Sustainable Office Design and Fit Out
Worried about your carbon footprint? We are pioneers in sustainable office design and fit outs, helping you protect the future of our planet.
What sustainability means to us
Elevating positive well-being and fostering a thriving culture are rightfully top priorities for many businesses today, and they are the focal points of our approach when sustainability is at the heart of a project. This encompasses a comprehensive examination of operations, climate change mitigation, resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, waste management, consumables, and the selection of sustainable building materials.
Accountable for our actions
As a certified B Corp, we seek to always be accountable for our actions and be a force for good. We see opportunities to combine brand enhancement with sustainability in ways that increase asset value and staff retention. Our commitment to people and the planet shapes everything we do - from ethically crafted office design to holistic fit-out services focused on positive impact. At Area, eco-friendly workspaces are standard - it's who we are.
Our holistic approach
Our sustainability journey centers around people and our planet. We embrace our clients' challenges with a perspective that factors in environmental, social, geographical, and financial considerations, among other vital elements unique to each project.
Success, in our eyes, takes on a unique form for each client, aligning perfectly with their distinctive sustainability goals and ambitions. Our sustainable office design and fit-out services are tailored to inspire your organization.
What does a sustainable project look like?
Like the cyclical nature of sustainable resources we protect, our methodology is a wheel of strategy, implementation, maintenance, and growth.
01.
Strategy & Consultation
Our focus is clear: comprehending our clients' objectives in-depth, shedding light on every potential opportunity, and acknowledging any limitations. This approach not only aligns with their budgets but also ensures that we can maximize the positive impact we make on their sustainability goals.
By defining our strategy from the outset, we can help pave the way towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions for clients looking to branch out internationally.
02.
Design
Sustainability permeates every facet of the design stage, regardless of your project's scope. Be it an office relocation or a comprehensive construction endeavor, our designers are masters in crafting sustainable refurbishment and office design solutions.
We take an active approach to incorporating cutting-edge technology and flexible workspace concepts, ensuring that our clients' sustainable projects remain ahead of the curve and resilient to future challenges.
03.
Integration & Construction
By setting a well-defined sustainability brief and project objectives right from the outset, our project managers excel in the art of seamless collaboration with both in-house and external teams. This ensures the delivery and the surpassing of your project objectives at every stage.
To amplify the influence of our environmentally conscious solutions, we actively seek partnerships with contractors who share our commitment to sustainability whenever feasible.
04.
Ongoing Support
As a project concludes, we can provide our clients with comprehensive documentation and evidence, showcasing how we've diligently worked to meet and even exceed your sustainability objectives.
Our quest for achieving low or net-zero carbon emissions is a continuous journey, far from a mere checklist item. We can extend our support and maintenance services to assist our clients in staying firmly on their sustainability path.
Sustainability Accreditations
We aim to act as advocates for the most impactful accreditation schemes in the Sustainability sphere, specifying them within our own business as well as encouraging their implementation with clients and across the projects we are involved with. Some of the main accreditation schemes we work with are SKA, Fitwel, BREEAM, and LEED.
We can deliver the requirements for a range of assessments and certifications from high-authority organizations to help our clients measure and demonstrate sustainability subjectively and objectively.
For indoor air quality certification, our advisors will guide you through assessments and specifications to achieve a leading AirScore.
Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and
regenerative economy. Social sustainability, environmental performance, transparency,
honesty, and accountability are central to our B Corp accreditation.
As a company with our impacts measured, we’re proud to have this accreditation along with
the other leading businesses in the B Corp community.
Drive operational sustainability improvement using BRE Global’s science-based suite of validation and certification systems for the sustainable built environment.
Given the growing importance of EPCs as a measure and legal driver for commercial property energy performance, we are increasingly involved in the production of requisite SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Models). Alongside the delivery of the necessary calculations, we can provide consultancy on the most effective means of improving performance based on the space and its intended use and occupancy.
Implementing a vision for a healthier future where all buildings and communities are enhanced to strengthen health and well-being, a Fitwell rating undertaken with our assessors helps to positively impact building occupants and surrounding areas.
For our investor clients, we can assist in navigating validated ESG benchmarks and performance data to help them make impactful decisions.
We help businesses achieve the most recognised certification of sustainability achievement and leadership. LEED provides a framework for healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving green buildings.
The SBTi is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science. It is focused on empowering organisations to transition to a net-zero economy, halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
We are proud to have had set ambitious targets to reduce our own emissions in line with climate science as verified by the SBTi.
For our fit-out clients, this assessment is uniquely dedicated to helping identify and meet environmental benchmarks and sustainability good practice criteria for commercial projects.
Transforming the fit-out experience for eventual occupiers by ensuring the protection and consideration of building occupants’ wellbeing are duly considered and prioritised, we can help our clients achieve an excellent WELL score.
As the technology standard for the built environment, we can offer guidance in undertaking a WiredScore assessment for digital connectivity and promoting and facilitating Sustainable Business Practice.
Our Team can
We’re fighting for a healthy future for our planet. How can we help you make a positive impact?
01.
Assess Energy Performance
We can look closely at closing the energy performance gap to create sustainable solutions that translate into reality. Where building modeling usually only accounts for predicted regulated CO2, Area has developed a robust methodology, Designed for Performance, that inspects complete operational energy use to provide better energy performance and resources.
02.
Provide Expert Insights
At Area, we aim to stay abreast of developments that help us become more sustainable. We have an in-house environmental consultant to guide and advise clients on the best way forward.
03.
Reduce Waste
We promote an approach towards the circular economy wherever we can, aiming to make optimal use of resources before reusing, recovering and recycling them at the end of their life as opposed to the linear economy and the negative impacts that come with the 'make-use-dispose' mindset.
04.
Reduce Carbon
To our clients with ambitions for Carbon emission reductions, we have the expertise to help you get there. We are ISO 14001 UKAS Certified, and our sustainability team contains expert in-house BREEAM, Ska, LEED and WELL building consultants that, working alongside our delivery teams, can assist our clients in achieving both project and companywide decarbonization targets.
Frequently asked questions
What is sustainable office design?
Sustainable design refers to the creation of workspaces that prioritize environmental, social, and economic sustainability. It involves integrating eco-friendly practices and materials into the design, construction, and operation of the office space to reduce its environmental impact and enhance occupant wellbeing.
How can we ensure our sustainability initiatives are effective?
Sustainable office design promotes resource efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and minimizes waste generation. It also contributes to a healthier and more productive work environment for employees. By adopting sustainable practices, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
What should my company's main sustainability goals be?
Each organization is different, so no two will have exactly the same sustainability goals. Ultimately, your sustainability goals should cover three main areas (the three pillars of sustainability): economic, social, and environmental. To help you determine achievable goals, we start by understanding what you and your key stakeholders want to achieve.
How can we ensure our sustainability initiatives are effective?
From our experience working with many clients committed to sustainability objectives, we know there are two critical foundations to following through on these goals.
Firstly, during the consultancy and design phase, we collect as much data as possible about the business's past, present, and future state from an energy consumption and emissions perspective. We establish our projects in hard science and facts to determine how we can realistically achieve goals.
Secondly, we stick systematically to our strategic plan and train our clients on how to continue this strategy with their own workforce after the completion of the project.
How do we measure carbon in construction?
Carbon measured in construction is called ‘embodied carbon’ and consists of all greenhouse gases emitted from the building construction. Embodied carbon is typically measured using this equation:
Embodied carbon = quantity × carbon factor
