Sustainable Hospitality Brand Launches in Miami

MIAMI BEACH, FL—Lucky Shepherd has launched its Shepherd Eco sustainable hospitality brand with a flagship location in Wynwood, Miami. The project, developed by Shepherd Atma and Hoar Program Management (HPM), with Touzet Studio as architect and Gensler as interior design, is slated to open late 2022.

“This project is special for us in many ways,” said Christine Menedis, co-founder and CEO, Shepherd Eco. “In addition to launching a new brand that we’re passionate about, Miami is our home. It’s a city on the ascent, where the energy is palpable and the people are inspiring. We’re thrilled to be a part of building this community.”

The crypto-friendly, LEED-certified Shepherd Eco Wynwood will include a 150-key hotel, up to 48 private residences with Eco’s sustainable flex design, a private outdoor residential amenity deck with a treehouse, a floating glass spa and wellness center, locally inspired wellness activities, an art gallery with seasonal exhibitions, an indoor/outdoor event space, a rooftop pool and bar, a street-level speakeasy, and the brand’s signature farm-to-table culinary experience, Shepherd Farms. There’s also a garden paseo that flows from 26th St. to 27th St., including muraled art walls, a sloped lawn for viewing evening outdoor movies and concerts, and a lush canopied seating area to enjoy a beautiful Miami afternoon.

The brand’s sustainability ethos is honored through strategies for reducing plastic and water usage, and resiliency elements are located where they can be visible to the public, highlighting their growing importance. Hydroponic farming is found on the rooftops, fueled by rainwater collection systems, as well as throughout the interiors of the hotel and residential buildings.

Each Shepherd Eco community embraces the storyline of its locale and, in Wynwood, that wouldn’t be possible without art. Shepherd has engaged gallerist Sundaram Tagore to curate an immersive experience, sparking conversation through artists known and unknown.

Lucky Shepherd is uniquely positioned within the industry, having both commercial real estate and artificial intelligence companies within its portfolio. According to Menedis, “We can discreetly and seamlessly integrate technology throughout the design of our communities—from the buildings themselves to the customized, ephemeral resident experience. Our companion artificial intelligence, Zoe, is infused into each of our Shepherd Eco communities.”

Shepherd Eco encourages the broader community to take ownership of its properties. The brand reserves a portion of each capital stack for qualified investors to partake. The mantra is simple: Love your community? Invest in it. The response has been positive.

“Clearly, we’ve tapped into a desire for alternative investments that align with people’s values,” said Naveen Trehan, co-founder and chairman. “We realized that the very people we were designing this hospitality brand for were searching for ways to bring this core sustainability ethos into their portfolios. Each investor is an ambassador for our shared vision. Frankly, I can’t think of a better way to build brand loyalty and do a little good in the process.”