Tips for Designing an Office Space from Scratch
The average person spends the largest part of his or her day at work and surveys have indicated that almost 50% of employees regard their office environment as critical for job satisfaction. In the light of this, it is critical that office space should be planned to enhance job satisfaction. The following factors are key in the planning and design process to ensure efficiency and productivity when looking for commercial property for sale:
Evaluate wants and needs
It is very important to make a thorough study of the needs and wants of the employees and the company for the office space . The space should be adapted to suit the needs of the employees and the company.
Consider Technology and Equipment Requirements
The technology and equipment needed for the space must be considered and detailed to ensure that you don’t plan for technology that will soon be obsolete or not be necessary. In the past offices were planned around accessibility to telephone jacks and other wire-based access to technology, while today it is wireless and mobile technology that is used for communication. This makes it very important to consider current technology in the planning of the space.
Create a Sense of Ownership
In view of long hours spent at work by employees, there is a need to create a sense of ownership of the work environment. This is essential for productivity and leads to employees putting their personal stamps on their office environment and makes it enjoyable for them to function in.
Promote Positive Change
Many people don’t like change in particular when it affects the way in which they functioned, for this reason, it is important that employees should be involved in the planning of the new office space. The employees should be motivated to embrace the development and be enthusiastic about the new office plans.
Remain Budget and Time Aware
The available budget and timeframe should be clearly established to ensure that the plans for the new office can be implemented. The design must be cost effective in terms of money and time allocated to it. Some commercial property for sale may already be suited to most of your design needs.
Design for Daily Operations
The new office plan must consider the operational functioning of the business to ensure productivity and efficiency. The housing of different departments and their interaction plays an important role in the planning and outlay of the office. The logistical needs must be considered in the development of the layout of the office.
Holistic planning
The needs of different departments in terms of the type of office space required must be considered and incorporated into the space plan. This will ensure that a plan is developed that will incorporate all the different spatial needs into a holistic design.
Allow for Growth
Develop the office design with a forward-looking outlook and determine what the growth prospects in terms of the number of employees will be. Will there be sufficient space in the design to accommodate future growth? This might necessitate the planning of future repurposing of space to accommodate more employees.
Incorporate Adequate Storage
Determine the storage requirements in the initial planning to ensure that the unique requirements for filing and storage of the company can be met. The workflow should play a unique role in the planning of the office space. This will ensure that adequate space is available in the design and outlay of the office. If you don’t include it, in the beginning, there might not be sufficient space for storage and filing. This can lead to friction and frustration if not planned well.