1. AECOM | See further:the resourceful occupier issue
Going round in
virtuous circles
Imagine an office that flexes and adapts to your needs?
Imagine a place that is built with less material, that’s easily
refurbished, is equipped with the latest technology and
creates no waste? Sustainability expert Dave Cheshire
takes a stroll around tomorrow’s greener workplace.
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2. AECOM | See further:the resourceful occupier issue
One solution is to move away from the
current wasteful and inefficient linear
economy to a more circular economy.
The fast pace of change in today’s offices means
that fit outs are vulnerable to the vagaries of
fashion and the Next Big Idea in IT.
The fast pace of change in today’s
offices means that fit outs are
vulnerable to the vagaries of fashion
and the Next Big Idea in IT.To avoid the
trap of becoming rapidly outdated or
even obsolete, one solution is to move
away from the current wasteful and
inefficient linear economy — based
on make, us and dispose, to a more
circular economy that is rooted in
keeping materials and components in
use for longer and ensuring that they
can be reused, reclaimed or recycled.
The principles of the circular economy
model in the office include:
Procure a service rather than a
product — lease don’t buy.
Consider the service life of each
component and design elements
with a short lifetime to be rapidly
altered and upgraded.
Differentiate between component
that are ‘consumable’ and those
that are ‘durable’, and then aim
to extend the life of the durable
components (e.g. building services)
and ensure that the consumables
(e.g. carpets) can be readily recycled
into new products.
Lease don’t buy
This culture change is based on giving
manufacturers responsibility for the
maintenance, upgrade and disposal
of their products. It will encourage
more consideration about the whole
lifecycle, including maintenance,
upgrade and eventual disposal. And
this should avoid the current market
failures where products have built-
in obsolescence or where materials
have a lifespan far longer than they
need, meaning they persist in the
environment.
Occupiers often procure information
and communications technology
(ICT) on a service contract with
multifunction devices leased rather
than owned, as are our computers and
screens.This model is already being
extended to other areas. For example,
the world’s largest manufacturer
modular carpet, Interface, has offered
a ‘flooring service’ for the past 15 years.
This enables subscribers to lease a
floor covering that is maintained and
replaced as patches of it wear out or
need to be changed. Meanwhile, Philips
Lighting is now offering a ‘pay-per-lux’
service where the occupants buy
for a lighting service that provides
the appropriate levels and quality of
lighting that is required in a workspace.
Landlords could even offer the leasing
service as part of the service charge,
so helping to bridge the gap between
landlord and tenant.
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3. AECOM | See further:the resourceful occupier issue
50-75 years
15-20 years
5-10 years
Day-to-day
Services
Accessible,
demountable services
Modular systems
allowing upgrade
Lease arrangements
(e.g. Lighting)
Scenery
Re-locatable partitions
Modular components
System Furniture
(e.g.Tea points)
Shell
Flexible space
with long spans
Generous floor to
ceiling heights
Flexible and spacious
cores and risers
Settings
Durable components
(e.g. Fan coils)
Consumables (e.g. Carpets)
Plug and play systems
Leasing furniture and equipment
Branding and wayfinding
Consider service life and flexibility
Figure 1 shows how office fit outs can
be separated into layers with each
one having different lifetimes and
characteristics.
The shell needs to be able to
accommodate change by being as
flexible as possible.The services
should be designed to allow for simple,
rapid upgrades using plug-and-play
technology and leasing arrangements
to pass responsibility onto the
manufacturer (or landlord) for upgrades
and changes.
For the scenery, making partitions
with polymers that will last for
decades seems inappropriate when
they are likely to be replaced within
five years, partially dismantled and
then thrown in to landfill. A number of
manufacturers are creating interiors
that are entirely modular so that
partitions can be dismantled, relocated
and given different surface finishes and
configurations.
The settings comprise a combination of
consumable and durable products.
Making partitions with polymers that will last
for decades seems inappropriate when they
are likely to be replaced within five years. Figure 1
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4. AECOM | See further:the resourceful occupier issue
Lease service instead of
purchase equipment
‘Pay-per-lux’ (Philips)
lighting service
Buy-back furniture
Ten year leasing
arrangements for furniture
Ecophon
Plug and play, modular design
Modular designs that can be
constructed from standard
components;assembled off-site
with tailored finishes;and easily
modified to create new spaces
e.g.Tea points, re-
locatable partitions
Fully assembled door sets
Consumable components
Designed for a short lifetime and
to be re-used and recycled (not
downcycled). Need to be non-toxic
and simple to deconstruct, uses
natural materials
e.g. Cardboard furniture, recyclable
carpets and ceiling tiles
Cradle-to-cradle process
Durable components
Extend life
Repair, upgrade and
re-manufacture
e.g.Terminal units (Fan
coil units etc.), luminaires
3D printing technology
Consider consumable and durable
products and materials
Durable components with a longer
service life, such as building services,
are kept in service for as long as
possible by designing out obsolescence
and allowing for simple upgrades.
This is more likely to happen if the
manufacturer has responsibility
for servicing the building, as
discussed above.
Consumable components, such as
carpets and furniture can be designed
with a shorter life and made of
natural materials that can easily be
recycled or broken down at end of
life. Several carpet manufacturers
already have ranges of carpets that
meet these criteria, and some furniture
manufacturers are designing closed-
loop products. For example, a number of
chair manufacturers are designing their
products so that they can be readily
recycled and some have branched into
producing cardboard furniture.
Summary
Figure 2 shows the different
approaches discussed above can be
applied to an office fit out.
Already we know that we can design
offices that can flex and adapt rapidly,
that can be built with a smaller volume
of materials, incorporate the latest
technology and generate less waste.
But to translate this knowledge into
everyday practice, we need a culture
shift to reconsider the whole way that
offices are designed and procured.
We know it is possible — the future is
looking circular.
By Dave Cheshire
david.cheshire@aecom.com
Dave is based in AECOM's
London office.
To translate this knowledge
into everyday practice, we need
a culture shift to reconsider
the whole way that offices are
designed and procured.
Figure 2
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