Talk Series 35

Making De-fit Mainstream

Speaker:

Amelia Lipa, Practice Director at BVN

Adrian Taylor, Regenerative Lead at BVN.

Summary:

De-fit, the process of removing a commercial fitout at the end of a lease, is one of the least visible and most wasteful phases in a building’s life. The de-fit stage presents a significant opportunity to engage circular pathways, diverting materials and assets from landfill. 
 To assist building owners, tenants, architects, designers and contractors in reducing waste, recovering value, and designing for circular outcomes from the outset, we’ve created an open-source how-to guide, De-fit Guidelines for Commercial Fitouts. Co-authored by BVN and FTD Circular, the Guide provides material pathways, removal strategies and advice to support project team members in achieving a mutual goal of eliminating waste.

This talk was delivered online on 15 October 2025. Talk duration is 1 hour and 2 minutes.

Speaker Bio:

  • Amelia Lipa, Practice Director at BVN. 

Amelia isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of design to seek dynamic and creative solutions. Her solid conceptual understanding is supported and strengthened by her technical knowledge. She is skilled in articulating advanced design concepts in order to deliver optimal project outcomes. Amelia enjoys the process of facilitating user group workshops and working alongside architectural teams to foster a collaborative, integrated and astute approach across disciplines. 

  • Adrian Taylor, Regenerative Lead at BVN. 
    Adrian provides data-driven environmental solutions. With over a decade of applied research in architectural practice and academia, Adrian unlocks regenerative opportunities for real-world projects. He aims to democratise technology, equipping others with the tools and knowledge to regenerate the built environment at a systemic level. 

CPD Details:

This talk is offered as a formal CPD activity for architects, mapped to performance criteria PC10, PC10, and PC52 in the Australian 2021 National Standard of Competencies for Architects.

A copy of the CPD questions can be accessed here. If you take notes in digital format during the video, you will be able to copy/paste your answers into the questionnaire form at the end. 

Upon completion of the video, a link to the CPD questionnaire will be unlocked. Submit your answers via that link to earn 1 formal CPD point and receive your certificate for record-keeping purposes. Note: The questionnaire link will only load if the video is viewed from this webpage. If you navigate to YouTube to view the video, you will not be able to access it.