Sustainable Workplace

Home to Europe’s largest support ecosystem for climate tech businesses, a development of over 40,000 sqft in the iconic grade-II listed County Hall on London’s South Bank.  We worked with our client Cast Interiors to provide a full bespoke joinery package.

The space, originally left untouched since the GLC’s departure in the 1980s, provided a distinctive setting with its distressed historic finishes serving as a rich backdrop for the new works.

By embracing a low-impact design approach aimed at minimizing embodied energy, the project became a pioneering example of using innovative materials and techniques, offering a new vision for workspace retrofitting. Material Works’ carbon calculation revealed a significant achievement—a total carbon savings of 1,150 tonnes compared to a standard office fit-out.

The design was guided by five core principles: light-touch retrofitting, adaptable and reusable interventions, reclaimed furniture and fittings, low-carbon materials, and the use of natural processes. From the start, existing fabric and fittings that could be reused were carefully identified for preservation, with only defective areas repaired as needed. The result is a celebration of the space’s ‘as found’ character, showcasing its unique imperfections rather than striving for uniformity. Doors, windows, flooring, and plaster were retained wherever possible, while new decoration was restrained to high-traffic areas likely to experience wear.

Cast Interiors led the fit-out for Sustainable Workplace, a coworking company committed to serving clients with sustainability-focused priorities. The comprehensive joinery package utilised sustainable materials throughout, aligning perfectly with the project’s ethos and setting a high standard for sustainable workplace design.

To avoid the high-carbon emissions associated with traditional building products, WSG prioritised materials that leveraged agricultural or industrial by-products, reused waste streams, or were derived from carbon-sequestering forestry.

Highlights include joinery finishes crafted from waste coffee and vegetables, composite boards made from agricultural waste for carpentry, cork flooring, mycelium acoustic baffles, and counters fashioned from reclaimed building rubble.

Wherever possible, materials were selected for their recyclability at end-of-life, using degradable bonding agents and processes. Biodegradable, toxin-free, and VOC-free natural materials, such as lime plasters and lime-based paints, further reduced the project’s carbon footprint and improved air quality through their low-energy production methods.

Key features also included integrated planting throughout the workspace to enhance air quality and promote psychological well-being.

The joinery included 100% recyclable board utilised in the tea point and bar carcasses, Smile Plastics for worktops, and the incorporation of reclaimed products like corrugated iron sheeting.

By leveraging our expertise in sustainable material use, we successfully delivered a project that not only focused on environmental impact but also maintained exceptional design quality.

This collaboration demonstrates how sustainability and high standards can seamlessly combine in modern workplace design.

From initial consultations to post-project support, at WSG Joinery we are dedicated to helping design and build contractors deliver outstanding results.  We will support you from specification to delivery to make sure the desired result is delivered, you can contact our team by following this link: Contact Us

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