Employers are looking for ways not just to future proof offices against climate change, but to make them so attractive that they encourage staff to come into work in them more often too.
It’s something Tomás O’Leary sees first hand as co-founder of Mosart, an architect, design and consultancy practice that specialises in zero energy carbon (ZEB) and nearly zero energy carbon buildings (NZEB).
For O’Leary, who is also the founder of the ZEB Summit, an international conference that takes place in Dublin each September, it’s all about creating healthier buildings that make a lasting, positive environmental impact.
Not alone does he live in Ireland’s first certified Passivehaus, which he built over a decade ago in Wicklow, but more recently Mosart architects designed Senan House, Ireland’s first Passivehaus offices, in Enniscorthy.
RM Block
“One of the key challenges is summer comfort, as office buildings here, by and large, tend to be heavily glazed. We don’t have a culture in Ireland of designing shading into our buildings, unlike our southern and central European cousins. The result in some offices, depending on the design, is that you can have a lot of glare and a lot of localised overheating,” he says.
For existing buildings, a heat recovery ventilation system that takes out the stale air and heat from within the building and replaces it with fresh air from outside can help.
“But we shouldn’t need air conditioning at all, ideally. If a building is well-designed in terms of solar gains, we should be able to manage in Ireland without active cooling,” he says.
Introducing biophilic design principles, which integrate natural elements such as sunlight, plants, water features and organic materials, can also help office workers to feel more comfortable.
Research suggests simply having a plant in the office can help reduce stress. But biophilic design is about much more than an office aspidistra. It is about positioning furniture to take advantage of daylight, and using natural materials and textures such as wool or cotton.
At Senan House, the external walls are made of timber panels, for example.
When undertaking retrofits, introducing wood to interiors can have a hugely remedial effect on office buildings that typically surround people with glass and concrete.
‘Companies are looking very carefully at sustainability, and the number-one way they can save is with self-generating electricity. But we’re also seeing lots of other initiatives, such as collecting rainwater to wash the windows’
— David Dowling, Cronin Group
“It’s about trying to be more in harmony with nature. I’ve been to office buildings in Central Europe that are completely made of wood – even the structure is mass timber, as well as the internal surfaces. They even sound different. Because they absorb more of the sound, you don’t get the same echoey, harsh sound you typically get in offices. Obviously they look different, because they’re made of wood, but they even smell different, in a good way. It’s just a completely different environment,” he says.
The need to future proof buildings for climate change is something that clients are increasingly asking for, says O’Leary. But another trend he sees is a growing desire among employers to cut back on the phenomenon of working from home.
“A lot of employers are concerned that the pendulum has swung a bit too far, that teams are a bit more broken up than they used to be. For example, in an architectural office, collaboration is key – having people discuss ideas and just getting the creative juices flowing. Some professions may lend themselves better to remote working, but it’s hard to beat the group dynamic,” he says.
As commercial manager of Cronin Group, a moving company that specialises in logistics, machinery moving and workplace relocation, David Dowling also sees firsthand how employers are future proofing their offices for both climate and new work modes.
“Right now, retrofitting is huge. A building is no longer just a place you work, it’s a building that staff expect will improve their wellbeing. They want to see sustainability and they also want to see comfortable spaces they can work in, work as a team in, or socialise in,” says Dowling, who says cafes with proper baristas and healthier food options are almost de rigueur.
“They also want to see lots of daylight and open plan with lots of plants, to mimic nature,” he says.
Demand for solar panels is growing. “Companies are looking very carefully at sustainability, and the number-one way they can save is with self-generating electricity. But we’re also seeing lots of other initiatives, such as collecting rainwater to wash the windows,” he says, adding that, for staff, car-sharing and bike-to-work schemes are also encouraged.
Increasingly, companies that might previously have thrown out old furniture as part of an office refurbishment now want to make sure it’s recycled or repurposed, something Cronin Group facilitates.
Dowling also believes employers are hoping that providing an attractive building will support their growing desire to get people back to the office full-time. “They’re moving away from even hybrid working now, and the way they are doing it is with nice coffee, nice food and nice places you can chill out and relax in,” he says.
