Reuse
Commercial offices get refitted on average every 5-7 years, sometimes more often for high value offices. In addition, when an office building is new or when a tenant moves out, the space is striped out and can either be refitted to shell and core or to a Cat A specification. Cat A typically include kitchen and facilities, basic building services and basic finishes. The finishes typically include suspended ceilings, luminaires and raised access flooring (no floor covering). Some elements of Cat A will most likely be disposed of when the space is fitted to a Cat B standard even though they are pretty much new.
The FIS and its members recognise the importance to reduce the environmental impact of the fit out sector and in particular they are keen to reduce embodied carbon emissions and waste from strip out projects. Surveys have shown that there is a growing appetite for enabling more reuse of products into commercial projects. Currently, some pre-demolition audits (very few pre-fitout audits) are carried out prior to the demolitions stage. Products identified during the audits are listed on digital platforms (see list published by FIS here) and often find their ways towards the charitable sector. The key question is: how do we enable the reuse of these products towards the commercial sector?
There is little time and space on site to segregate and store products until they are being picked up by an organisation for reuse. Construction projects are very time dependant and any delays to a project timeline can be very costly. In order for the project team to specify reused products, they need to have confidence that the products will be available at the time of installation and that the products meet the right quality requirements.
Project Description
FIS members have therefore identified the need for a physical storage space where products can be stored, processed and then redirected to a new site. They also recognise that in order to create sufficient supply and demand, there is a need to have a wide collaboration across the sector.
FIS has engaged with its members and broader industry to create a network of professionals to pilot a physical reuse hub in London. The pilot will focus on two products: suspended ceiling systems and luminaires used in Cat A. The pilot will run for 12 months with at least 6 months of storage.
The project will look to:
Pilot a physical reuse hub to
- Create supply and demand – Create confidence that reused products can be specified and there won’t be delays in project
- Create a buffer to assess products and find a receiver projects
A network of professionals to support activities to encourage reuse
Develop the commercial model to understand the real costs of reusing products
The Reuse Initiative working group
Membership of the RIWG is open to members of FIS, their clients and any other parties interested in enabling reuse in larger scale.
The RIWG is administered by Finishes and Interior Sector Limited (FIS).
Members of the RIWG commit to share their knowledge and experience with the group. Where information is potentially commercially sensitive it will be made available in anonymised form via FIS.
Members of the RIWG that are seen to use this platform only for their own commercial benefits may be asked to leave the group.
The Reuse Initiative governance board
The RIWG Governance Board comprises members of the RIWG which have committed financially or in-kind (on agreement with by the Governance Board) to enable the success of the pilot project. All outcomes from the group remain the intellectual property of FIS and the RIWG Governance Board.
If you are interested, please contact: flavielowres@thefis.org