Biophilic Design : What is it & Why Does it Matter ?
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How to Have a Sustainable Office
Having a sustainable office not only provides a stronger image for your brand and business, but also benefits your business, your team, your clients, and the environment as you give back.
Published June 27, 2020
How to Have a Sustainable Office
How to have a sustainable office with design.
Having a sustainable office not only provides a stronger image for your brand and business, but also benefits your business, your team, your clients, and the environment as you give back.
There are many different layers of having a sustainable office, but it all starts with designing and planning the office space. So follow along with us to find out how your office can be a healthy and a sustainable one!
Encourage Biking to Work
If your office is situated in a building that does not provide bike parking areas, you can encourage your team to start biking to work (if your city’s infrastructure allows it, of course). This can also be the seed to many competitions and races among the office and the team! The following can be done through adding storage areas for the bikes as well as adding shower stalls for employees to use.
Access to Natural light and Ventilation
If your office is a stand alone unit (an independent building), it is best to orient it to take advantage of the south sun. This will ensure that the office space remains well-lit throughout the year and warm during winter. The addition of exterior shades will prevent the summer sun from coming into the office during the hot season.
A well-lit and bright office will will also enhance the productivity of your team as well as reduce your monthly electricity bills.
Another important element is natural ventilation. The accessibility to cross ventilation and natural ventilation will ensure the quality of your indoor air. This will also keep your office cool during summer. The use of operable windows will also allow different staff members to adjust the indoor temperature according to their preferences and needs.
Create an Indoor Jungle
Adding plants and greenery to your office will bring about many positive outcomes. There are many plants that thrive with little maintenance and purify the air. You can check out our Top Purifying Plants, plants that are approved and tested by NASA. Studies have shown that improved indoor air quality increases concentration and productivity. Plants will also enhance the mood and lift up the energy within the office and lead to better meetings and collaborations!
If your budget and your space allows it, you can even create vertical farming within your office, further encourage a healthier and a greener lifestyle.
If you’d like to know about how to improve indoor air quality with design, you can check out How to Improve Indoor Air Quality with Design
Adjustable and Flexible Spaces
A sustainable office is an office that can withstand the challenge of time. Designing an office with flexible and different space arrangements in mind will allow your space to grow and develop with your business without major design changes or renovations in the future.
Incorporate 3Rs Culture : Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Another well-known aspect of sustainable living is the 3Rs, to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
You can take this statement and expand it to the overall design of the office. You can start with using or finding recycled building materials (if you’re building your office from scratch) to using recycled furniture.
You can also encourage the use of reusable utensils, cups, etc. as well as recycling papers within the office and to use less paper in general.
Energy Efficient Appliances and Devices
Incorporating efficient lighting and devices will not only reduce your electricity bills but also reduce your impact on the environment, this can be done through the following :
Lighting : The vital element to saving on lighting expenses and environmental impact is natural lighting. However, regarding the artificial lighting, investing in smart lighting will make sure that the spaces not being used are not lit or being wasted. Furthermore, investing in LED lights (they have a longer lifespan) and they are more energy efficient than CFS lighting.
Automated water dispensers : Having automated water dispensers throughout your office will make sure your office is not wasting water.
Note: Investing in A-rated products will be front-end high cost , however, will serve you and your office good as it will save your energy bills and reduce your environmental impact.
Eco-Friendly Furniture
There are many aspects to Eco-friendly furniture and many companies may claim their furniture as Eco-friendly to grab the attention of the environmentally-conscious customer. However, here’s a basic guidelines to evaluate an Eco-friendly furniture piece or not.
Firstly, the shipping distance and location of the store is one of the forgotten aspects to an environmentally friendly furniture piece. How the furniture will reach you will have a carbon print, however, through searching for a close store and an Eco-friendly one, you will not only reduce your carbon footprint but also encourage local business.
Look for companies that use reclaimed materials such as wood and glass and recycled materials through their furniture making, this will make sure, you are extending the lifespan and life-cycle of these materials. Some companies also use furniture that can be reused or biodegradable materials.
Finally, it is important to raise awareness among your employees as a truly and fully-rounded sustainable office goes beyond the energy efficient appliances and paper recycling, a sustainable office starts from the planning stage and is integrated within the office design.
Until next time tracers, stay healthy, stay strong!
References :
Images courtesy of Unsplash.com
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