Define Body & Mind founder to build wellness-focused apartment community in Energy Corridor

 

Jeff Jeffrey, Houston Business Journal

Houston-based Wolff Cos. has sold a 10.4-acre parcel in its Central Park mixed-use development in the Energy Corridor to an apartment company focused on creating a wellness-forward living environment.

Houston-based Define Living paid an undisclosed amount for the property, which it plans to use to build its second local multifamily development, which currently is called Define Living: Park Row. The new apartment development will be on Park Row Drive, near Interstate 10 and Central West Park Boulevard.

“We are thrilled to announce the site of the future home of our second Define Living community, for which we expect to break ground late 2025,” Define Living founder Henry Richardson said in a news release. “We believe your home should energize and restore you. We designed Define Living: Park Row for people who want more than just a place to live — they want a place to thrive.”

Richardson was one of the Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honorees in 2012.

The four-story midrise apartment community will have 388 one- and two-bedroom units, ranging in size from 657 square feet to 1,089 square feet, per the release.

Each unit will feature stainless-steel kitchen appliances, in-unit washers and dryers, walk-in closets, private patios, modern interiors and a range of price points to accommodate a variety of lifestyles, the company said.

Define Living: Park Row also will offer the company’s signature health-conscious living environment.

The apartment community will offer such amenities as indoor cycling and yoga studios, a fitness center, an infrared sauna and cold plunge, a resort-style lap pool, two pickleball courts, a dog park, a bicycle spa, fresh juice for post-workout recovery, direct access to scenic walking and biking trails, and a personal wellbeing coach for every resident.

Richardson said in an interview that the new apartment community also will offer a number of wellness programs to its residents, including daily online and in-person fitness classes, guided meditation, cycle sessions and monthly cooking classes, among other activities.

“We want to center everything around the community and help our residents thrive and feel like they have a place that is more than a home,” Richardson said.

The new Park Row will blend convenience, modern design, and holistic wellbeing in one elevated living experience, Define Living said.

Define Living has tapped Houston-based Mucasey & Associates to serve as the architect for the Park Row project, while Blazer Builders, which also is based in Houston, will oversee construction. Blazer Builders is owned by Richardson’s father.

The project is expected to begin construction later this year, and pre-leasing is already underway. The on-site clubhouse is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by the residential buildings.

“With wellness programming for all ages, a built-in sense of community, and a location central to Houston’s business and outdoor hubs, Define Living: Park Row is setting a new standard for apartment living,” Richardson said in the release. “We look forward to welcoming new residents and creating an environment where they can reach new levels of wellbeing.”

Define Living announced its first apartment community at 1888 Brittmoore in northwest Houston in 2023, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Define Living’s origins
Richardson launched the Define brand in 2009, when he opened his first yoga and Pilates studio in Tanglewood.

He came up with the concept for a wellness-oriented business after graduating from Memorial High School, where he was a state champion platform diver; the University of Florida; and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.

Richardson told Culture Map in 2012 that he broke his back as a result of diving at Florida, and his doctor recommended he start doing yoga and Pilates as part of his recovery.

That recommendation led to a business plan he developed at Rice while earning his MBA.

At one point, Define Body & Mind had more than 20 locations, including studios in Atlanta, Austin, Cincinnati and Midland.

In 2016, the company opened its first international studio in Dubai.

However, it appears many of those locations closed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Between 2017 and 2022, Richardson sold off his stake in all of the Define Body & Mind studios — except for one in Montrose — to allow for investments in multifamily projects, he said.

“I kept that one just for fun because it’s something I love dearly,” Richardson said. “We actually integrate the in-studio experience with the online classes, which is something we allow residents to access.”

As for the first Define Living apartment community at 1888 Brittmoore, Richardson said the wellness concept was so successful that it inspired him to build a second location.

“The residential idea is something I have been thinking about since business school, and this is really the next phase of our investment strategy,” Richardson said. “Our first location was leased up in less than 10 months, which gave us the confidence that the demand is there for a second community.”

Meanwhile, Wolff Cos. Central Park mixed-use development is the largest remaining parcel available for development in the Energy Corridor, the company said.

With Define Living’s acquisition of the land for its new apartment community, Central Park now only has one remaining property for sale.

The Central Park development is adjacent to Terry Hershey Park and Addicks Reservoir, meaning 50% of the development is bordered by permanent green spaces.

“Central Park’s proximity to the abundant greenspaces of Addicks Reservoir and Terry Hershey Park and connectivity to Bayou Greenways’ miles and miles of hike and bike trails made the Wolff Companies property an ideal site for Define Living, whose company vision and mission focus on wellbeing,” Carolyn Wolff Doros, executive vice president of Wolff Cos., said in the release. “We see working with Define Living to bring their vision of a healthy residential community to life as the next step in that legacy.”

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