Chifley North in Sydney, Australia, explores how circular design can transform commercial interiors through material retention, reuse, refurbishment and remanufacturing. By integrating digital material passports and prioritising existing resources, the project achieved 92% diversion from landfill. It offers a practical example of how circular fit-out strategies can reduce waste, extend material lifespans and support more sustainable commercial interiors.
The first image from left: The Chifley North circular fit-out pilot in Sydney explores how commercial interiors can be refurbished while retaining materials and reducing construction waste. Source link: Charter Hall — Chifley North: A circular fitout in practice
The second image from left: Demountable partitions and recoverable building components illustrate how designing for disassembly can make future refurbishment and material reuse easier. Source link: Hunter Mason — Circularity Suite at 2 Chifley Square
Rethinking the Commercial Interior
Refurbishing a commercial interior often means removing existing elements and introducing new ones. However, this approach can overlook the value of materials that are still usable. Chifley North in Sydney offers a different perspective. In September 2026, a circular fit-out pilot explored how an existing commercial interior could be refurbished while keeping more materials in use.
Rather than treating the fit-out as a simple replacement exercise, the project considered retention, reuse, refurbishment and remanufacturing as part of the design process. As a result, Chifley North provides a practical example of how circular interior design can be applied to a contemporary commercial environment.
Designing With Existing Materials
The project focused on changing the usual relationship between refurbishment and waste. Instead of assuming that existing components should be removed, the team investigated whether they could continue to provide value.
In particular, materials including glass, joinery, copper piping, insulation and electrical components were considered for retention or recovery. The approach resulted in 36.3 tonnes of materials being retained within the circular economy.
This is important because circular design is not limited to choosing sustainable new products. Instead, it can begin with the materials already present in a building.
Furthermore, the project achieved a 92% diversion rate from landfill, exceeding its original 90% target.
For commercial interiors, this demonstrates how material reuse can become a measurable part of the refurbishment process rather than an additional consideration at the end of construction.
Digital Information for Future Reuse
Circularity also depends on knowing what materials exist and what can happen to them in the future. For this reason, the Chifley North pilot incorporated digital material passports. Information was recorded for materials used in the refurbishment, including considerations related to maintenance, repair and potential future reuse or recovery.
Consequently, the project connects physical materials with digital information. This can help future designers, contractors and building teams understand what resources are already available before purchasing or installing something new.
This approach is particularly relevant to the development of digital circular design, where material databases and digital documentation can support more adaptable interiors.
Measuring Circularity
One of the strongest aspects of the Chifley North project is its measurable outcome.
The circular fit-out achieved:
— 92% diversion from landfill
— 36.3 tonnes of materials retained within the circular economy
— A 90% original diversion target exceeded
— Digital material passports for materials used in the refurbishment
— Greater emphasis on retention, reuse, refurbishment and remanufacturing
Therefore, the project moves beyond describing sustainability as an intention. It provides specific results that demonstrate how circular strategies can influence the delivery of a commercial interior.
Why Chifley North Matters
Chifley North is relevant to sustainable interior architecture because it demonstrates that circularity can be considered throughout a project’s lifecycle.
At the beginning, designers can examine what already exists. During the fit-out, materials can be retained, repaired or redirected towards another use. Finally, digital documentation can help preserve information about those materials for future refurbishment.In this way, the project challenges the idea that every new interior needs to start from zero.
The lesson is particularly valuable for commercial spaces, where frequent refurbishment can create repeated cycles of material consumption and waste. A more circular approach can instead focus on extending material life and preserving the resources already embedded in the interior.
Conclusion
Chifley North demonstrates how a circular fit-out can turn material retention into a practical design strategy. By combining reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing and digital material information, the project shows how commercial interiors can reduce waste while keeping materials in circulation for longer.
Most importantly, its 92% landfill-diversion result provides a measurable example of what circular interior design can achieve. As the industry moves towards more resource-efficient and adaptable spaces, projects such as Chifley North suggest that the future of sustainable interiors may depend not only on what designers add, but also on what they choose to keep.