Why office refurbishment is the sustainable option

In the office interior design industry, we’re responding by embracing sustainable design principles and encouraging our clients to do the same. We’re achieving that through education and by helping businesses understand the environmental ramifications of their real estate and workplace decisions—one example concerns office refurbishment.

In this blog, we will explain how office refurbishment is more sustainable than an office move and why sustainability must be central to the design of The Destination Office. We will also address how sustainable office refurbishment is key to reducing waste, carbon and cost, and maximising relationships with your people.

5 reasons to choose office refurbishment

Relocating an office has always been financially demanding, but the environmental impact is now being brought into sharp focus. Let’s look at five key reasons to choose a Cat B refurbishment over other, less sustainable options for your office.

1. No need to remodel later. Cat A fit-outs are often removed entirely or altered significantly when occupiers and their interior design teams take possession from a landlord. This results in tonnes of partition walls, carpets and even M&E systems heading to landfill (at worst) or recycling (at best) because they don’t meet the desired layout or aesthetic. This waste is expensive both financially and in terms of carbon emissions. As more businesses focus on their own Net Zero goals and embrace Scope 3 reporting – these carbon emissions must be avoided.
2. Avoid the waste of potential relocation. Refurbishing an office also does not generate the same levels of waste as an office relocation or office move; therefore, it is the most responsible option. We’re seeing more and more clients choose to breathe life into their existing spaces in this way instead of embarking on a move.
3. Great opportunity to improve environmental efficiency. Office refurbishment also provides a chance to improve the environmental performance of existing buildings by upgrading them with more energy-efficient materials and technologies. Examples include measures such as rainwater harvesting, solar panels, intelligent building controls or new M&E systems – all of which have the power to make a significant, positive difference to those using the space both now and in the future.
4. Aligns well with the hybrid work model. In addition to sustainability benefits, office refurbishment can also be hugely helpful for hybrid workplaces. Reduced office occupancy enables existing spaces, fixtures and fittings to support growing teams more efficiently.
5. Promote a sustainability mindset within your organisation. Finally, office refurbishment can also help cultivate a “reuse” mindset within organisations, encouraging decision-makers and users to think more carefully about how they can maximise their assets. For example: old, glazed partitions from a meeting suite could be used elsewhere in an office refurbishment project, or furniture could be reupholstered to give it a new lease of life.

The benefit of this reuse mindset is that new items are only purchased when needed rather than because they’re wanted. Alarmingly, 1.2 million^[1] office desks and 1.8 million chairs end up in landfill each year – much of which is prompted by office moves and this desire for ‘new’.

In any case, where new materials and furniture are needed, it’s a perfect opportunity to make more sustainable choices. More examples include specifying 100% recycled, completely biodegradable or low-carbon furniture. Some manufacturers even run ‘take back’ schemes to ensure that products at the end of their life can be reclaimed as valuable material instead of being sent to landfill.

Meeting employees’ expectations

Environmental responsibility and sustainability is a concern shared by all of us. Over two-thirds^[2] of the global population say environmental issues are significantly important to them personally.

It makes sense, then, that 70%^[3] of employees and job seekers say a company’s sustainability programme makes them more appealing as an employer, and that just over a third of employees would reject a job offer because of a company’s poor green credentials^[4]. 70%^[5] of all employees are more likely to stay with an employer with a good reputation and track record for sustainability.

As employees want to see demonstrable environmental action and their values reflected in their employers, they’ll also expect to see them reflected in the physical workplace, too. This means that The Destination Office must be sustainable in its build and use.

Our study into the feelings and experiences colleagues want from the office, titled The Workplace Oooh, stressed the importance of sustainability in practice and promoting greener behaviours. It revealed that simple changes, such as ‘being more environmentally responsible’ with better recycling provision and access to EV charging, would help to make the workplace more inviting. Employees want their workplaces to ‘be green’, and crucially, for that to help them be greener too.

For employers striving to find ways to bring these values and ethos to life – a sustainable office refurbishment should always win out over an office move. It’s an effective way to reduce cost and carbon, prove that you care about the world we live in and build a more loyal workforce that embodies your values. The business balance sheet will thank you; your employees will thank you (they are certainly more green-minded than you think), and most importantly, the planet will thank you.

To find out more about the importance of sustainability and the major trends shaping office interior design and The Destination Office in 2024, download our latest Insight Report here.

• [1] Data from WRAP as quoted here: https://www.ie-uk.com/blog/how-to-recycle-your-unwanted-office-furniture
• [2] Data from Robert Walters global survey and ESG Report as referenced here: https://hrnews.co.uk/over-a-third/
• [3] According to the IBM Institute for Business Value Report 2021 “ Sustainability at a turning point” https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/WLJ7LVP4
• [4] Data from Robert Walters global survey and ESG Report as referenced here: https://hrnews.co.uk/over-a-third/
• [5] According to the IBM Institute for Business Value Report “ Sustainability at a turning point” https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/WLJ7LVP4