The Circular Hub at Workspace Design Show

At this year’s Workspace Design Show, Future Works partnered with MCM Architecture, Nested Living and partners on The Circular Hub, an interactive installation inviting visitors to immerse themselves in circularity.

Rather than a typical exhibition stand, the Circular Hub was designed to show how materials, construction and use can work together within a circular system. We collaborated closely with MCM’s Sustainability Lead, Ana Rita Martins, to shape the concept and support its delivery, ensuring circular principles were embedded from the start.

“Some key decisions ensured circularity was embedded from the beginning. First, assembling the right collaborators who understand and can deliver truly circular, non-linear design approaches. Second, translating the complexity of circularity into a clear and tangible concept, using materials and construction to demonstrate how strategies like biodegradability, durability and reuse can be applied in practice.” — Ana Rita Martins, Sustainability Lead, MCM Design

The Circular Hub was conceived as an open working space, designed to encourage honest conversations about how circular design works in practice within fit-out projects. Visitors could explore materials, ask questions and gain an understanding of how different elements contribute to a more circular system.

The installation was structured around principles aligned with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation framework. Each component was selected and positioned to show how materials can remain in use, either within technical cycles through reuse and refurbishment, or as renewable, bio-based materials that can safely return to natural systems. Importantly, the focus wasn’t just on individual products, but on how they fit together as part of a wider system.

Visitors were also invited to take part in a hands-on challenge, dismantling Vitra’s Mynt Chair to better understand adaptability, repair and reuse in action.

Following the show, the walls, built by Nested Living, were fully dismantled, with some elements retained for a future condensed version of the exhibition and others taken to Oxford Recycling Centre. The flooring by Tate has since been allocated for reuse across other projects, while material samples and furniture were returned to Materials Assemble and Vitra. Graphics by Studio Omelette were printed on cardboard to ensure they could be easily recycled after use.

This approach allowed us to test how circular thinking can be applied to temporary installations, which often generate significant waste. Each partner helped move the project towards a near zero-waste outcome.

“Circular design in fit-out isn’t about a single solution. It’s about how each element contributes to a wider system and how designing for disassembly shapes decisions from the outset.” — Alex Webb, Sustainability Manager, The Furniture Practice

Projects like The Circular Hub provide an opportunity to test ideas in the real world, making circular thinking feel more tangible and bridging the gap between ambition and what’s possible. They also create a shared space for learning, which is key if circular design is to become standard practice.

In its next iteration, The Circular Hub will be reimagined and presented at this year’s Sustainable Design Forum, extending its lifespan and continuing the conversation around circular design in practice.