Optima is an active member of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) and has contributed to the ASBP’s “The Reuse of Glass Partitioning Systems” guidance. We also took part in ASBP’s industry-wide webinar on the subject earlier this year. These initiatives were both part of the ASBP’s Reuse Now campaign which aims to increase uptake of the reuse of construction products and materials through exploring supply chain barriers, developing solutions and sharing of knowledge and experience. What can be done to make reuse an easier choice? Either due to refurbishment, reconfiguration or tenants moving out, the materials associated with CAT B fitout are all too often stripped out and disposed of long before their end of life. With glazed partitioning widely used in commercial fit-outs, a look at this topic is timely. Along with a number of other key sponsors and trade body the FIS (Finishes and Interiors Sector), together we looked at how reuse can be better enabled. The ASBP deep dive into glass partitioning systems has resulted in an easy-to-read piece of guidance to support the decision making process around reuse. Andy Stammers, Optima’s Energy, Sustainability & Standards Support Lead contributed to this guidance document, which was authored by ASBP Director and Reuse Lead, Debbie Ward. In the document’s foreword, James Parlour, the FIS’s head of technical, says: “This guide provides advice for clients, designers, specifiers and other economic operators throughout the supply chain on how to approach the reuse of glass partitions. It does this not just from the perspective of new projects with reuse requirements, but also from the perspective of designing projects to be more reusable during the fit-out cycle.” You can find out more on this guidance here: https://asbp.org.uk/asbp-news/asbp-publishes-practical-guide-for-reuse-of-glass-partitioning-systems Webinar to understand barriers and opportunities Andy Stammers, Optima’s Energy, Sustainability & Standards Support Lead, also presented as part of the The Reuse of Glass Partitioning Systems webinar, which followed the guidance document’s publication. As part of the keynote panel of speakers, alongside him were contributors Emily Samoluk, British Land and Darcy Arnold-Jones, Marks Barfield Architects, and the discussion was chaired by ASBP Director and Reuse Lead, Debbie Ward. The panel outlined some of the barriers to reuse in an industry where deconstruction is seen from the perspective of “quick in, quick out”. What is required, the panel agreed is a deeper and innate understanding of the value of materials to drive better approaches. Also discussed was what is financially feasible now, and how improvements could be made to this in the future through economies of scale. In addition better industry-wide processes to support reuse need to be developed, the panel agreed, which included the storage of components if they are not to be used internally or moved site to site, and accessible inventory data. Moving towards a circular economy approach in practise In the webinar presentations and discussions it became evident that a fragmented approach to sustainability and minimising waste needs rethinking. This will also require the industry to re-evaluate traditional mindsets. Some key observations included: ASBP Director and Reuse Lead, Debbie Ward introduced the webinar, and put forward that policies and working practices to encourage the move away from downcycling and landfill must be welcomed. She highlighted data, early engagement (client and team buy-in) and decisions around what is best for each project as starting points. Emily Samoluk, Senior Sustainability Manager, British Land commented that for a circular economy strategy we need to start looking at buildings as “banks of materials”. She referenced British Land’s circular economy approach publication Full Circle, Full Potential, and what they had learned from the company’s Broadwalk House, London project. The latter, a successful, high reuse fitout, included the use of reclaimed glazed partitions. Darcy Arnold-Jones, Architect and Circular Economy Lead at Marks Barfield Architects said that part of becoming a regenerative architecture practice was about understanding value: “transitioning from a space mindset… to a material-asset based mindset.” It also meant thinking differently around what is the reality on site in terms of logistics for moving large fittings and elements out of a building, and the specific costs and conditions of the subsequent transport and storage of those items. Andy Stammers, Optima’s Energy, Sustainability & Standards Support Lead suggested that while costs of demounting and storage could be a barrier for some, a key barrier preventing reuse was the range of partition dimensions that are specified, with the variation in floor to ceiling heights. Some form of design standardisation would make it easier to find an exact match for a system from a previous project. Andy also described how glazed doors however are more readily segregated on site, and reused. As well as being easy to handle and transport, as a finished product they are easier to store. Practical points have come out of this Reuse of Glass Partitioning Systems initiative which dovetail with some of the ongoing design, manufacturing and sustainability work we are already doing at Optima Systems. We will address some of these key topics for specifiers in future blogs. There is a recording of this ASBP webinar, which can be accessed here – password GLASS! https://asbp.org.uk/webinar-recording/the-reuse-of-glass-partitioning-systems References The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) mission is to lead the transformation to a healthy low carbon built environment by championing the understanding and use of demonstrably sustainable building products. Find out more here ASBP British Land’s Full Circle, Full Potential Report https://www.britishland.com/media/wjdpcata/full-circle-full-potential-british-lands-approach-to-the-circular-economy.pdf
