The Brief: Ipsos Mori New London HQ – 2015
Ipsos Mori, a leading global market research firm, approached Rainbow with a unique challenge for their new London headquarters in 2015. They wanted to create a modern and stylish office space while minimising their environmental impact by reusing and refurbishing their existing furniture as much as possible. They specifically mentioned their desire to reuse their task chairs, metal storage units, canteen furniture, and bench desks, as well as refurbish their high-end Saarinen Tulip chairs and Orangebox bar stools and tables.
The Solution:
We conducted a thorough assessment of Ipsos Mori’s existing furniture and created a detailed plan to reuse and refurbish as much as possible, in line with their sustainability goals.
For the task chairs, we carefully inspected each chair to determine their condition and identified 25% of them to be in good condition for reuse. We cleaned and serviced them, making necessary repairs and upgrades to ensure they met the requirements of the new office space.
The metal storage units were in excellent condition, and we were able to reuse 100% of them without any modifications. We cleaned them thoroughly and installed them in the new office layout to provide functional and sustainable storage solutions.
The canteen furniture, including tables and chairs, were still in good condition, and we reused the majority of them. We cleaned and refurbished them to match the overall aesthetic of the new office design.
The bench desks presented a unique challenge, as the new office layout required different sizes than the existing ones. Instead of purchasing new bench desks, we reconfigured the existing ones by supplying new legs and changing banks of 8 into banks of 4. This not only saved costs but also reduced waste and embodied energy associated with new furniture production.
The high-end Saarinen Tulip chairs, which Ipsos Mori wanted to replace, were refurbished instead. We cleaned up the plastic outer shells and upholstered the cushions, giving them a fresh and modern look that matched the new office design. Similarly, the Orangebox bar stools and tables were reupholstered and refurbished to extend their lifespan and reduce unnecessary waste.
Summary:
The Ipsos Mori New London HQ project was successful in terms of achieving a modern and stylish office space while minimising the environmental impact through furniture reuse and refurbishment. Our team’s expertise in furniture solutions and design allowed us to meet the client’s goals. By reusing and refurbishing the majority of furniture we were able to significantly reduce the project’s carbon footprint and waste generation, while delivering a beautiful and functional office space for Ipsos Mori.
