Your step-by-step guide to a running a smooth, successful and cost-effective sustainable fit out or refurbishment - everything from being clear about your vision and writing up a brief, to choosing the right materials and meeting Government guidelines.

• Before work begins
• Drawing up the designs and sourcing materials
• During the build
• After you've moved in
• Choosing a sustainable office design and fit out contractor
• Glossary

• Want your own copy of our sustainable office design checklist? Download it as a PDF

Before work begins

• Be clear about your vision
• Get your Board or key stakeholders to buy into the idea
• Decide what level of sustainability you want to achieve
• High
• Medium
• Average
• Decide what BREEAM® rating you want to achieve
• Excellent
• Very Good
• Good
• Pass
• Decide what LEED® rating you want to achieve
• Platinum
• Gold
• Silver
• Certified
• Define your project objectives
• Reduce ongoing costs (energy, water, etc.)
• Reduce carbon emissions
• Make better use of your space
• Boost productivity
• Create a healthier workplace
• Boost morale and motivation
• Reduce absenteeism
• Create or enhance your Corporate Social Responsibility programme
• Comply with regulations (Part L, Part F)
• Comply with CIBSE and BSRIA Guidelines
• Comply with Government targets (if you're in the Public Sector)

• Write up a brief
• What are your goals and objectives?
• What level of sustainability are you aiming for?
• What's your budget?
• What timeline are you working to?

• Choose an internal project manager
• Who'll take responsibility for managing the work, settling disputes, liaising with landlords, dealing with problems, etc?

• Do a thorough workplace appraisal
• How quickly are you growing?
• Which departments work closely together, and need to be near each other?
• How much storage space do you need?
• What are your IT needs?
• What kind of facilities will you need (break out areas, kitchens / cafeterias, meeting rooms, hotdesking)?
• Run a staff survey - what are their major concerns and priorities?

• Assess and compare your potential sites for suitability
• Measure the CO₂ & CO emissions of the assessed building
• What is the difference in CO₂ emissions (by percentage) between your site, and a notional building that complies with 2002 building regulations?
• Is the building itself built to environmental standards?
• Does your building have enough daylight to meet sustainable design standards?
• What heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems are in place?
• Are there enough public transport links to satisfy BREEAM standards?
• Is there space for installation of bicycle racks and showers, to meet BREEAM standards?
• Is the electricity sub-metered?
• What will it cost to fit out each site to sustainable standards?
• What will it cost to run each site over the long term?

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Drawing up the designs and sourcing materials

• Build sustainability into the design
• Design flexible floor plans, that can be rearranged and reconfigured easily in the future, and reduce churn costs
• Include enough space for recycling, in convenient, easy-to-use areas
• Incorporate locally manufactured materials, to cut down on the energy and carbon emissions it takes to transport them
• Salvage and reuse as many materials that are already on-site as you can
• Choose carpeting manufactured from wool or recycled fibres - go for woven carpeting, with minimal backing materials (especially petroleum-based ones)
• Make the most of the available natural daylight
• Make sure every desk is no more than 7m from a window
• Aim for 80% of the net lettable office floor area to receive natural light
• Include a user-friendly glare control system
• Use increased insulation
• Choose highly efficient or 'super' windows
• Use shading to reduce glare and heat from the sun
• Choose a design that uses minimal finishes, paints, wall coverings and plastering
• Minimise storage to encourage more electronic archiving
• Incorporate signs that encourage your staff to turn off equipment and lights

• Choose sustainable office fixtures, fittings and furniture
• Are they manufactured from recycled materials?
• Do they have a high recyclable content?
• Opt for low VOC emitting carpets, furniture, cabling, paints and adhesives
• Are they made by environmentally responsible manufacturers?
• Are they produced locally?
• Does your timber come from sustainable forests (FSC certified)?
• Use rapidly renewable materials wherever you can (like bamboo)

• Consider energy-efficiency
• Select high-quality, energy-efficient lighting. Coordinate the control of your lighting and window coverings, to make best use of natural light, control glare and save energy
• Put reasonable limits on your temperature controls for day-to-day use
• Use zoned energy controls, to control low-usage areas separately
• Install an automatic shut-off system for equipment on standby
• Choose a 'smart' heating system to automatically turn off at night and on weekends
• Choose equipment with 'standby' option
• Install energy efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems that can monitor occupancy levels
• Choose items that qualify for Enhanced Capital Allowances
• Make sure 10% of the total energy demand comes from local renewable / low emission energy sources
• Do you qualify for interest free loans from the Carbon Trust? 

• 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

• Waste less water
• Choose low water 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

• Go CarbonNeutral®
• Offset your office carbon dioxide emissions through the CarbonNeutral® scheme
• Make your office refurbishment or relocation CarbonNeutral®

• Improve air quality
• Use more natural ventilation
• Monitor and assess your CO₂ emissions
• Use 'low emitting' materials, without volatile chemicals
• Carpet
• Paints and adhesives
• Composite wood
• Use plants to reduce harmful chemicals in the air

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During the build

• Ensure environmental best practice on site
• Manage stripped out materials, to divert waste from landfills
• Donate unwanted furniture, computers and appliances to charity
• Recycle plasterboard, carpet and other materials
• Separate waste
• Follow the proper procedures to dispose of hazardous materials (with the paper trail to prove it)
• Prove you have a proper recycling policy in place
• Put a proper environmental management system (EMS) in place
• Use only FSC certified wood
• Fit out made CarbonNeutral®

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After you've moved in

• 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

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Choosing a sustainable design and fit out contractor

• What environmental credentials do they have?
• ISO14001 Certified (ensure evidence provided)
• Company Environmental Policy (ensure evidence provided)
• Company environmental management system - EMS (ensure evidence provided)
• BREEAM assessors in-house
• LEED accredited professionals in-house
• Member of FTSE4Good
• Environmental Management team in-house (not subcontracted)
• Environmental good practice on site
• Do they have a documented system for separating, managing and recycling waste on site?
• What services are included, or on offer?
• BREEAM® assessments
• LEED® assessments
• Building assessments for sustainability
• CarbonNeutral® fit outs
• Advice on Enhanced Capital Allowances
• Advice on interest free loans from the Carbon Trust
• In-house sustainability / environmental experts
• Sourcing and procuring sustainable materials, furniture and fittings
• Environmental compliance on site
• Project extranet for project communication
• Electronic surveys for your staff

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Glossary

BREEAM® (BRE's Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's 'green building' rating system) are the two most recognised and authoritative systems for rating how 'green' or 'eco-friendly' a building is.

CarbonNeutral® is a scheme that allows you to invest in environmental projects (like planting sustainable forests, or developing greener energy) to offset the carbon dioxide your business generates.

Enhanced Capital Allowances are a Government incentive, to encourage you to choose energy efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. You can claim back money for certain kinds of equipment.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC ) promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.

VOCs are volatile organic compounds, emitted by many paints, glues, wirings, carpets and other materials. They can be harmful over time.

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