An abandoned horse stable becomes a luxury SPA?

This week’s lineup is a swim through the unexpected waters – from AI quietly making ESG consultants obsolete, to 360° tours that are actually converting leads. We’re also spotlighting why straw – yes, straw – could be your next high-performance building material. But our favourite feature this week?

🏛️ An abandoned horse stable in Milan has been reborn into Italy’s largest geothermal-powered urban spa. A tale of architecture, sustainability, and literal rebirth – this one hits close to our Pool-loving hearts.

Let’s jump in. 🏊‍♀️

🐴 From abandoned Horse Stables to Sanctuary: 🧖‍♀️ Milan’s Spa Reborn

How fitting for Proptech Pool to bring you this story – because this one starts with stables and ends with thermal pools! And honestly, I found it hard to believe when I read this incredible story of re-birth of a luxury building complex that had been long forgotten.

Built in the 1920s for the noble De Montel banking family, Milan’s ‘Scuderie De Montel’ was once a glamorous Art Nouveau stables. Then came war, complete decay, and decades of silence… until a thermal spring was discovered beneath the ruins in 2007.

Fast-forward to 2025: De Montel stables, (which for football fans, are conveniently located right behind the famous San Siro stadium), have been reborn as Italy’s largest urban thermal spa park – a sanctuary powered by geothermal energy and architectural vision.

What you’ll find there today:

• 10 thermal pools sourced from 396 meters underground.

• Four saunas, a hammam, treatment rooms, and lush green courtyards.

• A full-circle sustainability system using geothermal energy, solar panels and rainwater reuse.

Led by Studio Marzorati Architettura, under the guidance of Italy’s Archaeological Superintendence, this project isn’t just about restoration – it’s a reimagining of place and purpose.

Swim through the full rebirth of Milan's finest Spa here.

🤖 AI-Powered Energy and ESG Management

How many hours are your teams spending just to track and report ESG data? Or worse – are you paying top dollar to consultants for something that could be automated?

Platforms like Deepki and Envizi (acquired by IBM in 2022) are flipping the script.
They’re turning ESG and energy management from a resource draining chore into a streamlined, strategic asset. The system connects directly to your building systems and utility data, using AI to detect patterns, flag inefficiencies, and generate instant insights – no more spreadsheets, no more guesswork.

The impact?

• ⚡ Energy costs cut by up to 25%

• 📈 ESG scores improved across 100% of managed assets

• 🌍 500+ million m² of real estate analysed in 50+ countries

Instead of annual audits and reactive fixes, you get continuous oversight and smarter decisions – in real time. From my recent discussions with industry professionals, it seems that 2025 is the year ESG consultants become more or less obsolete thanks to automation and SaaS... Let’s see!

♻️ Straw isn’t just for the countryside anymore

It’s quietly becoming one of the most sustainable, 100% natural and high-performance construction materials on the market – and it's made from straw.

EcoCocon has engineered a modular straw panel system that transforms agricultural by-products into airtight, breathable, and super-insulated building blocks. Each panel is composed of compressed straw within a timber frame – outperforming many conventional insulation systems both thermally and environmentally.

What we found most interesting – this is not just about sustainability and moving away from typical PIR insulation (made from petroleum), but serious building performance:

• 🌾 Carbon-negative from day one–up to 120 kg of CO₂ locked away per m²

• ⚡ Operational energy use optimized by up to 85%

• 🌬️ Exceptional indoor air quality –no toxins, no plastics, and fully vapour-permeable

• 🛠️ Prefabricated - fast to install 

• ❄️ Airtight yet breathable – meaning year-round thermal comfort and low energy bills

For developers and real estate leaders searching for low-embodied carbon solutions that don’t sacrifice on comfort, speed or performance – straw might just be the most future-proof material you’re not using (yet).

What do you think…. is this concrete’s last straw? 💀