New workplace prioritises circular design, diverting tonnes of waste
Our newly completed workplace in Melbourne, Australia, for a client in the finance sector, prioritises sustainability and design circularity principles, diverting more than eight tonnes of waste from landfill.
The 8,000-square-metre, four-level workplace, located on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country, represents a forward-thinking approach to workplace design. It emphasises collaborative spaces to encourage a sense of connection among employees.
However, the project’s most notable achievement lies in its innovative approach to circular design. Before new tenants moved in, the previous occupants had to demolish their interior fit-out, leaving behind eight tonnes of glass waste destined for landfills. The design team partnered with recycling specialists Revert and sustainable surface experts Noveco to transform this discarded material into 527 sqm of terrazzo flooring. The terrazzo, composed of 90 per cent recycled glass and a 10 per cent silica-free binder, aligns seamlessly with the workplace’s design aesthetic.
The project also incorporated a take-back stewardship agreement with Revert for the terrazzo floor (the practice of a manufacturer or supplier taking back their product after the consumer no longer needs it), ensuring responsible end-of-life management for the materials used.
STRATEGIC REUSE: MINIMISING WASTE AND MAXIMISING MATERIAL LIFESPAN
Our design team also addressed the challenge of pre-existing interior elements. Seven years prior, Hassell installed 63 Fritz Hansen Series 7 chairs and designed a 4,000 linear metre American Oak ceiling on the same site. When our client began its new fit-out, instead of sending the chairs to landfill, they were refinished in partnership with Cultivated, the original supplier’s sustainability programme.
The ceiling, designed with a click-in batten system for easy disassembly, was meticulously disassembled, refinished, and repurposed as wall battens, minimising waste and maximising material lifespan.
Overall, 40 per cent of furniture was sourced from the client’s existing inventory, including the reuse of 756 task chairs and 48 table bases. We also maintained the existing kitchen framework and updated the doors.
These actions contributed to an approximate 100-tonne reduction of CO₂ for the entire project.
Our emphasis on adaptability reflects a growing awareness of the need to preserve material value in an era of rapid business evolution. This workplace serves as a model for future projects, demonstrating that sustainability and design innovation can coexist and that creative solutions can be found even in the face of significant waste.