Sustainable office design
The importance of sustainable design
Improving sustainability is no longer optional for businesses. Government targets and legislation means companies of all sizes are having to review their business processes and adopt more sustainable practices. Sustainable office design plays a key role in this.
Creating a sustainable workplace goes much further than selecting eco-friendly materials though. It considers everything from specifying locally sourced products and materials, to incorporating renewable energy solutions, installing energy efficient lighting, using recycled materials and minimising waste during and after the fit out.
Executed properly, a sustainable design and refurbishment can offer far greater benefits than simply helping you meet sustainability goals.
Sustainable office benefits
REDUCE COSTS
Utilising renewable energy sources such as solar panels and installing energy efficient energy solutions, can help lower operating costs. Reusing furniture from your existing office space is another way to save on costs, as well as reduce waste.
ATTRACTION & RETENTION
Demonstrating sustainability is top of your agenda can improve your company’s reputation and enhance employee engagement. It can also support wellbeing by offering a comfortable and healthy environment, all of which can help you attract and retain talent.
EMPLOYEE WELLBEING
Better water quality, improving ventilation and maximising natural light are just some of the ways sustainable workspace design can support wellbeing. Incorporating biophilic design features improves wellbeing by connecting with nature and reducing toxins, achieved through the use of natural products and materials.
68%
of graduates said having a sustainable workplace is important to them.
Why ADT Workplace?
A sustainable office design will benefit the planet as well as your business, but where do you start? We can help. ADT Wellspace is a set of eight principles which are integral to our workplace design process. They ultimately help businesses create inspiring and intelligent office environments which positively impact the health and wellbeing of employees, and assist in meeting sustainability goals.
Applying our Wellspace principles at the very beginning of a project will also deliver real business benefits, including:
• Increased productivity, concentration and memory retention
• Better collaboration, creativity and innovation
• More energy and motivation
• Enhanced comfort and fewer distractions
• Less absenteeism
• Improved talent attraction and retention
• Increased sustainability credentials and reduced life cycle cost
THE ADT WELLSPACE PRINCIPLES
Our ESG journey
As a workplace consultancy, interior design and build specialist, our projects directly impact the way people work and live. We recognise that we are uniquely positioned to make a genuine impact through our work because of this.
With that in mind, our policies are continuously evolving. We want to deliver workplaces which also provide additional outcomes and meaningful benefit to the communities within which we operate and wider society.
> ENVIRONMENTAL
We are developing a net zero roadmap which will align our ambitions with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. We are also actively working with sustainability partners to understand our environmental impact and how our sites impact other owner occupiers. Our strategy involves prioritising decarbonisation over offsetting and ensuring we have a responsible supply chain.
> SOCIAL
Agreeing a social value delivery plan during the initial planning stage of your project ensures clear deliverables are set and monitored, and meaningful impact is delivered. We are also a proud Real Living Wage employer and are accredited by the Good Business Charter. We also hold an ISO 45003 certification, a global standard which guides us on how best to improve employee mental health and wellbeing.
> GOVERNANCE
We recognise that robust governance is essential to provide unparalleled value to our clients and other stakeholders. We are a 100% employee owned company with a Board of Directors, an independent Trustee Board and an Employee Council. These three entities operate cohesively to ensure the correct governance of the business. Every employee has an opportunity to contribute to how the business is run, thanks to our employee ownership model.
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Our awards
Our work
We worked with land, property and development group, Henry Boot, to create a sustainable office design for the company in Sheffield. The new office needed to improve connectivity and inspire its team, as well as support talent attraction and retention.
The contemporary space incorporates sustainable and recycled materials, energy efficient lighting and other energy saving measures, biophilic design, and much more. The sustainability-first approach in the new office is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 79% compared to the former head office, supporting the company’s aim to reduce its carbon footprint.
Where we work
We deliver projects for companies of all sizes across the UK, including but not limited to:
• Birmingham
• Coventry
• Liverpool
• Leeds
• Newcastle
• Nottingham
Reach out to our team for more information on how we can help you define your workplace strategy.
FAQs
Some of the features commonly found in sustainable office designs include:
- The use of sustainable materials, such as carpets and wall coverings
- Maximising natural light and fresh air
- Energy efficient artificial lighting, such as LED lighting
- Modern HVAC
- The reuse of furniture
- The use of recycled and reclaimed materials, such as wood for joinery
- Renewable technologies, such as ground- source or air-source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting
- Biophillic design elements, such as planting and natural materials
- High quality insulation
BREEAM is the world’s leading sustainability accreditation scheme used to evaluate a building’s environmental performance. Its aim is to help improve a property’s sustainability performance at every stage, from design and refurbishment, through to occupation. Companies achieve ratings from Acceptable to Outstanding based on a science-based targets assessment.
SKA applies only to non-domestic fit outs. It allows those involved in commercial fit outs to assess projects against a set of sustainability good practice criteria. Projects receive Bronze, Silver, or Gold ratings along with a percentage score. It is different to schemes such as BREEAM which asses the environmental impact of a whole building.
An EPC rating shows how energy efficient a property is and is valid for 10 years from certification. Properties are rated from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient), providing an indication of expected energy bills in your new property.
An official accreditation is a good way for you to show your commitment to the environment and sustainability. This can lead to improved credibility and reputation, greater customer loyalty, and higher staff satisfaction – but they are not essential. All the leading accreditations have an associated cost so it’s important to weigh up the potential benefits versus cost to your business. Selecting the right accreditation for you can be confusing. Our consultants can help advise on which accreditation might be right for your business.