The built environment is under growing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint—and interiors fit-outs are a major piece of that puzzle. Perkins+Will’s Net-Zero Now Interiors initiative is one of the more ambitious efforts underway, pledging to drive interior design toward net-zero embodied carbon. As part of that, the firm launched the NOW Database, a searchable library of sustainable and circular materials and products. With it, designers get a tool to specify materials more consciously, balancing performance, supply chain ethics, circularity, and carbon impact.
What is the Net-Zero Now Interiors Pledge
In October 2020, Perkins+Will together with Penoyre & Prasad introduced a manifesto called Net-Zero Now Interiors. Key commitments:
From design stage 2 onward, all interior fit-outs of projects would include a net-zero embodied carbon or circular design strategy. Perkins&Will
By end of 2021, half of their projects would be designed to be 100% circular; by 2025, all projects. Perkins&Will+2Mix Interiors+2
By 2030, the goal was to achieve net-zero embodied carbon in all interior fit-outs. Perkins&Will
The pledge acknowledges that fit-outs (furniture, finishes, partitions, lighting etc.) often generate large amounts of embodied carbon and waste—especially given short lease cycles and frequent renovations. Perkins+Will aims to close the gap between sustainability promises and the reality of interior construction. Perkins&Will+1
The NOW Database: What It Is & How It Works
The NOW Database is a core tool in Perkins+Will’s approach. Here’s what it does:
It’s a searchable directory of products and materials aligned with sustainability, circularity, and ethical supply chain principles. Designers can use it when specifying interior materials. Perkins&Will+2Mix Interiors+2
Contributions come from suppliers of all sizes. Smaller and newer suppliers are welcomed even if they don’t yet have full certifications—this helps encourage innovation and inclusion. Perkins&Will+1
Products are scored by Perkins+Will’s in-house sustainability team using metrics like: • Embodied carbon (or related life cycle assessment) • Circular design principles (reusability, disassembly, take-back, etc.) • Recyclability, material health • Supplier-side criteria such as worker rights, supplier diversity, and transparency. Perkins&Will+1
Initially internal to their London and Dublin studios; over time, Perkins+Will has expressed intention to make it more publicly accessible so other firms, designers, and manufacturers can contribute and benefit. Perkins&Will+1
Progress & Milestones
Since launching the pledge and the NOW Database, Perkins+Will has reported several progress points:
As of early 2022, the database had been soft-launched and used internally; further development aimed to make it more robust and publicly available. Perkins&Will
Roundtables and supplier consultations have been held with clients (JLL, Unilever, Citi), contractors (Mace, ISG, Overbury) and furniture/fittings manufacturers (Knoll, Senator, Orangebox) to understand constraints, opportunities, and to source materials that fulfill these sustainability/circularity criteria. Perkins&Will+2Mix Interiors+2
Some goals are in progress, some lagging: for example, Perkins+Will has committed to Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) on every project since October 2020, but circular design guidelines were still under development at that point. Perkins&Will
Challenges & Lessons Learned
Implementing this kind of initiative reveals several challenges and lessons:
Data availability & timing Getting full, accurate environmental product declarations or circularity data from suppliers is uneven. Some suppliers lack the resources or certifications, particularly smaller ones. Timing in projects matters—spec labels must be ready early enough. Perkins&Will+1
Defining “circular” concretely What counts as circular? Reusability, take-back programs, recyclability, low-carbon manufacture, etc. Perkins+Will found that the definitions and metrics are still evolving. Standards aren’t completely settled. Perkins&Will
Balancing ambition with pragmatism They aimed for 100% circular interiors in many projects, but initial uptake was slow. Some projects are on track; others are behind, in part because supply chain options, project budgets, or timing don’t always allow ideal material choices. Perkins&Will+1
Collaboration are essential Internally (different studios, project teams), externally (suppliers, manufacturers), and among clients. Also, transparency in reporting progress is necessary to build accountability. Perkins&Will+1
Why It Matters: Impact & Broader Implications
Perkins+Will’s work is significant for a few reasons:
Setting a model for the interiors sector Fit-out has historically received less attention than whole building carbon, yet it represents a large share of embodied carbon and waste. By focusing on interiors, the firm is addressing a critical and often overlooked domain. Perkins&Will+1
Shifting supply chains & market incentives With tools like the NOW Database, demand for sustainable and circular product lines increases, which can push manufacturers to adopt better practices. Also, suppliers who previously couldn’t compete on these metrics now have incentives.
Transparency & accountability By setting public targets (e.g., half of projects 100% circular by end of 2021, all by 2025; net-zero embodied carbon by 2030) and reporting back, the firm makes it easier to track progress and call out gaps.
Potential industry ripple effects As firms like Perkins+Will adopt these practices, others may follow. Also, clients (companies, governments) may demand similar workflows, causing sustainable/circular criteria to become standard parts of project specs.
FAQs
Q1: Is the NOW Database open to the public now? As of early 2022, the NOW Database was internal (London, Dublin) with plans toward a public launch. Perkins&Will
Q2: What counts as “100% circular” in a project? It’s still being refined. It involves specifying materials that can be reused, recycled or remanufactured; minimizing waste; ensuring disassembly; considering whole life carbon, etc. Some projects have met components of this but full implementation remains aspirational. Perkins&Will
Q3: Do products without EPDs get excluded? No. Perkins+Will has tried to include smaller suppliers without full EPDs by assessing via other metrics. The idea is fairness and encouraging innovation rather than penalizing those without certifications. Perkins&Will
Q4: Is this just for offices or workplaces? Primarily commercial interiors (offices, fit-outs), but the concepts and database could be extended to other interior spaces. The framework applies broadly wherever fit-out materials and furniture are specified.
Conclusion
Perkins+Will’s NOW Database and its Net-Zero Now Interiors pledge represent a thoughtful, ambitious push toward making sustainable, circular interiors more than a promise—it becomes a working process. Tools like the NOW Database give designers concrete ways to make material choices that align with carbon, ethical, and circular goals. While the road ahead has hurdles—definitions, supply chain readiness, and scale—this effort marks a meaningful step toward interiors that are responsible, beautiful, and future-proof.
As more firms build or adopt similar tools, the vision of a circular‐by‐default interior practice becomes more plausible—and necessary. Perkins+Will’s work shows that with intentional effort, transparency, and data, the materials we surround ourselves with can be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
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Perkins+Will’s NOW Database: Building Circular Interiors & Sustainable Materials Transparency
Introduction
The built environment is under growing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint—and interiors fit-outs are a major piece of that puzzle. Perkins+Will’s Net-Zero Now Interiors initiative is one of the more ambitious efforts underway, pledging to drive interior design toward net-zero embodied carbon. As part of that, the firm launched the NOW Database, a searchable library of sustainable and circular materials and products. With it, designers get a tool to specify materials more consciously, balancing performance, supply chain ethics, circularity, and carbon impact.
What is the Net-Zero Now Interiors Pledge
In October 2020, Perkins+Will together with Penoyre & Prasad introduced a manifesto called Net-Zero Now Interiors. Key commitments:
The pledge acknowledges that fit-outs (furniture, finishes, partitions, lighting etc.) often generate large amounts of embodied carbon and waste—especially given short lease cycles and frequent renovations. Perkins+Will aims to close the gap between sustainability promises and the reality of interior construction. Perkins&Will+1
The NOW Database: What It Is & How It Works
The NOW Database is a core tool in Perkins+Will’s approach. Here’s what it does:
• Embodied carbon (or related life cycle assessment)
• Circular design principles (reusability, disassembly, take-back, etc.)
• Recyclability, material health
• Supplier-side criteria such as worker rights, supplier diversity, and transparency. Perkins&Will+1
Progress & Milestones
Since launching the pledge and the NOW Database, Perkins+Will has reported several progress points:
Challenges & Lessons Learned
Implementing this kind of initiative reveals several challenges and lessons:
Getting full, accurate environmental product declarations or circularity data from suppliers is uneven. Some suppliers lack the resources or certifications, particularly smaller ones. Timing in projects matters—spec labels must be ready early enough. Perkins&Will+1
What counts as circular? Reusability, take-back programs, recyclability, low-carbon manufacture, etc. Perkins+Will found that the definitions and metrics are still evolving. Standards aren’t completely settled. Perkins&Will
They aimed for 100% circular interiors in many projects, but initial uptake was slow. Some projects are on track; others are behind, in part because supply chain options, project budgets, or timing don’t always allow ideal material choices. Perkins&Will+1
Internally (different studios, project teams), externally (suppliers, manufacturers), and among clients. Also, transparency in reporting progress is necessary to build accountability. Perkins&Will+1
Why It Matters: Impact & Broader Implications
Perkins+Will’s work is significant for a few reasons:
Fit-out has historically received less attention than whole building carbon, yet it represents a large share of embodied carbon and waste. By focusing on interiors, the firm is addressing a critical and often overlooked domain. Perkins&Will+1
With tools like the NOW Database, demand for sustainable and circular product lines increases, which can push manufacturers to adopt better practices. Also, suppliers who previously couldn’t compete on these metrics now have incentives.
By setting public targets (e.g., half of projects 100% circular by end of 2021, all by 2025; net-zero embodied carbon by 2030) and reporting back, the firm makes it easier to track progress and call out gaps.
As firms like Perkins+Will adopt these practices, others may follow. Also, clients (companies, governments) may demand similar workflows, causing sustainable/circular criteria to become standard parts of project specs.
FAQs
Q1: Is the NOW Database open to the public now?
As of early 2022, the NOW Database was internal (London, Dublin) with plans toward a public launch. Perkins&Will
Q2: What counts as “100% circular” in a project?
It’s still being refined. It involves specifying materials that can be reused, recycled or remanufactured; minimizing waste; ensuring disassembly; considering whole life carbon, etc. Some projects have met components of this but full implementation remains aspirational. Perkins&Will
Q3: Do products without EPDs get excluded?
No. Perkins+Will has tried to include smaller suppliers without full EPDs by assessing via other metrics. The idea is fairness and encouraging innovation rather than penalizing those without certifications. Perkins&Will
Q4: Is this just for offices or workplaces?
Primarily commercial interiors (offices, fit-outs), but the concepts and database could be extended to other interior spaces. The framework applies broadly wherever fit-out materials and furniture are specified.
Conclusion
Perkins+Will’s NOW Database and its Net-Zero Now Interiors pledge represent a thoughtful, ambitious push toward making sustainable, circular interiors more than a promise—it becomes a working process. Tools like the NOW Database give designers concrete ways to make material choices that align with carbon, ethical, and circular goals. While the road ahead has hurdles—definitions, supply chain readiness, and scale—this effort marks a meaningful step toward interiors that are responsible, beautiful, and future-proof.
As more firms build or adopt similar tools, the vision of a circular‐by‐default interior practice becomes more plausible—and necessary. Perkins+Will’s work shows that with intentional effort, transparency, and data, the materials we surround ourselves with can be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
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