Office Design Is An Important Leasing Consideration
admin / September 10, 2020
Are you considering revamping your office or moving to a new location? Here are tips for designing an efficient and productive office layout to meet your needs:
What is your business?
If you are in a creative industry your office layout might be quite different from the traditional office layouts or that of a law firm. Your requirements as a creative firm might involve space for collaborative open spaces, relaxing brainstorming/thinking, more break rooms and fun activities to help ensure your creative team has a chance to interact and be inspired. A law firm, on the other hand, has a number of confidential interactions and may require more meeting space, private offices and file storage areas with a very nice reception area. Consider what is needed to make sure your team is most productive and engaged with each other when planning the space.
Understand the different work functions.
Consider how tram members perform their work. How much space do they need to be most productive. What workflow considerations should be made so that various functions are near each other and share similar resources. How do you use meeting space and how much meeting space is needed? Do you need communal space for collaborative discussions. Are individual offices needed for privacy, security, etc.
Include employees in the design discussion.
Not only does employee involvement help meet the necessary needs, but it lets team members understand they have value. If you have a large number of employees, consider representatives from functional areas. This one tip can save you plenty of unhappiness, lost productivity and missed functions and/or opportunities.
Invest in furniture.
Ergonomically correct and unique spaces (stand-up desks for example) can turn an adequately functioning space into an exceptionally efficient environment. Well designed furniture can create a scintillating impression for employees, clients and visitors. Remember, it is your brand!
Light it up!
The finishing piece on any office space planning is lighting. The right lighting is critical to efficient and productive operations. Studies show that exposure to daylight increased performance and boots productivity. So while planning, look for ways to incorporate natural daylight. Glass partitions help conduct the flow of natural light. Proper lighting for computer monitors is also key to reduced eye strain. And, LED lighting makes your environment more environmentally friendly, while saving on energy costs.
While leasing considerations often begin with the space itself, be sure to take time to plan out the overall office design that works best for your type of business and the efficiency of your team members.
