How to Design a Sustainable Office

Now more than ever, businesses are waking up to the imperative need for sustainability. With the build environment responsible for 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint, we’ll put our hands up and say we’re one of them.

To combat climate change, we’re pledging to continually evolve and adapt our own sustainability strategy. As part of this, we’re helping our clients to construct eco-conscious fit out projects that make a difference to our planet.

What is a Sustainable Office?

A sustainable workplace comes in many different shapes and sizes. As an overview, this is a building that uses a considered, ecological and environmentally friendly design. Through green office interiors, businesses can reduce their carbon footprint and operate in a workspace that cares not only for the planet, but their people too.

What are the Benefits of a Sustainable Office?

Investing in an effective, sustainable office fit out goes beyond environmental improvements, impacting the planet, your people – and even your pocket.

Planet

The drive of a green office design is to even the balance between the volume of greenhouse emissions produced and the volume that is removed from the atmosphere. Certain structural builds and commercial interior designs can help reduce energy consumption, changing a business’s day-to-day operations to something more sustainable.

People

With the market demand for green buildings doubling every three years (dbcnetwork.com), it’s apparent that the future generation of workers expects their business to have their own values in sustainability. A climate positive office design can therefore have a heavy hand in recruitment and retention opportunities, as well as using favourable interior features that benefit wellbeing and productivity.

Pocket

A sustainable office is now more achievable than ever, with reports that show a green building can be 14% less costly to run than more traditional builds (dbcnetwork.com) – and it makes sense. Sustainability is all about long-term goals, and when you implement energy-saving solutions under this pretence, you’re also going to benefit from reduced energy expenditures in the long run.

Building a Sustainable Office

From product to procurement, we want our customers to be able to make sustainable choices. 

Whether you need a partitioning system put up, a new suspended ceiling or a larger office fit out, we can help you build a green workplace through sustainable building materials and upheld industry standards, all while ensuring your project is still profitable.

Here are a few interior solutions to help your business operate more sustainably:

• Demountable Systems – With over 300 tonnes of fit out materials going to waste every day, demountable interior systems are at the forefront of most office designs. This means, should your business decide to relocate, demountable constructions such as removable partitions can be taken with you – saving them from polluting landfills.
• Glass Partitioning – Not only can glass partitions brighten and modernise your workplace, but they’re also a great sustainable alternative to solid partitions. By maximising light flow, you eliminate the need for harsh office lighting and, in turn, reduce your CO2 emissions. What’s more, natural light has many health benefits for your staff.
• LED Office Lighting –  This brings us nicely onto sustainable office lighting. We can install energy-saving solutions such as LED lights that help your business reduce its carbon footprint.
• Biophilic Office Design – Living walls, moss panels and other forms of biophilic design can help even levels of CO2 and oxygen by purifying the air. By embracing natural elements, you can also support wellbeing by reducing stress in the workplace.
• Sustainable Building Materials – The recyclability of your building materials can help reduce the volume of waste polluting our landfills. Our contracting division can help procure renewable materials such as sustainable ceiling tiles and carbon-neutral carpet tiles.
• Insulation – Something as simple as improving insulation in your office can help you keep warm in winter and cool in summer. As a result of this, you can cut your energy usage by running up that heating bill!

Sustainable Office Fit Outs in Gloucestershire

At Contract Interior Systems, we can deliver your sustainable office from start to end. We’re selective with the suppliers we work with to ensure industry standards are always upheld, and we have our own sustainability strategy to align our values with your company.

To see how we can improve the climate impact of your business, contact our experts today.