DESIGN & INTERIORS
Office interiors can help increase sustainability credentials. To start with, look for suppliers who work to the environmental requirements of ISO14001. Using companies that incorporate recycled, responsible and reused natural materials - vegan furniture, cotton, hemp, cork, bamboo - automatically helps to reduce carbon footprints, as there are fewer virgin materials being used. At Consensus we have used cork throughout our offices: underfloor, on the walls and as furniture.
“89% of Millennials expect employers and suppliers to pe proactive around environmental responsibilities in the workplace, according to LinkedIn.”
Simple changes to traditional furniture models can also help. Moveable pods and units crafted from sustainable materials are very useful as workspaces adapt to flexible workforces and still have the need for privacy within open plan spaces. We have used them for Peel Media Ltd at MediaCity - the 12,000 sq ft office space refurbishment
involved us using specific materials and creating bespoke booths for private meetings and calls, building safe social spaces and meeting rooms as well as large open plan areas.
Technology is key too - a great example of this is Deloitte’s Amsterdam HQ, which uses advanced information technology to monitor everything. Hailed ‘The Smartest Building in the World’ by Bloomberg, it has almost 30,000 sensors to track elements such as movement, light, temperature and moisture. By using LED panels powered by the same cables that carry internet data, and creating power through things such as employee workouts, the building produces more energy than it uses - and even knows when to save power if areas or spaces are empty.
In addition to all these technologies, the building has been designed to be pleasant to work in. The lighting follows people’s biorhythms, every office has a view of greenery and noise is minimised through clever acoustics.
While installing 30,000 sensors is not practical for all companies, these things can be replicated by creating open plan areas and access to the outdoors: fresh air, natural light, plant life and the correct temperature and sounds all play a part.
Workplaces that reflect a company’s sustainable ethos, that incorporate nature and help communicate wider green goals can help to deliver a happier, more productive, more appealing and more responsible environment for the future.
www.consensusworkspace.co.uk/
www.tomorrowsfm.com
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