17 Sept 2025
#1 Reuse first
Sensibly Sustainable #1: Reuse First
Reuse isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t sparkle like innovation and it doesn’t grab headlines. But it’s quietly powerful.
At One Portal Way, the reuse story starts with the building itself. What was once a standard office block is now being transformed into an Innovation Hub—not through demolition, but through a meanwhile retrofit. That decision alone is a massive act of sustainability. It means working with the structure that’s already there, extending its life and avoiding the carbon cost of starting from scratch.
And that mindset has shaped every decision inside the building too.
The desks and furniture left behind weren’t brand new—but they were solid, well-made, and full of potential. It would’ve been easy to start fresh. Order new. Throw the old in the skip and send it away.
But we didn’t.
Instead, we asked ourselves can we use what’s in front of us?
And if not us (there were LOTS of chairs and desks), who else can use it?
This approach takes time. Reuse isn’t the quick option. It means thinking about who might need something, reaching out, teeing it up, making yourself available. It means storing things carefully, coordinating repairs and trusting that the effort is worth it. You have to want it.
Many of the desks that we already had are now being stored safely while the space is reimagined, and they’ll be repaired and adjusted with some help from the brilliant team at Sagal —ready to return in June 2026, refreshed and fit for purpose.
Other things that were left behind in the building have found new homes.
Planters and garden chairs have gone to our friends at Republic of Park Royal, on Minerva Road, with lots of other bits and pieces.
A giant screen, once the centrepiece of a Microsoft Teams-enabled meeting room and now made unusable by technology obsolescence (Charlie covered it in a post here) , was carried (by hand!) by Johnny Brewin to the Foundry bar, where it now lives on in its second act. And, in a slightly more unexpected twist, one of our sinks has been claimed by the Imperial College facilities team, and it’s now going to be used in one of their kitchens.
Sometimes reuse is practical. Sometimes it’s poetic. Sometimes it’s just a bit random. But always, it’s rooted in care.
At Sciopolis, we believe sustainability starts with common sense. Not what’s trendy, not always the shiny new ball, but what’s necessary. And right now, what’s necessary is a shift from novelty to longevity.
So next time you’re planning a space, a project ( or even a meal!) ask yourself: what can I reuse and repurpose? You might find the answer is already in front of you.