Mazars

The assessment gave Mazars and the project team a quantified comparison between reuse and replacement. Tunley identified the relevant emission sources and calculated the greenhouse gas emissions associated with removing, preparing and reinstalling the existing systems, then compared these with the manufacture and installation of equivalent new products. By assessing the two scenarios on the same basis, the report established where the carbon reduction came from and provided documented evidence for the reported 57.4% saving.

Approximately 60% of the partitioning and door systems installed within the new office were retained from an earlier fit-out in the same building. Revolution 100 glazed partitions and Edge Symmetry doors were carefully dismantled, assessed and reconfigured to suit Mazars’ new layout. On average, around 60% of the existing trackwork was also reused. Minor blemishes were touched up locally, avoiding the need to re-powder-coat the framework and the emissions associated with that additional processing.

The dismantled systems were stored on site until they were ready to be reinstalled. This avoided transport to an external storage or manufacturing facility and reduced the risk of damage during handling. Retaining the glass, doors, frames and trackwork also removed much of the material production required for a completely new partitioning package. Protection and packaging from the Optima works were collected through the company’s recycling bag scheme and returned to its manufacturing facility for reuse or separation, with 92% of waste from the Optima works reported as recycled.

The project won the Partitioning – Small Contracts category at the 2023 FIS Contractor Awards. The judges commented:

“On inspection, it is hard to see that the high-quality installation is formed from preloved elements. Overall, an excellent finish was achieved by Optima.” 

Alex Smith, Senior Project Manager at BW Interiors, said:

“We never have any issues with Optima; they are a pleasure to work with. The whole team was very organized on site and worked seamlessly alongside us, making the project such a success. Special mention goes to Site Supervisor Steve Boakye, who did an excellent job throughout the fit-out.” 

Federico Avanzi, Optima Project Manager, commented:

“We enjoyed working closely with Design Manager Ruby Taylor from BW to bring her design to life. The project gave us the opportunity to use our Reuse Service, retaining more than 60% of the existing glass partition and door systems while adapting them to the requirements of Mazars’ new workplace.” 

Optima Site Supervisor Steve Boakye added:

“The installation team embraced the challenge of delivering our first reuse project for Mazars. It gave us an opportunity to develop how we work on site and build our experience of dismantling and reinstalling existing systems. I’m very pleased with the result and look forward to working on further reuse projects.”