Here you will find additional materials, including reports and links, where you can learn more about the research project and similar studies.
77 Bastwick Street: Re-use in Focus in Our New London Office
When relocating its London office from Shoreditch to Farringdon in May 2023, White Arkitekter decided to commit to a circular-economy fit-out of its new home in Bastwick Street. The aim was to reuse materials as much as possible, to reduce waste and to design the new offices with a minimum embodied carbon and operational energy approach. While the process took longer than a non-circular fit-out (lasting five months including the tender process and work on site), its 80 percent furniture re-use and overall low embodied carbon use set an impressive sustainability precedent. It also saved 40 per cent on costs, compared with an all-new office overhaul, cutting the project budget from an estimated £180,000 to £100,000.
Project period
May 2023
October 2023
Embracing Sustainability: A Circular Approach to Office Fit-Out to Reduce Environmental Impact
The decision to adopt a circular approach to the office fit-out was prompted by a growing awareness of the significant environmental impact of the commercial building sector. With the built environment responsible for about 40 per cent of global carbon emissions and commercial buildings contributing 15 per cent to this figure, the need for a sustainable, energy-efficient refurbishment model was recognised. In London alone, approximately 27 million square metres of built office stock gets fitted out on a seven-to-ten-year cycle. The environmental consequences are substantial. The goal was to use the office move as an opportunity to set a sustainable example, embracing a circular approach which focuses on reusing materials to minimise waste, embodied carbon, and operational energy and to produce a space that promotes wellbeing.
