How to Incorporate Environmentally Sustainable Practices in Your Office Fitout

When designing your office fitout there are a multitude of pressing factors to consider, and the priority of using sustainable practices sometimes fall as a result. It is becoming increasingly important, however, that workplaces, as well as homes and public places, are designed with environmental sustainability in mind. The poor design and construction of a new office fitout can contribute significantly to an ongoing overconsumption of energy in the workplace, as well as a damaging one-off cost to the environment through the use of unsustainable materials and practices. Here are some tips on avoiding such an environmentally costly office fitout.

• Water Conserving Fixtures: Most office fitouts, even the very small, include bathrooms and kitchen spaces. Some workplaces, affixed to factories or warehouses even include showers for the convenience and health of the staff. It is important in these areas of the fitout to incorporate plumbing fixtures that save water, especially in the Australian climate where severe drought is always an all too possible eventuality.
• Energy Efficient Lighting: It is important that office fitouts incorporate high quality lighting systems, so that employees do not suffer from eye strain. Natural sunlight is the most preferred mode of lighting for fitouts, but often it is necessary to complement natural sunlight with artificial lighting systems. As the workplace will be in use for the larger part of the day, the lighting can use up a lot of energy. Installing energy efficient lighting can significantly reduce the energy consumption of an office fitout.
• Recycled Materials: A great way to encourage environmental sustainability is to use recycled materials and furniture in fitout of your office. You can use either whole pieces of second hand furniture in fitout, or purchase new furniture made from recycled plastics, timber or metal to furnish your workplace with. Recycled materials are just as strong and durable as new materials but do not contribute to landfill. If you cannot find recycled materials that suit your style, you can also use furnishings made from recyclable materials in your office fitout. Many pieces of office furniture are made to be taken apart at the end of their working life to be re-used in the factory.
• Modular Fitout: One way to easily increase the materials and energy efficiency of an office fitout is to use a modular design. As your business grows the dynamics of your workplace will need to transform, but developing a new office design every time new desks need to be added is extremely environmentally wasteful, as well as unnecessarily costly. Modular fitouts can easily be moved around within the office and even to other locations, as needed to ensure continued environmental sustainability.