Sustainable Ventures: Furnishing a future-ready climate tech hub with NORNORM’s circular subscription model

Client showcase

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Real Estate

UK

Sustainable Ventures, a UK-based accelerator and coworking space for climate tech start-ups, expanded their headquarters in 2023 by leasing 26,000 sq ft at County Hall, London. Seeking a sustainable and flexible fit-out solution, they turned to NORNORM’s circular subscription model.

Less climate impact

86.2%

Office location

UK

Office size

20,000 ft²

Design style

Nordic Light

“NORNORM’s circular approach, with its focus on reuse and timeless design, aligned perfectly with our vision for a sustainable and natural office environment at County Hall.”

Wayne Shaw, Director of Workspaces

Challenges & Objectives

Sustainable Ventures needed to furnish their new space while aligning with their sustainability goals. They aimed to limit the use of new materials, repurpose existing ones, and avoid significant capital expenditures (CapEx), all while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to the needs of 125 climate tech startups.

NORNORM's Solution

NORNORM provided a complete design service and furnished 20,000 sq ft of the space with their circular furniture. The remaining space reused furniture from Sustainable Ventures' previous location. Additionally, NORNORM supported the leasing team with digital sales assets, enhancing the presentation of the studios. By adopting NORNORM’s subscription model, Sustainable Ventures transitioned furniture costs to operational expenditure (OpEx), freeing up over £250,000 in CapEx. This allowed them to invest in upgraded audiovisual (AV) and operational packages from sustainable suppliers.

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Impact

The County Hall office is now fully occupied, serving over 500 people. NORNORM continues to support both existing and new occupiers with flexible furniture solutions, allowing the space to evolve with the changing needs of its users.

Wayne Shaw, Director of Workspaces

NORNORM’s circular model helped us strengthen our business values as the representative home of climate tech to 125 sustainable startups.

We strive to keep our establishment as sustainable as possible, and with transitioning to a new floorspace, renting furniture was our preferred solution.

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Sustainable Ventures

Sustainable Ventures, a UK-based accelerator and coworking space for climate tech start-ups, expanded their headquarters in 2023 by leasing 26,000 sq ft at County Hall, London. Seeking a sustainable and flexible fit-out solution, they turned to NORNORM’s circular subscription model.

HOW WE SUPPORTED

In addition to design services and furniture, NORNORM supported the leasing team with digital sales assets on the studios. Now fully let, NORNORM is serving existing and new occupiers with their furniture change requests. Roughly 500 occupiers currently utilise NORNORM furniture.

Paying for furniture as an ongoing operational cost (OpEx), rather than as capital expenditure (CapEx), enabled Sustainable Ventures to increase their spend on innovation within the office by upgrading their AV and operational packages from other sustainable suppliers.

“We strive to keep our establishment as sustainable as possible, and with transitioning to a new floorspace, renting furniture was our preferred solution.

NORNORM’s circular model helped us strengthen our business values as the representative home of climate tech, to 125 sustainable startups.”

WAYNE SHAW, DIRECTOR OF WORKSPACES

‍

BACKGROUND

County Hall is a grade II listed building on the River Thames; when planning the fitout, it was important for Sustainable Ventures to prioritise limiting the use of new materials, reusing where possible, and focussing on materials with innovative, regenerative, and sustainable credentials. 

The paired back interior celebrates the existing and the reclaimed; the design retains the original fittings and finishes, presenting them in a raw state to foster a natural aesthetic. NORNORM’s circular approach to reuse, repurpose, and repair, coupled with neutral, timeless designs, offered the perfect solution to meet Sustainable Venture’s low-energy focus and natural look. 

As home to Europe’s largest climate tech cluster, and with a strong focus on sustainability, Sustainable Ventures was so aligned with NORNORM’s values, that it is now also home to NORNORM’s UK office.

‍

IMPACT

  • The space is now fully occupied with +125 members
  • 20,000 sq ft furnished by NORNORM (the rest is reused from the old location)
  • >£250,000 in CAPEX was freed up, enabling enhanced AV and operations
  • Increased budget for branding communal areas and events

‍

Exclusive Insights from NORNORM's Circular Breakfast at Tech Arena 2024

At this year's Tech Arena, one of Scandinavia's largest tech events, NORNORM hosted the Circular Breakfast, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and forward-thinkers to explore the role of technology in shaping the future of circular companies. We caught up with a few of our expert panellists afterwards to gain exclusive insights on the topics discussed.

Nanna Gelebo (BCG) on Bridging Linear and Circular Business Models
Nanna Gelebo has been a Partner at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Stockholm for 12 years, with a strong track record of driving transformative change in the retail sector on everything from strategy to implementation.
Key Insights
Nanna discusses the concept of 'cross-fertilisation' between linear and circular business models. She highlights the importance of transforming transactional customer relationships into relational ones through circular efforts, emphasising that rental and second-hand products can serve as gateways for consumers into more sustainable consumption patterns. This approach not only benefits the environment but also opens new avenues for business growth.
Takeaway
Linear business models do not have to stay linear. You can start to become more circular by gradually integrating a circular business model into your current linear one, through e.g. rental and second-hand products, building a circular set-up that suits your business specifically.
Marcus Linder (RISE) on Evaluating and Ensuring Circular Claims
Marcus Linder is the Director of Business Design at the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE). He holds a PhD in Technology Management and Economics from Chalmers University of Technology, specified in environmental research, with his research having been applied industrially in procurements by industry giants such as Volvo.
Key Insights
Marcus brings attention to the critical aspect of a product's end-of-life plan. He emphasises that being 'potentially circular' is insufficient without a concrete and, preferably legally binding, plan for product lifecycle management. This perspective is crucial for customers evaluating circular claims, pushing companies to not just promise sustainability but to embed it into their actual business practices.
Takeaway
To remain credible towards industry peers and customers, the best practice is to have a clear, communicable, and incentivised plan for your circular business model that customers can trust and rely on. It is important that customers should be able to evaluate and ensure your claim of circularity and end-of-life product plans.
Vojtech Vosecky on Being Authentic when Marketing your Circular Efforts
Vojtech Vosecky is one of the leading circular economy advocates, with experiences ranging from being the co-founder of the successful think-tank Institute of Circular Economy, working for the European Parliament, and the world-leading organisation Circle Economy. In 2022, he was also selected as one of the Top Green Voices to follow in Europe by LinkedIn.
Key Insights
Vojtech stresses the importance of being hyper-authentic in the communication of your circular business principles. For him, it’s about being bold in stating what you stand for, challenging misconceptions, and creating moments of realisation for your audience (think true “aha-moments”). His approach - educate, inspire, and agitate - is a formula that companies can use to effectively market their circular efforts. Vojtech highlights that no matter the format of your marketing, and to avoid the trap of greenwashing, be authentic and stand your ground, whilst always backing up with research. That always wins.
Takeaway
When marketing your circular or sustainable business efforts, especially on LinkedIn, use the three principles of educating, inspiring, and agitating - ideally in one go. Be authentic, use visuals, and create truly educating moments. Use facts whenever you can. However, be careful not to over-do them - and always, always, double check them.
“In the end, what is it about? It's about creating a relationship between the user and this object. I think we all have a strong link to things that are meaningful, that have been charged by accompanying our life.”

Some subtitle

In the end, what is it about? It's about creating a relationship between the user and this object. I think we all have a strong link to things that are meaningful, that have been charged by accompanying our life.

Sustainable Ventures

Sustainable Ventures, a UK-based accelerator and coworking space for climate tech start-ups, expanded their headquarters in 2023 by leasing 26,000 sq ft at County Hall, London. Seeking a sustainable and flexible fit-out solution, they turned to NORNORM’s circular subscription model.

HOW WE SUPPORTED

In addition to design services and furniture, NORNORM supported the leasing team with digital sales assets on the studios. Now fully let, NORNORM is serving existing and new occupiers with their furniture change requests. Roughly 500 occupiers currently utilise NORNORM furniture.

Paying for furniture as an ongoing operational cost (OpEx), rather than as capital expenditure (CapEx), enabled Sustainable Ventures to increase their spend on innovation within the office by upgrading their AV and operational packages from other sustainable suppliers.

“We strive to keep our establishment as sustainable as possible, and with transitioning to a new floorspace, renting furniture was our preferred solution.

NORNORM’s circular model helped us strengthen our business values as the representative home of climate tech, to 125 sustainable startups.”

WAYNE SHAW, DIRECTOR OF WORKSPACES

‍

BACKGROUND

County Hall is a grade II listed building on the River Thames; when planning the fitout, it was important for Sustainable Ventures to prioritise limiting the use of new materials, reusing where possible, and focussing on materials with innovative, regenerative, and sustainable credentials. 

The paired back interior celebrates the existing and the reclaimed; the design retains the original fittings and finishes, presenting them in a raw state to foster a natural aesthetic. NORNORM’s circular approach to reuse, repurpose, and repair, coupled with neutral, timeless designs, offered the perfect solution to meet Sustainable Venture’s low-energy focus and natural look. 

As home to Europe’s largest climate tech cluster, and with a strong focus on sustainability, Sustainable Ventures was so aligned with NORNORM’s values, that it is now also home to NORNORM’s UK office.

‍

IMPACT

  • The space is now fully occupied with +125 members
  • 20,000 sq ft furnished by NORNORM (the rest is reused from the old location)
  • >£250,000 in CAPEX was freed up, enabling enhanced AV and operations
  • Increased budget for branding communal areas and events

‍

Sustainable Ventures

Sustainable Ventures, a UK-based accelerator and coworking space for climate tech start-ups, expanded their headquarters in 2023 by leasing 26,000 sq ft at County Hall, London. Seeking a sustainable and flexible fit-out solution, they turned to NORNORM’s circular subscription model.

HOW WE SUPPORTED

In addition to design services and furniture, NORNORM supported the leasing team with digital sales assets on the studios. Now fully let, NORNORM is serving existing and new occupiers with their furniture change requests. Roughly 500 occupiers currently utilise NORNORM furniture.

Paying for furniture as an ongoing operational cost (OpEx), rather than as capital expenditure (CapEx), enabled Sustainable Ventures to increase their spend on innovation within the office by upgrading their AV and operational packages from other sustainable suppliers.

“We strive to keep our establishment as sustainable as possible, and with transitioning to a new floorspace, renting furniture was our preferred solution.

NORNORM’s circular model helped us strengthen our business values as the representative home of climate tech, to 125 sustainable startups.”

WAYNE SHAW, DIRECTOR OF WORKSPACES

‍

BACKGROUND

County Hall is a grade II listed building on the River Thames; when planning the fitout, it was important for Sustainable Ventures to prioritise limiting the use of new materials, reusing where possible, and focussing on materials with innovative, regenerative, and sustainable credentials. 

The paired back interior celebrates the existing and the reclaimed; the design retains the original fittings and finishes, presenting them in a raw state to foster a natural aesthetic. NORNORM’s circular approach to reuse, repurpose, and repair, coupled with neutral, timeless designs, offered the perfect solution to meet Sustainable Venture’s low-energy focus and natural look. 

As home to Europe’s largest climate tech cluster, and with a strong focus on sustainability, Sustainable Ventures was so aligned with NORNORM’s values, that it is now also home to NORNORM’s UK office.

‍

IMPACT

  • The space is now fully occupied with +125 members
  • 20,000 sq ft furnished by NORNORM (the rest is reused from the old location)
  • >£250,000 in CAPEX was freed up, enabling enhanced AV and operations
  • Increased budget for branding communal areas and events

‍

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