1. Best Practice Planning
Using sustainable materials, making environmentally-conscious choices and employing energy saving technologies is now a requirement of office design. Plan your office redesign or office refurbishment project carefully to maximise space, daylight and the availability of fresh air.
Click here to find out more.
2. Implement Energy Efficiency Measures
Have you considered sub-metering of electricity and water, even zonal controls for your heating, ventilation and lighting? Implementing energy efficient technologies in your office interior will save cost and have less of an environmental impact. Click here to find out more.
3. Government & Corporate Legislation
It is a now a legal requirement to consider the environmental impact of the design and build. We ensure you comply with UK legislation around commercial design and fit out. Click here to find out more.
4. Involve Your Employees
'67% of employees want to help their company reduce carbon emissions but do not know how' (Carbon Trust Survey). Keeping staff motivated and encouraging them to help implement energy saving measures will help keep energy wastage down Click here to find out more.
5. Maximise Office Comfort
Creating a comfortable office interior will have a number of benefits. Research has shown that people work better in buildings that use increased levels of natural lighting and ventilation. as they feel more in control of their environment, more comfortable, relaxed, productive and less subject to minor illness and absenteeism. Click here to find out more.
6. Use Sustainable Materials
The responsible sourcing of materials ensures that you have taken into account the environmental impact of the products that you are going use in your office fit-out.
Always ask the following questions: What's the recycled content? Are they locally produced? Can they be recycled or re-used? Click here to find out more.
7. Consider Enhanced Capital Allowances
Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECA's) are a straightforward way for a business to improve its cash flow through accelerated tax relief. The ECA scheme encourages businesses to invest in energy-saving products to help reduce carbon emissions. Click here to find out more.
8. Consider using BREEAM and Ska ratings
BREEAM Office Fit-Out Certification
BREEAM (Buildings Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a globally recognised scheme that aims to quantify and reduce the environmental burdens of buildings by rewarding designs that take positive steps to minimise their environmental impacts. All public sector office fit outs must be BREEAM certified. Click here to find out more.
9. Be Smart With Your Waste
Comply with the Waste regulations 2011 - England and Wales
New waste management regulation has come into force and no business can afford to ignore it anymore. It will affect all businesses and how they deal with waste. For the first time, businesses including the very smallest, will have to consider the hierarchy of waste options open to them – prevent, reuse and recycle – before disposing of waste. This seems very harsh, but in the UK we are running out of holes in the ground. The country is now moving towards a 'zero waste' economy.
Initiating an effective waste policy and systems can improve your environmental credentials, as well as, ensure that you deal with your waste properly. Reducing the waste from your office interiors, recycling it properly and reusing where possible will benefit your business and the environment. Click here to find out more.
10. Choose the Right Contractor
Excellent environmental credentials are vital when undertaking a sustainable office redesign and fit-out, so think carefully about selecting the right commercial interiors contractor.
Consider the following questions:
- Do they take an active approach to sustainability both internally and the services they offer?
- Can they provide an environmentally-conscious design service and advice on sustainable materials?
- Do they have Environmental Management System (EMS)?
- Do they have in-house Environmental Management Team?
- Are they officially ISO14001 certified?
- Can they offer BREEAM fit-out assessments & SKA rating assessments?
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If you would like to discuss a Sustainable Office Fit-Out contact our Environmental Manager - Emma Louise O'Neill on eloneill@fourfrontgroup.co.uk or Tel: 0207 647 5200.
