Re-using existing office design and office fittings

When international mining group Rio Tinto decided to relocate their senior management team from their inner city office in London to Paddington they chose to use office fit-out and refurbishment specialists IOR Group.

Rio Tinto’s city office was exclusively fitted-out just 18 months ago however, rationalisation within the Rio Tinto organisation to streamline the company left them wanting to combine the senior management team with their Paddington office. This meant relocating to Paddington and closing down the city office.

Because the City office was recently fitted-out Rio Tinto were reluctant to dispose of the office fit-out both for cost reasons and because it isn’t sustainable to discard serviceable materials. Simply discarding the very high quality office interior was not a viable option.

Re-using as much as possible of the existing refurbishment materials was something IOR Group designed into the office refurbishment project from an early stage. Therefore re-using most of the fit-out material in the city office became something of a cornerstone for the whole relocation project.

IOR Group set out to take as much as possible of Rio Tinto’s city office and its design, fittings and fixtures and to relocate everything to their Paddington office. The focus on re-using as much as possible meant the cost savings were dramatic and at the same time it ensured that Rio Tinto didn't have to waste any office fittings that were still in full working condition. Not only did this save money in property terms, and in fit-out terms, but was also a sustainable approach because little or no fit-out material was thrown away.

One of the main challenges for IOR Group was to implement a practical office design, and then to manage the project so that two different sets of office equipment and systems were blended together, and to ensure that disruption, noisy working, and downtime for the senior management team was minimal. Another problem when re-using fit-out material is ceiling height differences of “old” and “new” office but these challenges were overcome all within a fast project program.

Inherent in a re-stack project where existing fit-out is re-used is the potential disruption to people working within the spaces. In this instance the Chairman and CEO of Rio Tinto were being disrupted.

A fast-track program of works minimised the duration of the project, temporary spaces were used to re-home the people affected, and clear communication helped everyone affected to work around the project…but in the final analysis the Executive team at Rio gave the project full support so that the cost savings and re-use of materials could be achieved. Support from the very top people at Rio ensured that the bottom-line benefit was delivered.

When the relocation project finished the office re-fit was a success. Rio Tinto’s Paddington office was successfully refurbished with all the exclusive stand-out features from the city office. Highlights of the relocation were an illuminated floor-to-ceiling periodic table, as well as an ultra-high spec video conference boardroom. Both were successfully relocated and refitted, without any unforeseen downtime or technical delays.

For more information on this particular project or information on office fit-out and office refurbishment, then contact IOR Group and find out how they can help you and your organisation.
 

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