Converting an existing drab structure into a garden office is akin to starting from scratch. It is a project that demands expert advice and assistance plus your own involvement and imagination to create it how you imagined. Following things need to be kept in mind during space planning for a garden office:

•    The structure should be properly and effectively insulated from the elements
•    It should have uninterrupted power, proper telecommunications if that is one of your requirements, heating (underfloor or a convection heater, preferably with a thermostat), and you may wish to connect it to water as well. This is a perfect opportunity to attempt eco-building materials, particularly insulation, and various alternative energy sources such as solar panels.
•    Think about whether you require a path from the house to the office - or perhaps a decked area outside it
•    Make sure that you include plenty of windows in the space planning and design, since daylight will enhance and brighten your office.
•    Consider the type of office furniture you would like to have in your garden office

Many people love the idea of having their own office in their garden and it is a fabulous luxury.  If the idea of working in nature appeals and attracts you, you should definitely consider installing folding or sliding doors, which can open up completely in summer.

Recover, recycle and reuse furniture and accessories to reduce an organisation’s environmental impact. Offices are already recycling consumables like plastic and paper. Office furniture can be recycled too.

Facility managers have three choices when faced with a change in office furniture. They can either:

•    Buy new furniture
•    Exchange the furniture for remanufactured furniture
•    Renovate the current furniture

A good option would be to mix new furniture with high quality, remanufactured furniture for a redesigned office floor plan. Outdated or worn furniture is acquired at very little cost from different offices. Remanufactured pieces are resold by dealers who handle such products. Structurally sound furniture, workstations and panels can get a complete makeover or major reconditioning. The renovated furniture gives an office a cleaner, brighter and upgraded working environment at a much lower cost. Expert technicians take all necessary steps to prepare existing products for resale and reuse.

The option of remanufacturing, recycling or refurbishing helps to lower the environmental footprint in an office. The office furniture manufacturers, dealers and furniture renovators can take advantage of the choices available since it is a beneficial situation for all concerned. Renovated furniture helps conserve natural resources and gives the office layout a new look. An office design company like Space Planning UK can help create a plan for furniture renovation and efficient office design.

Space planning, if not done right, can be extremely costly and ineffective. The rents are high and renting more space is not always the best option. In this context, efficient space planning is important since redesigning an entire space plan in an office would also be very expensive.

Advice on interior architecture from experts will help a great deal in planning the budget, time, design and the overall coordination. A computer can be used to plan a virtual office showing the roof and wall lines. The end effect is then easily visualised.

Employees may be interviewed about what they would want or need in their offices. The planning should be thought out completely before any material is purchased. The overall design, ambience and feel should be created, keeping in mind the comfort of the employees.

The space plan should be functional and pleasing to the eye. A satisfactory work environment keeps the employees happy, efficient and productive. A prolific space designing company like Space Planning UK would help design a friendly and efficient office layout for you and does not necessarily involve buying new office furniture.

Safety for employees is as important as comfort and aesthetics of the workplace. This factor has to be taken into account during space planning. Following are some common safety hazards along with information on how they can be eliminated or minimised:

Exits:
Exits should never be blocked. Badly placed exits can result in falls, slips and trips. Improper or obstructed exits could cause serious injuries or deaths. There should be at least two exits. Access to exits and exits should be properly marked. Exits should never be blocked. Stairways should always be well lit. Employees should be aware of the location of the exits and should be trained in evacuation procedures.

Fire:
Use fire resistant filing cabinets for storing important documents. Fire alarms/smoke detectors should be installed and extinguishers should be easy to access.

Handling and Storage:
Cabinet tops should be bare. Materials should be stored inside cabinets as far as possible.
Heavy objects should be stored on lowest selves. Materials must not be stored in aisles or passageways and should not obstruct the exits and fire fighting equipment.

Electrical Equipment:
Do not overload electrical outlets. To prevent electrical shock injuries equipment must be properly grounded. Use good quality equipment that is properly maintained. Disconnect machines before cleaning them.

When creating your office design and planning your office layout, be sure to take the above into account.

Many offices of all sizes are using working procedures to cut down on paper usage and go digital for saving storage space. Here are a few ways to make this transition as smooth as possible:

•    The entire office should be committed to the change, as the staff will have to change their work habits.
•    Study the current business processes in detail.
•    Allocate at least six months for gathering all the information and the hardware and software required.
•    Move forward one stage at a time. Implement only one or two new technologies at a time.
•    As you change processes, keep clients informed and updated. Most clients should be happy to notice the change, although a few might resist it
•    Be patient! It could take up to three years for the process to start working smoothly.
•    It will be planning and implementation in the first year, working on the trouble areas in the second and feeling comfortable with the change in the third year.
•    Technologies are constantly changing. Staying updated about them will help keep abreast with new tends and innovations.
•    Backup of digital data must be atop the priority list. There will be no paper records to fall back upon if the data is lost.
•    The biggest benefit is the savings. Less paper means less storage space and storage of data at one place saves time and energy spent in looking for it.

A paperless office means you can get rid of those bulky filing cabinets and that means more office space and room for more furniture and staff.  Consult an expert to make the most of your office space and design.

Different office layouts need to be devised according to the office requirements as different companies have varying office needs. Technology enables new-age professionals to work out of different locations. As a result, workstations can remain unoccupied for long hours. Forty to sixty percent of the time is spent away from the desk these days - in meetings, travelling or telecommuting.

A survey has found that sixty-five percent of firms surveyed have stopped assigning a work station to at least ten per cent of the staff. The number is expected to grow to twenty five per cent by 2010. ‘Hotelling’ or ‘hot desking’ is a concept used by businesses where many of the employees constantly travel or work from home. They need a workstation only for a few days in a month. This factor needs to be taken into account when designing workstations.

Many businesses have adopted the open layout plan for their offices. A majority of the staff now uses a workstation without any walls around it. The employee might not even use the same workstation every day.

Using a space planning company such as Space Planning UK can help to ensure that your company gets the best use of its office space and this need not involve purchasing new office furniture either.

Broadly speaking, getting rid of clutter and reorganising the workspace by creating adequate storage space leads to an efficient working environment. The office design should be practical and pleasant.

Thousands of injuries occur at any workplace. Some are minor, while others are disabling. The main types of disabling accidents can result from:

•    Over-exertion and strains
•    Falls
•    Being struck by objects

Office workers often get injured by electric shocks, spilled hot liquids and a foreign substance in the eye. Other sources of office hazards are: (more…)

Following are some changes and modifications that you can bring about to reduce carbon footprint:

Lighting
•    Use higher efficiency fluorescent lighting.
•    Use light sensors to turn the lights off automatically where/when the office is empty.

Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
•    Programme the heating and cooling systems for optimum temperature.
•    Set the temperature a couple of degrees higher or lower, depending on the season.
•    Switch off the system during non-peak hours.
•    Try to use natural ventilation and heating.
•    Clean air filters and tune the system annually by a licensed contractor.
•    Replace old equipment with a more efficient system.

Office space planning
•    Redesign your office to make the most efficient use of space

Reduce, Recycle and Reuse
•    Separate bins for recycling cardboard, cans, paper and bottles.
•    Send notices via email or post them in a common area instead of printing individual copies.
•    Thoroughly edit all documents before printing.
•    Space efficient formats for letters, documents and memos will reduce paper usage.
•    Use printers that can print on both sides of the sheet.
•    Use dishes and utensils instead of paper plates and plastic cutlery.
•    Use an office design company such as Space Planning UK to redesign your office space by reusing your existing office furniture rather than just rushing out to buy new

The expense records and utility bills will provide an accurate record of the spending on water, electricity, and office supplies. This data will help in effecting necessary improvements for reducing the carbon footprint of an office.

Amazing as it may seem, poor office design is often responsible for the loss of thousands of pounds each year. This is because of reduced profitability and unnecessary staff churn! According to a survey about thirty percent of staff have left their jobs because of the physical office environment and twenty three percent turned down a job offer because of a company’s poor work environment.

Thirty four percent of people are spending more time in the office today compared to three years ago. So the proper, pleasant work environment is very important if the company does not want to lose experienced staff. It is also important as it attracts high calibre replacements.

The most common complaints from people working in badly designed offices are:

•    Noise - 40% people said noise affected their work efficiency.
•    Temperature - 33% found the office either too warm or too cold for comfort.
•    Insufficient space - 16% of the people found their workspace cramped.
•    Uncomfortable furniture - 15% of the people found the office furniture uncomfortable

Thirty-seven percent opted for natural light and windows to be included when designing offices. Thirty-eight percent said they would work well in small offices - shared with a few others - whereas 26% preferred the open plan workplace.

In a nutshell, a well-designed office with properly arranged furniture space planning improves staff morale and profitability.

The presence of large work teams has been a deciding factor for many modern businesses to redesign their offices. Office planners have introduced a range of furniture and equipment with specific designs to suit them like oddly shaped conference tables that encourage team members to interact and function better.

When a person works alone, the workstation serves as his or her base that helps focus on the task at hand. When people work in a pair or group, they might want to share a workstation for exchanging ideas. Information is passed, discussed and the task is duly accomplished. They help each other learn, tackle problems better by using each other’s thoughts and ideas to work better and quicker. Logically, a larger group of six or more people generates more ideas and can agree on the best decisions. However, the process can also become more time consuming and complex because of more ideas and views. The best option is building a compact team of efficient employees who gel and work well together.

Apart from taking into account the above factors, office space planning also needs to be compatible for group functioning. Office workstations should be such that they allow large teams to function efficiently.