THE GREEN OFFICE
CREATING A
SUSTAINABLE
FUTURE
A
ndrew Bradley, managing little. And when ‘put out a little’ means going stylish and modern interior built around
director of Morgan Lovell’s home a few hours early on a Friday sustainable principles.
London office, is 100% behind afternoon, we didn’t hear any complaints!” “Sustainable office products are coming
making his company more To introduce the London team to their new into their own,” says Elaine. “You can now
environmentally friendly. To home, Andrew held a party in the office - get fashionable furniture, wallpapers, flooring,
that end, he commissioned a which was also a nice way to reward everyone even blinds, that are eco-friendly, but don’t
revamp of his Soho office, which was sorely in at the end of the works. necessarily look it. In the new office we’ve
need of some love and attention. With used FSC certified timber, low-VOC (Volatile
today’s concerns about climate change, THE FINISH Organic Compound) paints, carpets made
Andrew set about effecting the transformation The first floor makes up the main work from 80% recycled yarn, the list goes on, and
with the minimum intentional impact on the space, with desks placed so that everybody most products are recyclable at their end of
environment. gets a bit of that crucial natural light. A life too.”
Morgan Lovell also wanted to return to special ventilation system ties into the But it’s not just the bits you can see where
the days where clients could come to the workstation zoning, so that each section can environmental concerns have made their
office and see cutting edge workplace design be individually controlled. And so that it’s not mark. ‘Smart’ lighting means that only
and technology in-situ. all ‘work, work, work’, LCD TVs are placed occupied areas are lit, a ‘heat recovery’
“Many people believe that it’s impossible around the office (so staff and visitors alike ventilation system (that removes heat from
to combine sophisticated technology and can catch up on current affairs - or the latest one area to redistribute it as required
sustainability,” says Andrew. “But often that’s cricket score - or play a bit of Nintendo Wii in elsewhere in the office) has already given a
not the case. In our new office we wanted to their lunch-break). 30% reduction in energy consumption, and all
show that advanced technology can sit On the ground floor, the main electricity comes from renewable sources.
comfortably beside eco-friendly design.” ‘entertainment’ areas can be found: the
meeting rooms, complete with sophisticated CULTURAL SHIFT
THE REFURBISHMENT AV installs and glass partitioning that goes The refurbishment also allowed Morgan
Phased to take place over several months, opaque at the flick of a switch (one example Lovell to make some changes to their
the strip-out and refurbishment were of in-situ technology); the kitchen / break out fundamental business processes. Whereas
organised to cause the minimum disruption to zone with built-in recycling units and a before the fit out each department sat in their
staff. Everyone was moved downstairs so that worktop manufactured from recycled yoghurt own designated area, now the London team is
the first floor could be fitted out, and then it pots; and the ‘lounge’, an area with a split into ‘project groups’ of varying
was back upstairs while the ground floor was domestic feel that’s home to a couple of disciplines, and the new floor plan reflects
being given its face-lift. comfy sofas and a designer Arne Jacobsen these groupings.
“The team was kept informed at every ‘Egg’ chair. The main aim of this quite drastic change
stage of the project,” says Andrew, “so for was primarily to better the relationships within
instance they knew that on Friday 11th May SUSTAINABLE DESIGN each team, as well as to open up
they’d have to pack up their crates for the The new space was designed by LEED® communication across the company. Having
move upstairs. Because they knew what was accredited designer Elaine Duke, who the people working on a specific project in
happening, they didn’t mind being put out a understood that Morgan Lovell wanted a close contact serves to increase efficiency
within the business, and as a result enhances
the client’s experience of dealing with Morgan
Lovell.
AN OFFICE TRANSFORMED
There’s no denying that the new office has
made a major difference to the way that
Morgan Lovell London does business. People
actually enjoy spending time in the new space
- at lunchtimes the break out area is like a
busy city-centre cafÈ, and this means that staff
are interacting a lot more than they used to.
Andrew Bradley is really pleased to have
an office that showcases all that is good in
sustainable design: “Our office is a unique
place to work: committed to the environment,
financially viable and innovative in its design.
Feedback from staff is great, and we’re so
proud to show our new workplace to clients.”
SUSTAINABLE FM | NOVEMBER 2007
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