Creating a Sustainable Office Space

The built environment is the UK’s second-largest source of carbon emissions, and the UK Green Building Council’s latest progress report found that embodied carbon has fallen by just 14% since 2018, against the 24% its roadmap calls for. For businesses with ESG commitments, the materials that go into an office fit-out now matter as much as the energy a building uses once it opens.

Creating a sustainable office space goes well beyond adding plants and switching to LED lighting. The biggest gains come from decisions made at the brief stage, right through to what happens to your old furniture on the day the strip-out begins.

Why Sustainable Office Design Matters to Your Business

Environmental credentials are increasingly part of how businesses are judged by clients and by the people they want to hire. Many tenders now ask suppliers to evidence their environmental performance, and an office that reflects those values makes the case far more convincingly than a policy document.

A sustainable office refurbishment can also bring running costs down. Better insulation and efficient lighting reduce energy bills year after year, whilst a well-planned layout means less wasted space to heat and light.

What We Learned From Our SKA Gold Fit-Out

SKA is the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ environmental assessment scheme for fit-outs and refurbishments, measuring projects against good-practice criteria that run from responsible sourcing through to energy use. We explain how it works in our guide to SKA ratings.

When we refurbished the University of Hull’s Energy and Environment Institute, it became the first education building in the UK to achieve a SKA Gold rating, meeting 84% of the scheme’s 86 criteria. When it opened in 2020, it was one of only 16 projects in the country to hold the accreditation.

Much of that score came from what we kept rather than what we bought. Around 80% of the carpet and soft floor finishes were reused or recycled, as was 80% of the timber flooring, with the remainder diverted from landfill. Half of the vinyl finishes also went through a closed-loop recycling scheme.

Practical Ways to Create a Sustainable Office Space

Starting with what’s already in the building is one of the most effective steps you can take. Before anything is stripped out, it’s worth auditing existing furniture and finishes to see what can be refurbished or given a second life elsewhere, and we regularly recycle components from previous fit-outs so less ends up in a skip.

Where new furniture is needed, circular ranges from Rework, backed by Sustain’s end-of-life recycling, give each piece a longer life and a clear route back into use, supporting zero-to-landfill ambitions.

Your supply chain plays a part too. We work with a network of UK-based suppliers and hand-pick subcontractors from the local area, which lowers transport emissions and keeps more of your investment in the local community.

Recording these decisions as the project progresses pays off later on. Documenting material specifications and supplier choices gives you auditable evidence for ESG reporting and future tender submissions.

Sustainable Offices Are Better Places to Work

Green offices tend to be healthier ones, and the Energy and Environment Institute was designed with biophilic and wellness principles at its heart. Collaborative meeting areas and breakout spaces brought teams that had previously been spread across several sites together under one roof for the first time.

Supporting flexible and hybrid working is one of the simplest green ideas for the office, as fewer commutes reduce emissions whilst giving people more control over their week.

Quick FAQ on Sustainable Office Design

What makes an office space sustainable?

A sustainable office is designed to reduce its environmental impact across its whole life, from the materials used in the fit-out to the energy it consumes day to day. Reusing existing finishes and choosing low-embodied-carbon products are usually the biggest wins.

Is a sustainable office refurbishment more expensive?

It doesn’t have to be, as reusing existing finishes and furniture can reduce costs, and energy-efficient lighting and controls tend to pay for themselves through lower bills.

Can an existing office become a sustainable office?

It can, and our SKA Gold project at the University of Hull was a refurbishment of an existing building, which shows how much can be achieved without starting from scratch.

Partner with Chameleon on Your Sustainable Office

Sustainability is part of every project we take on, from the first design conversation through to the final handover. Find out more about our approach to sustainability or explore our office fit out and refurbishment services.

Get in touch with our design team to start planning a greener workplace.