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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

August 08, 2025
By BCO Media

Let’s talk about…Adaptive Reuse

On 30 July, the BCO NextGen London & SE committee gathered a panel of experts from across the architectural, engineering, construction and development community to talk about adaptive reuse – the good, the challenges and the not so ugly. Hosted by Heyne Tillett Steet at its award-winning offices at 16 Chart Street, N1, the location […]
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July 31, 2025
By BCO Media

BCO launches Workspace Unwired podcast

The Workspace Unwired podcast will delve into everything workspace and work places, from the people that make it happen, the places that it helps create, the planet that we need to protect as we redesign, retrofit and deliver fresh workspaces, to the policies and practices that are impacting the sector today and tomorrow. By utilising […]
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July 10, 2025
By BCO Media

BCO report calls for new approach to space planning as office use reaches critical shift

The British Council for Offices (BCO) has published new research revealing a fundamental shift in how UK offices are used, with major implications for developers, investors and occupiers. The report, authored by Nigel Oseland of Workplace Unlimited, shows that the long-standing benchmark of 80% office utilisation may no longer be fit for purpose. Post-pandemic data […]
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