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June 13, 2008
We are often asked how can we help to make offices a little less cold and sterile, and a great way to do this is to maximise your natural daylight resources. The colour, feeling and effects of natural daylight just can’t be replicated by artificial light, and yet so many offices have poor layouts that block daylight within the office. A key principal here is to ensure that windows are not blocked by storage cabinets; the simplest way to do this is by putting all storage cabinets against partition walls. Most offices though have more storage cabinets than wall space, so the best way to ensure that natural daylight is maximised is to only ever have cabinets lined up perpendicular (at 90 degrees) to any windows. This may seem obvious, but so many offices have a row of tall cabinets running through the centre of the office space, and so these are actually parallel to the windows. What this then means is that one half of the office gets good natural daylight in the morning, but very poor in the afternoon and the other side vice versa. Through keeping the cabinets at 90 degrees some light is obscured, but you avoid the dark and light extremes. Of course investing in better storage solutions would help further, particularly a system such as a rolling stack (as discussed in earlier blog posts), as this would allow you to keep your storage in one area and so keep the open areas open.
As well as re-organising your storage, you should also look at the positioning of desks. A common mistake is to put a single manager’s desk (which is often unoccupied) next to the windows, with the bulk of the staff deeper in to the office floor plate away from the natural light. By ensuring that the natural light resource is maximised to as many workstations as possible, the overall feeling of the space for the staff will be improved. There are occasions, such as with a very large floor plate, when this can’t be done, and so here you may need to look as specialised lighting solutions, such as daylight simulation bulbs for individual desk lamps, and using as many transparent or translucent materials as possible around the office, such as frosted glass screens on desks rather than heavy fabric ones.
If you would like us to redesign your office to maximise your natural daylight resources, give us a call.
June 3, 2008
Office furniture has changed significantly over recent years; whereas a simple desk was sufficient in the pre-IT days of the 1980s, the 1990s saw ever increasing monitor sizes and therefore much bigger desks. As more staff were spending increasing amounts of time at their desks using the IT equipment, ergonomics played a bigger part in office design and the large corner desk became commonplace. However since the flat screen TFT monitor has become the norm, such large desks are less necessary, and with more offices going paper-less the actual workspace is now getting smaller. Most people now order wave type desking (rather than corner type), or even straight desks or benching. The space freed up by smaller desks can then be used to fit in alternative working zones, such as hotdesks and breakout areas. There are also changes to the trends in the furniture finishes, with a sleek minimal look being the current vogue. The shiny white “Ipod” look has become very popular replacing the standard pale wood finishes in many modern offices, and this is often offset with a few designer style chairs to give a contemporary look.
If you would like impartial advice on your office furniture, give us a call. We are fully independent and so not tied to any single supplier or product range and so can recommend the best possible solution for your needs.
May 30, 2008
There are many ways to look to improve your office design without necessarily having to spend a fortune. Removing unnecessary partitions and opening up the space always helps as this can improve natural light, air flow and circulation, and usually helps to make your office look bigger. If your internal partitions are not structural this is relatively easy and inexpensive to do, and can totally transform your space. Often existing furniture can be re-used and it is possible to re-cover chairs and screens to give a new appearance at a reduced cost. It is even possible to replace just the tops of desks giving a new work surface, without needing to replace the whole desk, and as well as saving money, this saves wastage – helping to reduce your carbon footprint.
If you would like our advice as to how to improve your office design without spending a fortune; give us a call for some bright ideas.
May 1, 2008
These days the boundaries between home life and work life are becoming increasingly blurred; whereas a few years ago most office based jobs were a strict 9 to 5 - sitting at the same desk each day scenario, things have started to change significantly. Many employers now allow for a more flexible approach including time based at home, working from different office locations or simply working at different desks for different tasks. Where we were once tied to our desks to carry out our job role we are now more able to carry out our work via laptops and communicate via networks and mobile telephony and this has lead to changes in the way offices can be designed. Through using several different areas for different tasks you are able to make the most efficient use of your office space, and we can show you how including hot-desks, touchdown areas, breakout space as well as dedicated desking can improve both your office layout and staff perception of their workplace.
Give us a call to discuss how we can modernise your office, allowing for a more flexible approach to corporate office design.
April 30, 2008
Colors can be a very powerful aspect of a truly vibrant office space. Bright colours can inspire employees; subtle shades can calm one down, or just make one feel at ease. A proper selection of colours can help motivate your employees to get down to business! Take extra care when picking paint or wallpaper colours in your office.
Different hues resonate and spread different vibes. For example, a bright red might remind you of hearts/love, lipstick, even stop signs. Red is an intense colour; maybe not exactly what you are looking for in an office. However, a deep cherry-maroon shade could make your employees feel empowered. Also, a rosy pink shade could well liven up your office and impart it a feminine flair, encouraging lighthearted environment. (more…)
April 28, 2008
Here are some useful, practical ideas so that your office space will be not only comfortable for you but also interesting and inviting to visitors.
1. The idea of a built-in ‘Work Island’ that is positioned slightly off-centre is worth considering. It will leave enough space elsewhere in the office, allowing comfortable seating for either relaxing or brainstorming.
2. A well designed work island should ideally leave ample scope for a work surface as well as a base containing the maximum practical storage. This will allow flexibility. Include sufficient leg room on all four sides.
3. Consider building the work island at bar height if you wish to work standing up.
4. Ensure your seating includes a foot rest and gives adequate back support.
5. Your office layout can be dynamic and creative even if the budget cannot stretch to a bespoke work island. Do not allow furniture to hug the walls - with a large, empty space in the middle.
6. Try placing an attractive desk towards the centre of tour office - with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and storage within hassle-free reach on the wall just behind you. Place a sofa just in front of the desk.
You may showcase an indoor fountain prominently at your office to impress your customers but you will also have the benefit of creating a pleasant ambience in the office for your employees. You will see the benefits as many people can concentrate better, and perform better. Research has shown that indoor fountains add to the productivity of people.
Indoor fountains are available in several compact, innovative designs. Ready to use indoor fountains come in plenty of designs, materials, shapes and sizes. They are available in a wide variety of styles as well as configurations.
In fact, they are no longer just considered mere works of art; they have also been found to be highly functional and effective from point of view of natural additions to your office settings. They are pleasing to the eyes, ears and the soul. Indoor fountains are just perfect for creating a relaxing ambience. Their calming effect will make you and your employees feel relaxed.
While installing indoor fountains, one key thing to consider is their size and shape and the space available. Your selection should be based on the area of the room in which you are going to place the one you buy. It should match the overall décor of your office place. You may use small potted plants and tasteful bonsai arrangements for creating a natural setting around your indoor fountain to add to it appeal.
April 27, 2008
Decorating an office space to make it livelier and dynamic can often prove to be a delicate balancing act. You want your existing office space to be pleasant and inviting for both employees as well as corporate visitors and yet you also want to ensure that the office retains a professional, formal look and feel.
Striking a balance, while achieving both goals, requires professional expertise. Professionals can often see potential that you might otherwise miss. We provide some handy tips on how to give a pleasant touch to your office space with an ultimate aim of creating productive and conducive environment for optimum output.
One creative and novel idea is to inviting local artists to showcase their artwork on the office walls. It is a win-win situation as they get exposure for their good work whereas you get office décor at a decent budget.
You should make it a point to decorate the office walls. Bare walls can make your office seem a dull, lifeless place. The negative energy spread can affect the mood of your staff.
Look to warm and enhance your workspace by putting up some tasteful framed photos, paintings or prints on your office walls.
April 25, 2008
You would want your office space to be lively and atmospheric. The ambience and décor plays a big role in motivating your employees. To brighten up your office space, why not try a fresh lick of paint.
To start with, try to pick a colour, when painting office walls, which reflects the spirit and core of your business. For example, if you happen to work in a traditionally conservative industry like legal or banking services, you are better off going for a neutral colour, such as light green, a shade of white or beige. (more…)
March 3, 2008
Well, here it is the first in a series of regular “news, views and updates” weblogs from our main office in sunny Brighton. This week I thought I’d start by talking about office design and the environment.
These days office furniture has become very inexpensive, which has lead to a “use once and throw away” culture in many modern offices. The appeal of a brand spanking new office is easy to see, and so the environmental side effects tend to get pushed aside, hidden beneath the glossy catalogues and visions of that perfect new office. However, there is much that can be done to improve both the looks and the layout of your office space without having to hack down trees (replace all the furniture). As we are a space planning company (not a furniture sales company) we often work with existing furniture, drawing it up on to CAD plans and then re-using it, but in a more effective manner. This simple re-cycling of existing desks and storage keeps your costs down (not just new furniture costs and delivery & installation charges, but also the costs of disposing of old furniture) and it is obviously beneficial to the environment.
Old workstations can be brought bang up to date simply by replacing the existing worktops (most of which tend to be one of three standard sizes anyway) and by introducing additional screens, or even re-upholstering existing ones, the workstation is instantly lifted. The same can be achieved with chairs and soft seating, and there is a growing list of products that are almost completely recyclable when no longer needed. As we have carried out many projects for small companies and companies with limited budgets (such as local government), we often produce minimal expenditure plans that aim to accommodate the staff needs, but involve less unnecessary change. However if there is a budget for new furniture we can recommend several companies so that you can get the best prices, or even companies that deal with second hand furniture (more recycling!).
There was much talk of the “paper-less office” a few years back as companies started to use email rather than traditional letters, yet in reality this still seems some way off. We often recommend much more efficient storage systems, such as the rolling stack, which can effectively fit in double the amount of storage in to your office space, and this can have a knock on effect freeing up space elsewhere. We’ve carried out several projects that have enabled the users to reduce the amount of office space that they use to such an extent that they have been able to sub-let a floor, or a part of their office out to another company. Though not immediately obvious, this has a knock on effect as the same amount of staff are using less space and so less heating and lighting, and in air conditioned buildings (particularly over the last few months) this can be a huge saving in energy and money!
So if your office is in need of an overhaul, or you have new starters joining, but nowhere to accommodate them, don’t just reach for the furniture catalogue and replace all the desks, try some large scale recycling, or contact us to find out how we can make your office space more efficient.
Jonathan Hall
Contact Us on 0845 166 8381
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