Cities and suburbs across America are facing a mounting crisis of empty office buildings. As remote work becomes the new norm, some of these office spaces are being used in creative new ways.
One of those is a former US Securities and Exchange Commission operations center in Alexandria, Virginia. The corporate brick building has been transformed into a 100,000-square-foot luxury "immersive wellness retreat" called Balian Springs, which opened last year. It features plunge pools, eight saunas, wellness classes, and a rooftop infinity pool and bar overlooking the sprawling parking lot.
Stephanie Chon, who owns Balian Springs, told Insider it was a challenge to transform a "sterile type of building" into "a space where our guests are transported outside of Virginia."
"But that was the fun part of it," she said.