Wellness has moved well beyond the residents’ gym. Across the country, developers are building bathhouses, plunge pools, recovery rooms and even medical clinics into new apartment projects, betting that buyers want a home that actively supports how they feel.
Here are four off-the-plan projects selling now that are leading the way.
Elysium Fields, Docklands, Melbourne: GURNER
If any developer has made wellness a brand, it’s GURNER. Elysium Fields is a $2.75 billion precinct at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade that will eventually be home to around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, dining and public space.
The wellness offering goes deep. Apartments are designed with air and water purification, circadian lighting and antimicrobial surfaces, with optional in-home upgrades. Residents will share mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy and red light therapy, and GURNER is seeking approval for a reverse ageing medical clinic offering cryotherapy, IV infusion and advanced diagnostic scans. A Path of Life urban forest will link the buildings.
Buyers are responding, with more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, or roughly 580 apartments. Construction is underway on four towers ranging from 18 to 30 storeys.
Eclipse, South Perth: Blackburne
On the South Perth peninsula, Blackburne’s Eclipse brings boutique wellness to the Swan River foreshore. Designed by MJA Studio, the 17-storey building has been approved and is getting underway at 44 Mill Point Road, with 55 owner-occupier residences planned around generous, open-plan living.
Residents will have hot and cold wellness baths, a sauna and a fully equipped gym, along with a private dining room, wine lounge and landscaped podium terraces. Prices start from $2.1 million for a two-bedroom apartment, rising to $9.9 million for a four-bedroom penthouse with river, Kings Park and Melville Waters views.
Harbourside Residences, Darling Harbour, Sydney: Mirvac
Rising 48 levels above Darling Harbour, Mirvac’s Harbourside Residences offers 263 one to four-bedroom apartments, including three penthouses and three sub-penthouses.
Its resort-style wellness floor includes an indoor lap pool, spa, steam room and sauna, a yoga and pilates space, and an outdoor infinity pool with cabanas set on a landscaped terrace.
The project has proven one of Sydney’s standout launches, with pre-sales passing $600 million and prices achieved ranging from just over $1.7 million to $25 million. Completion is anticipated in late 2027.
Sandpiper, Broadbeach, Gold Coast: Polycell
On the Gold Coast, Polycell’s Sandpiper at 155 Old Burleigh Road puts wellness at the heart of beachside living. Designed by BDA Architecture, the tower will hold 211 residences, with a level four wellness club for all residents featuring a magnesium lagoon pool, hot and cold plunge pools, sauna and steam rooms, fitness studios and a yoga deck. Private Residences owners also gain access to dedicated relaxation and personal training spaces on levels 33 and 34.
Two-bedroom apartments start from $1,855,000, with four-bedroom half-floor Private Residences from $11,366,000.
Why Wellness Matters to Buyers
For off-the-plan buyers, wellness amenities aren’t just a lifestyle bonus. Spaces like bathhouses and recovery rooms add daily value that’s hard to replicate in an established home, and they can help a building stand out to future buyers and tenants alike. As more developers raise the bar, wellness is fast becoming an expectation rather than an extra.
