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Thu, 12 Nov 2026

Thu, 12 Nov 2026 From Paris to DC - why offices are being turned into apartments

Office buildings with low occupancy rates are being transformed into flats.

* Le Diamant office building in La Défense, Paris will be converted into apartments.
* Groupama Immobilier plans to convert 1/5th of the office buildings in the area into housing.
* Demand for offices in Paris has plummeted since the pandemic and growth of homeworking.
* Authorities want La Défense to become a place where people live, work, and play.
* Office-to-apartment conversions are also being planned in Washington DC and New York City, inspired by similar trends in London.
* Tax cuts and eased planning restrictions have fueled office conversions in the US cities.
* In Paris, Groupama Immobilier hopes that French authorities will reduce taxes and rules regarding conversions to make it easier.