Environmental

Used to reuse: The Closed-Loop Initiative

As part of our commitment to reducing project carbon footprints, we help designers redefine spaces through our closed-loop initiative. Our partitioning systems are engineered to be fully relocatable, encouraging flexibility and long-term reuse. Assessed on a project-by-project basis, we demount and repurpose previously installed glass and metalwork to suit new layouts, ensuring high-quality materials never go to waste.

The drive for sustainable practices and efficient space management for new leases is leading to the wider adoption of reconfigurable office partitions. These systems enable product reuse and reduce material waste during space reconfigurations, while EPD data supports environmental compliance.

Closing the Gap

There is a significant disconnect in the modern interior industry: while systems are manufactured with a 25-year functional lifespan, the average interior fit-out is replaced every 8 years. This results in high-performance products being sent to recycling or landfill decades before their time.

We are committed to closing this gap. By designing for relocatability, we ensure that our products can serve three or four subsequent fit-outs rather than just one. We don’t just sell a product for a single lease; we provide a long-term architectural asset that can be reimagined, moved and reused as your business evolves.

The Logic of Relocatability

The demand for sustainable practices and efficient space management is driving the adoption of reconfigurable partitions. By choosing systems that enable product reuse, you significantly reduce material waste during fit-outs, while our comprehensive EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data supports your project’s environmental compliance and green building certifications.

How Polar is Used for Reuse

Our Polar Partitioning systems are relocatable due to their advanced design:

  • Dry-Joint Technology: Glass-to-glass dry joints facilitate clean demountability without the mess or waste of silicone.
  • Height Tolerance: Our glass partitions are designed to accommodate a tolerance of ±10mm of the original installed height, allowing for seamless relocation even with slight floor or ceiling variances.
  • Adaptable Configuration: We facilitate the move of partitions and doors between sites using bulkheads* or integrated overpanels to adjust for new ceiling heights.

Quality Assurance & Re-Certification

Komfort provides peace of mind by re-certifying repurposed systems. We will validate the continued performance of your relocated products provided the following criteria are met:
  • Specification Alignment: The reused product meets the new project’s performance requirements.
  • Suitable Tolerances: Glass, doors, and perimeters align with the new site dimensions.
  • Structural Integrity: The new supporting structure is adequate for the system.
  • Material Condition: The product remains in a suitable, high-quality condition.
Added Confidence: We offer an extended 12-month warranty specifically applicable to our reused systems, ensuring your circular design is as reliable as a new installation.

Used to Reuse in Action – Case Study

London Fitout

Client briefMeet the sustainability commitment for the project by reusing as much of the existing systems as possible.
Scope of worksDismantle our existing Polar system on site and set aside for reuse. Survey of existing trackwork, doors and glass panels, size and quantity shared with the client to facilitate the reuse design stage, resulting in Komfort reinstalling to newly formed openings.
ScaleDeglazed 64 panels & 12 doorsets

Embodied Carbon Savings

For this project, we demonstrated the significant environmental benefits of reusing existing partitioning and door systems. Our calculations showed that this approach saved 91% of embodied carbon (which includes manufacturing, transportation and installation) compared to installing new systems, equating to a reduction of 11.21 tonnes of CO₂e.

In everyday life, this 11.21 tonnes of CO₂e is the equivalent of providing electricity to 2.3 homes for a whole year.