When you are planning an office fit out or office refurbishment project there are several simple opportunities that can be taken to reduce the environmental impact of the work you are carrying out.

Although there is no substitute for an expert point of view on your exact circumstances and needs, the major common areas to consider are briefly described here.

Sustainable timber is now commonly available for both bulk timber uses (like particle board) and for high end uses such as veneers.

Careful specification at the start of the project will ensure there are no cost or programme implications for your project. Timber certified as being FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is considered the most sustainable available on the market.

Airconco (UK)
'In terms of the environmental impact of the project, Spaceway were extremely mindful throughout. They took everything into consideration from the immediate impact of redundant materials taken from our property during the re_fit to the longevity of the products and materials they replaced them with. The high quality products they used to fit_out our offices with, such as heat recovery fans and double glazed partitioning have resulted in very low heating bills and impressive sound proofing. We are in no doubt this fit_out will stand the test of time!'

Gary Woodward
ManagingDirector

There are several options to consider with flooring.

What are you taking out?
Is the flooring coming out of use elsewhere in your organization, does it have a recyclable content. Carpet can often be recycled and reused, perhaps look at charities that have recycled carpets from previous projects.

What are you putting in?
There are lots you can do to make your flooring more sustainable. You can choose carpets that have high levels of recycled content (these are now commonly available), ceramic tiles that clip together (no nasty solvent use) or use naturally sourced materials like sustainable timber or linoleum. Your architect or designer will be able to help specify a suitable product.

Avoid installing incandescent lights and halogen down lights. In their place florescent lights look good, are cost effective, require much less maintenance and are very energy efficient. For that extra sparkle or effect, look at LED lights.

In addition, locating motion sensors in the right spots will also save loads of electricity and ensure lights are on and off at the right time. There are hundreds of energy efficient lighting products available easily on the market, some of which attract tax rebates.

Be smart with your lighting  -

• Make sure you meet appropriate maintained luminance levels (in lux), as recommended by CIBSE
• Use zoned lighting, with separate controls
• Choose light fittings with built-in daylight sensors, to make the most of your natural light
• Install infrared motion detectors for automatic lighting control
• Install timers to shut off lighting on weekends at night
• Fit high efficiency fluorescent lights

There are only really two areas to consider here.

During construction
The first is the minimization, removal and recycling of waste from the construction work involved in your project. This is the responsibility of the contractor you appoint so it is worth checking their track record and their supply chain when dealing with waste. A good contractor will be able to log and report the amount of waste produced, how it is collected and what proportion has been recycled (and provide certification).

During occupation

The second area is dealing with ongoing waste when your building is occupied. In our experience if you make it easy for people to recycle they will. Design in attractive labelled containers in the kitchen and other places people drink and eat. Think about removing rubbish bins at people's desks. There are many companies who will collect and recycle your office waste.

• Install insulation whenever you can - it will help keep the building cool in summer and warm in winter at no cost post installation
• Boilers can waste lots of energy and money - spend some time choosing the right boiler for your building needs

• Clever air_conditioning systems use heat exchangers to capture surplus heat to warm incoming air

There are a lot of good products out there these days that cost less than 20% of your capital budget and can pay for themselves in less than 3 years. Get some specialist advice and you will make significant savings on your energy bills.

Both your construction team, architect and services consultant can provide specific tailored advice on your exact situation - and it will help focus them if you make your environmental requirements clear at the outset of planning the project. There are also tax rebates available for certain products find out more from the Carbon Trust...

Further information:

Energy Saving Trust

Carbon Trust

Don't forget about the furniture you have installed.

Depending on the design, consider specifying sustainable timber and natural fabrics like wool or those with a high recycled content. Consider buying furniture from manufacturers that have a good track record of protecting the environment and have minimized the amount of packaging their products need.

Again your Spaceway can help, contact the Spaceway furniture division for more details.

Install water efficient taps, showers, toilet and kitchen appliances.

• Waste less water
• Choose low ater flow fittings
• Low flush toilets
• Waterless urinals
• Use rainwater or grey water systems
• Fit a reliable leak detection system
• Include proximity detection shut-off to the water supply for all WCs

We'd be delighted to share our extensive environmental experience for your upcoming project, please feel free to get in touch

• Talk to your people
• Get feedback from your staff on your new office
• Communicate clearly about your ongoing sustainable goals and objectives
• Notice boards and company newsletters
• Training on how to use all the systems (lights, heating and air, etc.)
• Make recycling part of everyday life
• Set up lots of convenient recycle bins for staff
• Have separate recycle bins for paper, electronics, batteries, plastics, etc.
• Make the case for a 'paperless' office, encourage electronic archiving
• Set clear policies on shutting down computers, copiers and appliances out-of-hours
• Make ongoing plans for the future
• Educate your staff on environmental issues, to get them personally involved
• Re_assess all your systems at the end of the first year
• Plan to run an energy audit every year
• Put procedures in place for monitoring your energy use