wellness real estate industry is growing exponentially,” says Rebecca Parekh, a cofounder of the Well, a brand of wellness-focused spas, vacation resorts, and now residences that opened in New York City in 2019 (Well Bay Harbor is the network’s first residence in Miami). “So many of the trends in wellness real estate are consumer-led, and anybody building a space, whether it’s commercial or residential, is looking to solve a need and a desire in their customer base, first and foremost.”



[Image: courtesy Terra/The Well]



A cultural focus on better diet and exercise, as well as the air quality challenges highlighted by the pandemic, have made health benefits and amenities potent differentiators in high-end real estate. This residence, which starts at $1.25 million for a one-bedroom unit, is already half sold, and sells “at a premium compared to comparable buildings,” Parekh says. It has successfully attracted prospective buyers interested in everyday access to its health features, but with such a well-heeled clientele, it doesn’t hurt to add unique amenities, design features, or materials that solidify this wellness focus. 



“I’m looking forward to seeing, you know, how people feel, right?” Oula says. “When people walk into the Well in New York, immediately the first reaction is This is so much calmer . That’s the combination of the design of the space . . . [and] the energy of the space. 



[Image: courtesy Terra/The Well]



Terra , the developers of Well Bay Harbor Island, have made significant investments in tried-and-tested wellness features: Stoves are electric, not gas, eliminating a significant source of indoor air pollution, and there have been efforts to source more sustainable materials and finishes.



Oula says the crystals “help to amplify energy, or they help to basically convert energy into something that is more understandable.” The crystals in the gym, for instance, were chosen to highlight intentions such as self-love, compassion, and vitality. There’s no measurable ROI to having crystals in the building. But at this price point, perhaps anything that a potential resident values, or that adds to the larger story, is worthwhile.



“I don’t think that the crystals are front and center for buyers,” Parekh says. “It’s not like what we’re leading with from a marketing standpoint at all. I think what’s front and center for buyers is a building that is designed with wellness in mind.”