LifeArc
A circular furniture procurement strategy enabled LifeArc to create a fully functional workspace while saving £146,375 and avoiding 32.6 tonnes of CO₂e.
Size
10,000 sq/ft
Scope
Furniture Consultancy
Furniture Procurement
Furniture Reuse
Achieved £146,375 in cost savings
Avoided 32.6 tonnes of CO₂e
Delivered a flexible, blended procurement solution
LifeArc is a leading medical research charity dedicated to advancing scientific discoveries into real-world treatments. As part of its continued growth, the organisation took an additional floor within its existing building to accommodate expanding teams and project activity.
Fluid worked with LifeArc to deliver a furniture strategy that balanced cost efficiency, sustainability and workplace quality. By combining high-quality reused furniture with carefully selected new items, the project delivered significant financial and environmental savings while maintaining the same standards as LifeArc’s existing offices.
The final solution achieved £146,375 in cost savings and avoided 32.6 tonnes of CO₂e, while creating a workspace that supports productivity, collaboration and employee wellbeing.
The Project: Delivering A High-Quality Workspace Through Circular Furniture Procurement
LifeArc approached Fluid with a clear challenge. The organisation needed to furnish an additional floor that would be used for approximately two years while maintaining the same level of quality and functionality as their existing workspace.
However, purchasing a full suite of new furniture would have resulted in unnecessary capital expenditure and a larger environmental footprint for what was intended to be a temporary solution.
While a rental option was initially explored, the two-year timeframe meant that a rental model was not the most commercially viable approach.
Fluid therefore developed a blended procurement strategy designed to maximise value and sustainability.
Following a detailed review of LifeArc’s requirements, we proposed a circular sourcing model built around high-quality second-hand furniture combined with carefully selected new items where reuse was not practical.
This approach ensured the workspace met the organisation’s ergonomic, functional and aesthetic standards while significantly reducing both cost and embodied carbon.
Through our supplier network, we sourced premium used Knoll sit-stand workstations and Vitra task chairs, both known for their durability and long product lifecycle.
To complement the reused furniture, new Calma office pods were introduced to create private spaces for focus and collaboration. Additional new items included meeting and breakout furniture, a modern locker system and ergonomic Humanscale monitor arms.
This combination of reused and new furniture allowed LifeArc to maintain brand consistency across all floors while ensuring the workspace fully supported employee productivity and wellbeing.
Fluid managed the full procurement process, including sourcing, logistics and installation, working closely with LifeArc’s internal team to ensure the project was delivered efficiently and on schedule.
By prioritising the reuse of high-quality furniture and limiting new manufacture to essential items, the project delivered substantial financial and environmental benefits.
The strategy achieved £146,375 in cost savings compared to a fully new furniture specification and avoided 32.6 tonnes of CO₂e, equivalent to planting 1,467 trees or removing the annual energy usage of 7.2 UK homes.
The project demonstrates how a circular, mixed-sourcing procurement strategy can deliver measurable reductions in both cost and carbon while maintaining a professional and high-performing workspace.
