Pathways to Carbon Reduction
1. Adaptive Re-use Designing to adaptively re-use existing fit-out elements and materials is consistently a triple-bottom-line winner. Where done well, solutions save time, carbon and money – the trifecta. We typically see carbon reduction of 20–25 per cent when designers adapt ceilings, floors and workstations. With more than one million tonnes of waste from office strip-outs going to landfill each year 3 , re-using these materials also has the positive effect of reducing landfill. Investa Property Group and Grosvenor Place have seen the benefits of this strategy within the context of their net zero carbon journeys for a number of “spec” fit-outs. These are leasing agent-approved, provid- ing proof that “repurposed” does not have to be “lesser”. 2. Low Carbon and Dematerialised Design Alternatives A key advantage of measuring the upfront carbon impact of a design in accordance with cost management practices is the connection of carbon impact to the design element. Understanding the upfront carbon intensity of a design element – for example a partition wall – and how it compares across different versions of the same functional performance is critical to effect 'dematerialised' design. We see the challenge of plasterboard walls as an 'elephant in the room' issue for all fit-out types, whether it is with steel framing, set plasterboard or insulation. Plasterboard walls in the way we specify and build them is a one-way process to waste – there is no design for deconstruction or re-use. I am interested to see the potential of Eurolight® as a possible alternative to plasterboard walls. These panels are designed to eliminate waste by connecting together without glue to enable adaption, minus waste, for future layout churn. The upfront carbon intensity of 1m 2 of Eurolight® is about 39 per cent lower than a traditional wall. With internal walls comprising up to 20 per cent of a typical office fit-out, the overall impact to total upfront carbon is significant. 3. Recycled Content and Low Carbon Supply The third pathway to carbon reduction is considering recycled content materials with low carbon production sources. As mentioned, built-in-joinery, fittings and furniture are a significant contributor to interior fit-outs globally. If nothing else, seeking supply options with high recycled content is a relatively easy win for proj- ects. EGGER panel products have up to 65 per cent recycled content, which has the effect of reducing carbon intensity by 39–60 per cent depending on the product and its application. The Hettich Showroom case study on the following pages highlights the benefit of these products in a recent example. Accepting that built-in joinery and furniture is a key design feature of most projects, pursuing the recycled content pathway is an easy way of tackling carbon without challenging the design vernacular or brief requirements. Embodied carbon is the next big problem we need to tackle, and urgently, if we’re to have a hope of staying below 1.5°C global warming. For designers and interior architects, the urgency of this message can be over- whelming in the face of day-to-day client needs – but tackling one or two of the suggestions outlined has the potential to make an impact on the cuts we need to see. Over the past 20 years of developing FootprintCalculator™ and GreenBook™ I have been pleased to see more and more carbon-light options coming onto the market. Companies like ForestOne, and the prod- ucts they distribute, give the specifier new options so they can play their part in solving the climate crisis.
[1] Delivering on the climate emergency, [2] Benchmark from FootprintCalculator™ form same of over 4,000 fitout assessments, [3] Sustainable Strip-outs – Recycle Office Fitout Furniture, Lower Cost Defits – Sustainable approach to Strip-outs Melbourne – Making Good to Do Good
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ForestOne @forest1au
The Responsible Specifier
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