Creating a sustainable Sydney office fit-out is something many more businesses are striving for, every single year. As a society, we’re increasingly aware of our impact on the environment, and how our lives at home and at work affect the world around us.
A sustainable Sydney office fit-out, or green office design as it’s often called, involves a little more work than simply selecting a template design and materials. However, the rewards that come with a truly sustainable Sydney office are immense for you, your organisation and your people. At Niche Projects, we’ve performed countless sustainable office fit-outs in Sydney.
Materials
An office fit-out will inevitably be made up of many different materials. There is a wide range of material used for floors, walls, ceilings, workstations and every other aspect of an office. Many offices will contain the same kinds of materials, but often, they aren’t exactly conducive to a sustainable Sydney office fit-out.
Timber
Timber is an excellent choice for many different applications in an office fit-out. It can be used for floors, walls and even ceilings. Workstations, desks and many other kinds of furniture can be made from timber, creating a much more sustainable (and stylish!) workplace.
Metal
There are so many metals available for use in the office, such as in wet areas like kitchens and bathrooms. The good news is that most metals are highly-recyclable. Therefore, utilising metals over plastics is a big step towards a sustainable office fit-out.
Natural stone
Natural stone is often used in bathrooms, as well as lobbies, foyers and lift areas. It presents an excellent choice in terms of sustainable, natural materials. What’s more, natural stone is incredibly durable and always looks fantastic. It can however, be pricey.
Glass
Glass partitions are an excellent way to help maintain flow of light, will blocking out unwanted noise distractions. Glass is also very recyclable, meaning you can avoid plastic partitions, which aren’t as durable and will hurt the environment.
Lighting and electrical
Quality lighting is important in every single working environment, because it has a really big impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of your employees. And the best lighting in an office is always natural light. However, some workplaces struggle to exacerbate natural light, perhaps because of a lack of windows, or the way their office is laid out.
If you are able to ensure that the majority of your light comes from natural sources, you’ll be using far less energy on a daily basis. Sustainable offices will have a marked reduction in electricity use, and an increased use of natural light. Making sure you have this adequate natural light will depend on how well your office is designed.
At Niche Projects, we’re experts in sustainable office design in Sydney. We can work with you to design a fit-out that allows for a positive flow of light. We’ll make sure that windows aren’t blocked, and whatever sources of natural light you have, are maximised. We’ll use colour and materials that reflect the light, creating a lighter, brighter, and greener workplace.
Use of resources
A large office building (and a small one, for that matter) has the potential to use a huge amount of resources each day. That includes water, electricity and anything else required to power the building and operate as normal. However, the good news is that this kind of premises also has the potential to greatly reduce its use of energy and water.
There are many ways to reduce your consumption. While your employees use a significant amount of energy, they don’t exactly have a say in the matter. Lighting is necessary, and computers will be running most of the time. But you as an office manager or business owner, do have the ability to take action and reduce overall energy use.
Smart lighting is just one way to ensure that your office is only using minimal amounts of energy. This kind of lighting will utilise LED globes, and a system of sensors, so that when people are not in the room, lighting will either be dimmed, or off completely. Long gone are the days when it’s acceptable for offices to run bright lighting twenty four hours a day.
Water is often over-used in an office, through the office kitchen, bathrooms and other wet areas. However, there are measures you can take to reduce this. Signage that encourages people to use less water is helpful, but may simply be ignored. Therefore, it’s important to consider taps and fittings that are specially designed to reduce water use. These can have an excellent impact on your water consumption, creating a much more sustainable workplace.
Work with your Sydney office design professionals to source the best fittings for your Sydney office fit-out.
Dealing with waste
Waste is simply a part of everyday life in the office. Plenty of paper, plastic and other waste elements are produced by standard procedures, delivers and more. These waste items must be dealt with in the most environmentally friendly way possible, else you simply cannot lay claim to running a sustainable workplace.
Going back a step though, sustainability begins with preventing waste from even being produced in the first place. Reducing waste is critical if you’re serious about creating an environmentally friendly environment. That means going digital where possible, and then ensuring that any waste that is produced, is recycled.
For larger waste, working with an expert Sydney rubbish removal company is the best way to go. Sydney City Rubbish are the best in the business when it comes to office junk removal. They can easily remove furniture and large items, and ensure that they are dealt with in the most eco-friendly way possible.
Sydney sustainable office design
Looking for sustainable office design in Sydney? At Niche Projects, we’re ready to help you achieve your goals. Simply get in touch with us today for a free consultation. We can’t wait to hear from you!
