About Our Guides - BCO - British Council for Offices About Our Guides - BCO - British Council for Offices

About Our Best Practice Guides

BEST PRACTICE GUIDES

The BCO publishes a series of best practice guides covering many aspects of office space. They are used widely across the industry by designers, contractors and professional service providers.

GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION

The BCO Guide to Specification is a flagship document outlining guidance on how to design, specify, create and develop office buildings to deliver the most productive, sustainable and healthy workplaces.

GUIDE TO FIT OUT

The Guide to Fit Out, a sister document, has a wealth of information and advice for those undertaking a fit-out project. It provides recommendations on what makes a scheme a great place to work.

Members have open access to digital copies of the BCO Best Practice Guides and they are available for non-members to purchase.

GUIDE TO LIGHTING

The world of lighting is currently going through some dramatic changes as there is a drive to reduce carbon emissions and lamp technology is evolving and changing at a fast pace.

WELLNESS MATTERS

The aim of Wellness Matters is to help the office sector understand what matters in terms of health and wellbeing, why it matters, when and who is best placed to lead the agenda.

Find the right membership level for you and your business.

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COMMITTEES AND TEAMS

The BCO is run by a series of committees covering research, the regions, our awards programme and the next generation.
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DIVERSITY, EQUALITY
and INCLUSION

The BCO champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, broadening the office sector and promoting participation from all backgrounds.
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SPONSORSHIP

As one of the premier award ceremonies in the UK property calendar the BCO Awards delivers real value to its sponsors.
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MENTAL HEALTH

The BCO is dedicated to supporting its members' mental health and wellbeing by providing links to sources of support through networks regionally and centrally. 
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Latest news

July 03, 2026
By BCO Media

BCO heads to Paris in 2027

Between 28 and 30 June 2027 the UK’s best and brightest from across the world of workspace will descent on the city of light for what the BCO intends to be its most sustainable conference yet.
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June 30, 2026
By Samantha McClary

BCO Conference 2026: A CEO’s reflections

The BCO Conference 2026 certainly lived up to its theme of being a Festival of Enlightenment, with an immeasurable amount of takeaways from plenaries, workshops and tours alike.
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June 29, 2026
By BCO Media

EXPERT INSIGHT: How to maintain BCO standards three decades on

BCO member John Robertson, founder of John Robertson Architects, shares his insights on how One Great St Helen’s retrofit has enabled it to continue to deliver excellence
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