Many businesses are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and their energy costs. An eco-friendly office fitout can help achieve this through energy efficiency and the use of natural and recycled materials.
Here are a few ideas to get you started on making an eco-friendly office a reality.
Eco-friendly office fitout materials
Consider the materials that go into your fitout and how they affect emissions and sustainability. Here are some options:
- Recycled and renewable materials – for example use of bamboo or reclaimed timber in office joinery, furniture and shelving.
- Sustainable decking – such as composite decking boards as used in the Australia Fair office tower project in Queensland. This product has the look of timber but is made from various recycled materials.
- Moveable partitions – these allow for greater customisation of spaces while reducing construction, which in turn means less waste. Glass partitions in particular can reduce the need for artificial lighting by allowing more natural light entry.
Energy efficiency for heating, cooling and lighting
Use of insulation, shading, renewable energy and greenery can all help improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.
Here are some ideas:
- Energy efficient lighting – most offices will need some level of artificial light. Eco-friendly options like LED lighting use a lot less energy than traditional bulbs and also last longer.
- Internal and external shading – the shading you use on your windows can substantially reduce solar entry and in turn lower your HVAC costs.
- Biophilic design – biophilia is all about connection to nature. Biophilic design can beautify a space through natural light, pot plants, internal green walls, and outdoor green spaces or rooftop gardens. It can also involve use of nature-reflective colour schemes, natural-looking materials, and images of nature scenes (e.g. wall paintings and photos).
- Renewable energy – a potential option here is to buy or lease a solar panel array to substantially reduce your energy bills and your emissions at the same time.
The benefits of an eco-friendly office are not only reduced energy costs and emissions. They can also include improvements to staff wellbeing and productivity through cleaner air and a healthier, more inviting workplace environment.
If you have design ideas in mind for an eco-friendly office and need to discuss a fitout, feel free to get in touch with our team.
