Building Sustainable Office Spaces for a Better Tomorrow

Posted by Neeraj Singh on April 27th, 2021

People all over the world have become more conscious about their carbon-foot print and the impact their actions and activities have on planet Earth. With the increasing awareness, even corporate houses are strongly advocating the use of sustainable and eco-friendly office spaces. In fact, as seen over the past decade, in a well-known case study about office interior designs (among several other similar case studies), architects and designers are increasingly using innovative designs and materials to create futuristic and sustainable office spaces. Here’s more on how one can design a futuristic and eco-friendly office space:

Create Energy Efficient Workspaces

Owing to the number of devices and gadgets that are used in modern workspaces, the energy consumption and the subsequent emission of green-house gases is also quite substantial. As such, when building workspaces, designers and architects need to be very careful about the energy consumption. The best way to ensure this is using sensors. For example, with sensors to control the switching on and off of the lights and air-conditioners by sensing the presence of people in the area can help save a lot on energy consumption.

Use Sustainable Products

For any workspace to be eco-friendlier and more sustainable the use of materials that can be re-used and recycled is a must. Designers can use furniture made with recycled wood for the workspaces. Also, special tiles made of recycled plastic can be used to pave the driveways or to line rooftop gardens, which can also serve as common meeting areas for the employees.

Adapt Design Strategies to Minimise Wastage and Encourage Movement

Having a centralized space for essentials like the printer and copier, water fountain, pantry, etc. not only encourages employees to move around a bit and take adequate breaks, but also minimises energy consumption. With one copier to share for an entire floor, or one pantry for every two floors, the use of microwaves, coffee machines, etc. can also be checked, thus decreasing overall energy consumption.

Incorporate Biophilic Elements Indoors

According to a case study on office interior design, introducing biophilic elements can greatly enhance the overall look and feel of a workspace. Workspaces with a lot of natural light and green plants in strategic locations can also help enhance the overall productivity of the team as well.

Turn Communal Areas into Green Zones

Modern workspace designers are as conscious about the overall look and feel of outdoor communal spaces as they are about the indoor spaces. These spaces can always be used to create well-manicured gardens with a fountain or waterfall to enhance the overall aesthetics. The furniture used in these spaces can be made with upcycled or recycled materials.

Design Spaces That Can be Adapted for Later Use

When designing office interiors, designers must ensure that the cubicles and workstations are modelled in a way that the space can easily be customised as per the needs of different tenants. This ease of re-using and remodelling eliminates the possibilities of wastage that usually happens whenever tenants change, and new organisations want to design their workspace as per their own taste.

Therefore, with little bit of careful planning, modern workspaces can drastically cut down their carbon footprint and contribute towards preserving the Earth’s environment.