We have seen the concept of the ‘green’ office take on a far greater importance in recent years. It is now much more than a conscientious business objective, it is a recognised, money-saving business essential which can contribute greatly to business and staff productivity.
At Metric we welcome an assessment method which helps to accurately measure how sustainable a fit-out has been. We have been involved in a number of BREEAM and LEED projects which establish (and minimise) the environmental impact of the entire build but we applaud the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in creating the Ska Rating which is an environmental assessment method which can be applied to commercial fit-outs. We recently completed a fantastic project with Mansell which achieved Ska Gold Award status.
We utilise the knowledge that we gain from these ‘big job’ experiences and apply them to every project we do. Even in the most straightforward of fit-outs there are countless legal requirements to be complied to and our team of experienced project managers ensure that all the necessary measures are taken. Before we do anything else our designers will spaceplan your work area to ensure that you not only maximise the use of your floor space but also that you maximise the use of daylight and existing infrastructure available. This will enable cost savings to be made in the refurbishment itself and also in future energy bills.
Energy saving measures that you might want to consider in your refurbishment include low flow taps/water-wise toilets which reduce an office’s water consumption, anti-glare window film which helps to maintain temperature (and stops glare onto computer screens), zonal heating/ventilation controls so that energy is only used where needed (this can produce savings of 20-50%) and improves the comfort of your staff therefore improving productivity.
Recyclable office furniture is also more economical that you might think and more and more manufacturers are now using sustainable and recyclable materials and are producing 100% recyclable (at end of life) products. All the manufacturers that we work with are ISO 140007 accredited and are certified as using timber from sustainable sources and which are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. We would be happy to offer you whatever advise you might need in finding the right products for you. We will also collect Used furniture from installations is collected on a ‘new for old’ basis.
Should you require any advise on achieving a greener office environment, regardless of your budget, do not hesitate to contact us, we would be happy to help!
