23037_PDS Office Fit-out Guide_v4

EMEA OFFICE FIT OUT COST GUIDE 2023

SUSTAINABILITY The definition of sustainability has rightly expanded to move beyond ESG reporting and recognise that sustainability is not a target, it is a direction of travel. For many landlords, the focus has been on ensuring their assets are aligned with legislative requirements and increasingly that they meet the expectations of occupiers. Failure to do so risks obsolescence as approximately half of the building stock across Europe is over thirty years old and just 14% has been built or substantially modernized in the last ten years. Office fit outs and refurbishments are a key element, being the most recurrent replacement in a building. Over the life of an office building, there may be as many as 3-4 office fit outs, with their environmental cost actually outweighing the embodied carbon in the building. A return to basic principles: reduce-reuse-recycle should prevail. Aside from targeting higher quality, more efficient buildings, there is an abundance of opportunities that can be pursued. Maximising natural light to minimise artificial lighting, using environmentally friendly materials for flooring, partitioning and furniture, introducing biophilia into the design, sourcing renewable energy providers, and adopting waste reduction measures are but a few. Intelligent space booking systems and sensors can also close off unrequired space to minimise HVAC and lighting requirements at times of low occupancy. Lastly, “deconstruction” should also be kept front of mind during fit out construction as most material is down-cycled at the end of a fit out’s lifecycle rather than recycled. Again, this points to using bio-composite materials as well as identifying take back programmes to reintroduce expired products back into the manufacturing cycle.

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MODERNA FIT OUT, WARSAW, DELIVERED BY CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD PDS 15

Cushman & Wakefield