The BBP has today launched its latest industry guidance - Responsible Fit-Out Toolkit: Offices. The Toolkit provides guidance for owners and occupiers on how to integrate sustainability and wellbeing into office fit-outs. Like all BBP guidance, it’s freely available to the industry.

Workplace design plays a pivotal role in demonstrating a business’s values and can have an immense impact on the comfort and productivity of those working within and visiting a space. Yet opportunities are rarely fully appreciated or realised. 

Developed from the collective thinking of BBP members, the Toolkit covers the whole fit-out cycle from search criteria through to design, construction and finally occupation. Each section identifies key points of intervention where owners and occupiers can engage on risks and opportunities. It also provides occupiers with a suite of design principles to help support conversations with design teams and contractors.

The Toolkit is the first fully on-line resource developed by the BBP, ensuring that it can continue to reflect evolving standards and best-practice.  The Toolkit already features many case studies from its members and the BBP is calling on the wider real estate sector to review its content and provide further case studies. The BBP will now start work on a similar Toolkit for the retail sector.

Louise Ellison, Head of Sustainability, Hammerson and Chair of the BBP said: “This long-needed practical guidance on delivering a sustainable office fit out is important for all parties involved in what are often complex projects. Freely available, easily accessed advice that will assist teams in delivering a markedly superior product for clients and ultimately for people working in our offices is absolutely where our industry needs to head, and I am delighted the BBP has been able to deliver this.”

Neil Pennell, Head of Design, Innovation and Product Solutions, Landsec, “As one of the UK’s leading commercial property companies, our properties undergo a huge number of fit-outs each year, so this Toolkit will prove a valuable source of best practice that we can freely share with our customers, helping them to sustainably fit out their space and improve the occupier experience for their staff. 

“And as a company that’s also reaping the benefits of our own recent responsible HQ fit-out, we’re delighted we can pass on our knowledge and leadership in creating great workplaces via this Toolkit for the benefit of the wider industry.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) is a not for profit collaboration of the UK’s leading property owners who are working together to improve the sustainability of the UK’s existing commercial buildings. The organisation's aim is to deliver market transformation through sustainability leadership and knowledge sharing across the UK property industry. The BBP currently has 30 members who represent in excess of £200bn Assets Under Management (AUM).

The BBP has 30 Members who include Aberdeen Standard Investment, Aviva Investors, Blackstone, British Land, Bruntwood, Cadogan, Canary Wharf Group, Capital & Regional, CLS Holdings, Cording Real Estate Group, DWS, Great Portland Estates, Grosvenor, Hammerson, Hermes Investment Management, intu Properties, Landsec, LaSalle Investment Management, Legal & General Investment Management, Lendlease Investment Management, Low Carbon Workplace, M&G Real Estate, Norges Bank Real Estate, SEGRO, Shaftesbury, Schroder Real Estate, TH Real Estate, The Crown Estate, Transport for London and Workspace.