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Finishes and interiors sector, fit-out and finishing of buildings.
The finishes and interiors sector covers the interior fit-out and finishing elements of the build process including the construction of walls, fixtures, ceilings and flooring and finishing operations such as plastering and rendering.
The £10 billion Finishes and Interiors sector is a pivotal part of construction, turning structures into homes, educational facilities, hospitals, care-homes, workplaces, hotels, leisure facilities, retail outlets and functional spaces.
The sector is unique in construction in so far as buildings will typically have over 30 fit-outs in their lifetime. Each re-fit fundamentally impacts, not just the way a building looks, but how it performs in terms of fire, acoustic and thermal integrity and has a critical impact on sustainability, whether that relates to the embodied carbon of the building itself or to the operational performance of that building.
The sector employs around 250,000 people with the key trades employed being interior systems installers (i.e. ceiling fixers, demountable and relocatable partition installers, drylining installers), plasterers, shop fitters, steel frame system (SFS) installers and carpenters and joiners.
High priority sustainability challenges for the finishes and interiors sector include:
- Sustainability Strategy
- Waste
- Carbon
- Materials
- Environmental Management
- Modern slavery
- Business Ethics
- Wellbeing
- Fairness Inclusion and Respect
It can be difficult to understand all these issues, and knowing where to focus efforts can be challenging. Find out more about each topic, and the role of the supply chain in helping the finishes and interiors sector address these challenges.
Energy and Carbon
Carbon Reduction, Offsetting And Net Zero
E-learning Module
45 minutesEnergy and Carbon
Introduction to Climate Change and Carbon
E-learning Module
45 minutesEnergy and Carbon
Carbon Footprinting & Measurement
E-learning Module
45 minutesScience Based Targets - Sustainability Short
An increasing number of businesses are setting science-based targets to reduce their carbon emissions. This animation looks at what SBTs are, why they’re relevant to you, and how you can participate.
Sustainability Strategy
Social Value in the Built Environment – Industry Briefing 2020
Document / Presentation
45 minutes
Modern Slavery
Responding to the Modern Slavery Act 2015
E-learning Module
45 minutesFairness, Inclusion and Respect: Induction
This talk outlines how Fairness, Inclusion and Respect can be an integral part of how an organisation operates.
Climate change is the biggest issue of our times and…
Sustainable development requires a holistic consideration of environmental, social and…
Environmental Management is the term we use to describe how…
Enabling the built environment to move from a linear to…
The built environment industry can reduce the negative impacts of…
It’s essential to monitor water consumption to achieve the Government…
Making our workplaces even better for everyone.
With 40.3 million victims estimated by the Global Slavery Index…
The identification, management and mitigation of risk of bribery, corruption…
Social value refers to the network of environmental, social and…
Addressing wellbeing across the value chain
“"We have to start thinking differently, rather than thinking of buildings or interiors as the end product, we have to think about every building as a kind of DIY store for the next project and the next project and the next project. We are keen to work with members of the FIS through this database and wider initiatives to help realise our values and support transformation of the supply chain as a whole." ”Adam Strudwick Principal, Corporate Interiors, Perkins & Will
In 2019 Perkins & Will pledged to offer a net zero operational design strategy to all architectural clients up to RIBA Stage 2, at no cost to the client. The next stage is to offer net-zero embodied carbon for interiors projects this manifesto sets out how they intend to achieve and report on this.
This page is run in partnership with FIS (Finishes and Interiors Sector) the Trade Body for the £10 Billion finishes and interiors sector www.thefis.org.
