Use the Platynum relocation checklist to help you plan a smooth office move. The checklist contains all of the issues you will need to attend to for a problem free move from, lease requirements and office equipment moving requirements to what packaging material you will need and signage moving.

Please feel free to download and make use of the checklist or contact us should you need any assistance with your move and space planning requirements.

Download the relocation checklist

LS516 LED Light

Rapid advances in Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting technology are making LED lighting an increasingly viable solution for those conscious of the need to save energy. To meet consumer and trade demands, the Radiant Group (Radiant) is updating its existing outdoor, residential and commercial product lines, providing efficient LED replacement options as well as the latest in new LED solutions. For the budget conscious it has also developed an efficient, cost effective LED range.
Chris Calitz, Director: Product Development at Radiant reports: “The Group has a strong focus on sustainability and there is a keen awareness among our customers of the need to implement energy efficient solutions to power daily operations. LED technologies, which we have been introducing to the market for some time, are changing rapidly. We believe it’s essential that we constantly upgrade our LED product line so that our customers are presented with the latest advances in this rapidly changing technology”.

As LED technology evolves Radiant is focusing on producing higher performing, more relevant and efficient LED products. And there are increasingly good arguments for adopting this technology, despite its still high cost, with improved solutions from LED manufacturers doing away with the traditional challenges around performance (lumen-per-watt output efficiency) and quality (reliability and colour consistency).

Says Calitz: “LED lighting is twice as efficient as Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL), which is in turn ten times more efficient than incandescent lighting solutions. However, LED options are still almost 10 times as expensive as CFLs. That said, the advantage they offer is that they have none of the mercury disposal issues that come with CFLs. Moreover, for the extra cost, users get a solution with a lifespan of at least 30 times that of an incandescent lamp.

New LEDs for in- & outdoors

LS501 LED Light

Radiant is updating the LED technology in many of its existing products. Its stainless steel pool lights, for instance will no longer use a 50-piece PC board type LED, but rather a 5 x 1Watt version. The benefits from this change is an increase in lumen output using SMD technology that allows for better heat dissipation which in turn gives better lifetime for the lamps.

This solution can be used for new applications or for retrofits. For example there are LED replacement options for pond or external ground lights as well as deck, stair and wall lights and garden spike lights.” LED technology allows one to combine lens angle with lumen output to achieve what was once previously not possible with CFL or incandescent technology.

For projects and commercial applications Radiant also has some exciting new options. “We have state-of-the-art LED internal wall panels which can be placed side by side and connected to a controller capable of displaying different patterns and written messages. There are also 3D cubes that can be utilised as wall bricks. These are capable of creating fabulous and wondrous moods, animations or displays – which only LED can do so elegantly.”

The workplace is considered a reflection of the employer’s attitude towards employees and other stakeholders. The workplace is also a key differentiator for people considering new employment – a means of attracting and keeping the right people. Today there are many exciting techniques and products that can help you get more from your space, whether this be in making an existing space more effective, or fitting out a new space.

Changing business circumstances result in minor changes and modifications for convenience, but these often lead to a gradual breakdown of efficiency and lack of cohesion in the workplace. As a rule, office environments tend to reduce in effectiveness the longer they are occupied.

With the effective use of space, comes the softer issues of the type of environment you wish to create and how your brand values and identity could be supported. This is encapsulated in the interior design of the finishes applied to a space. These finishes can be divided into three groups for illustrative purposes.

Grade A finishes

Grade A interiors comprise of high quality modern finishes. This is comparative to the definition of a Grade A building, which typically has a good quality lobby finish, quality access to/from an attractive street environment and other similar factors, such as safety and security. These finishes can be most effectively combined with good interior design principles to promote the unique identity of a company and to boost the morale and productivity of employees, but require greater financial input from the company.

The following standards are indicative of this finish level:

• Timber framed glass panels @R2650/m²
• Full height veneer doors with solid timber frames and architraves @R6750 each
• Berberpoint bitumen backed carpet tiles @R190/m²
• Grade 5 carpet sheeting from R285/m²
• Porcelain tiles @R440/m², Laminated flooring @R325/m²
• Timber skirtings from R65/m
• Flush plastered ceilings @R290/m² with bulkheads from R435/m²
• Wooden venetian blinds @R880/m², block-out roller blinds @R750/m²
• Wall paper, accent paint, specialist wall finishes from R55/m² to R350/m²
• Electrical allowance of 1 set @R1320 per 12m²
• One new fluorescent fitting and point @R980 each per 20m²
• Low voltage downlighters or specialist lighting from R460 each
• Deep cleaning of all areas @R15/m²

Grade B finishes

This grade of finishes, generally relates to older finishes, close to modern standards as a result of refurbishments and renovation from time to time. This is your middle ground with regards to cost effectiveness and effectiveness of overall interior effect. This, combined with effective space utilisation, removes the barriers to productivity, while attracting and retaining higher quality staff. The following items are standard to grade B corporate interiors:

• Aluminium framed glass panels @R1850/m²
• Full height painted doors with aluminium frames @R2200 each
• 70% Berberpoint carpet tiles @120/m²
• 30% Grade 5 carpet sheeting from R285/m²
• Aluminium skirting to new drywalls @R50/lm
• 30% Flush plastered ceilings @R290/m²
• Aluminium venetian blinds @R350/lm, Vertical blinds to external windows @R295/lm
• Wall paper from R100-R130/m² or paint to accent walls
• Electrical allowance of 1 set @R1320 per 12m²
• Move existing flourescent light fitting @R330 or one new fluorescent fitting and point @R980 each per 20m²
• Low voltage downlighters from R460 each
• Deep cleaning of all areas @R15/m²

Grade C finishes

This grading refers to older style finishes of lower cost, durability and aesthetic effectiveness, although cleverly combining this category with a sprinkling of Grade A and B finishes, could create an effective space that reflects the essence of a company’s image both to its employees as well as to the public, while being cost effective. Grade C finishes can be illustrated by the following:

• Standard height painted doors with aluminium frames @R1 685 each
• Berberpoint carpet tiles @120/m²
• Aluminium skirting to new drywalls @R50/lm
• Replacing of damaged ceiling tiles @R80-R105 each
• Vertical blinds to external windows @R295/lm
• Paint to new partitioning and existing walls @R38/m²
• Electrical allowance of 1 set @R1320 per 12m²
• Move existing flourescent light fitting @R330 or one new fluorescent fitting and point at R980 each per 20m²
• Deep cleaning of all areas @R15/m²

The trend in office furniture is moving toward, functional, collaborative energy efficient interiors. Read more about office furniture trends.

Sooner or later the decision has to be made: Do you stay and renovate your existing premises or do you look for larger, smaller or more suitable space elsewhere?

Too much space is a waste of money, while too little space restricts proper work flow, growth, staff morale and productivity. The ideal amount of space should allow for future growth, as well as create an optimum level of inspiration and productivity. The best route to follow when faced with this dilemma is to enrol the services of a specialist interior design team that is experienced in space planning. Such a team would obtain the relevant and objective information to analyse, and make professional recommendations regarding the optimal environment for your company accordingly. They can then optimise your present space by innovative space planning to reduce office space rental costs, design for a new demographic in the workplace and meet the highest protocols for green interior design. If your current premises are deemed to be unable to support your business in the future, they can provide the characteristics to look for in a new space.

Renovating Current Office Premises: The Efficient Use of Space.

There is much merit in staying put in current premises for as long as possible. Notwithstanding the obvious time and inconvenience of searching for and relocating to new premises, the expense of fitting out new premises, can be much more costly than a revamp of an existing space that has lost some of its effectiveness. There are many clever design techniques and products that create space saving solutions and boost productivity and cost saving initiatives, while providing your staff with the necessary tools to meet and exceed present and future company goals.

With space saving techniques there is often a paradigm shift that has to happen in an organisation that has become accustomed to the myth that equates space to status. Many employers believe that to obtain and retain competent staff, each member has to have a conventionally enclosed and private office space. Research has shown, however, that open plan layouts in office environments, boost productivity and morale levels through better team work and community building. Mobile screening retains the necessary privacy and a sense of personal space as well as noise reduction. Such an office environment is fluid and can easily adapt to changing requirements. An open plan office also reduces the space required by each employee and ultimately lowers the cost of a lease.

Due to a more technologically driven working environment, smaller desk surfaces are required by most occupations. Computers have become our primary tool for working and this has reduced the space required for writing and research. Computer screens have also become smaller, so as to even more effectively save desktop space. Furniture ranges designed around open plan layouts, incorporating all the storage and technology requirements of the modern workspace, take up much less space than conventional desking.

Energy saving and sustainability has become increasingly crucial in an environmentally aware society, with obvious monetary benefits. Natural lighting heads the list of green choices. More open areas and the use of glass panels in enclosed offices gives better access to such lighting. In addition to the cost saving benefits of natural light, it has also been shown to enhance worker morale and performance. Another priority with environmental impact is the quality of indoor air in the workplace. New HVAC systems that are energy efficient and control comfortable temperatures also provide more fresh and healthy air.

In an effort to become climate neutral, various systems and specialists can assist your business to reduce greenhouse emissions in an affordable, effective and visible way. An accredited carbon audit specialist can be contacted for a carbon footprint calculation and quote.

Many businesses already have energy management processes in place to reduce their carbon emissions. In residential and commercial buildings the opportunities for savings are reasonably well known and are generally applicable.

Passive management involves the retrofitting of light fittings, typically replacing old iron core control gear and fluorescent tubes with electronic warm cathode control gear and t5 fluorescent technology respectively. Most businesses opt to do this type of retrofit over a period of time. Typically, when lamps of fittings expire, replace them individually with the new technology. This type of retrofit is standard electrical work and can be carried out by the company’s maintenance team. Visit www.thorntongroup.co.za/carbon.htm for 20 further things your business can do to reduce its carbon footprint.

There are also fully automated energy management systems available that remove the “Human Factor” so that maximum efficiency targets can become a reality.

Active management involves technology such as occupancy sensors (intelligent systems and or dumb systems), multifunctional time switches, energy management devices, power factor correction, load shedding and HVAC control. These measures result in an “Intelligent Building” designed to be green & energy efficient. It involves specialised work and requires trained professionals as well as expensive and intelligent control devices.

Motion or occupancy sensors are often used in indoor spaces to control electric lighting. If no motion is detected, it is assumed that the space is empty, and thus does not need to be lighted. Turning off the lights in such circumstances can save substantial amounts of energy. In lighting practice occupancy sensors are sometimes also called “presence sensors” or “vacancy sensors”.

Office furniture has become a lot more user friendly. With more offices going to open work environments and focusing on group collaboration, companies are looking for items that can be flexible – easily moved from one part of the office to another or modified to suit a worker with a different job or different work style. For example, many items – from chairs to desks to worktables – are on wheels to make it easier to rearrange the office as needs change. In addition, many companies are adopting formal policies to provide high-quality commercial grade products and combine quality with modern design.

The ongoing trend is the open plan environment. In the past, everyone had their own cubicle, but now it’s more common to work in twos or fours with a shared conference table. Communication is important in team working environments. Some of the new furniture designs feature a quarter of a round table for each of four persons, which can be pushed together to make a round conference table.

When designing a modern office environment, it is important to understand the employees’ functions and methods of working to enable the combining of suitable furniture and technology. Alternative office design is all about creating an environment that enhances the ability of an employee to work smarter.

Desks and workstations

U-shaped desk arrangements are becoming common in the latest furniture ranges. Such arrangements are described as cockpits, because they are more efficient than the more traditional L-shaped cubicle design, due to workers having all of their tools and equipment within easy reach. Eliminating the desk based screens can also open up better communication between workers where suitable.

Another trend is desk systems with modular parts that can be added and removed from the framework as needed. An example is the Expace series, which utilises the space above the workstation for storage solutions. This enables the more efficient and economical use of office space. Customers are now able to buy desk shells and then add overhead bins, drawers and cupboards as needed.

Once added, the pieces can be easily moved so that if a new worker moves into the desk, that person can place the drawers and cupboards where he or she wants them. The moveable drawers and cupboards also allow workers to easily take supplies with them if they move from one work area to another.

Another factor to be considered when choosing office furniture is a solution to power and data provision to each desk. Modern furniture ranges often allow for innovative cable reticulation, either under the desk top, floating above the desk or channeled within the desk structure.

The power and impact that light has on one’s wellness should not be under-estimated. Light therapy has been used to treat various illnesses by relieving symptoms of diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Chronic Fatigue. It has also shown positive results in treating depression, sleep disorders and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – a well-documented condition caused by a lack of sunshine.

Our modern lifestyle dictates that we spend much of our time indoors under artificial light – either at work or home. Despite the essential role that light plays in our lives, office design and contemporary residential architecture often fails to optimise the use of this important element. There are, however, various steps you can take to optimise your wellbeing within the context of time spent in artificially lit environments.

Valerie Poyurs, GM of Marketing at Radiant – one of South Africa’s largest lighting and electrical manufacturers and distributors – has the following advice…

Turn it up
There should always be enough light to enable you to go about your tasks without having to strain your eyes. Poor lighting can lead to asthenopia, an ophthalmological condition which causes symptoms such as fatigue, red eyes, blurred vision, headaches and occasional double vision.

The level of lighting should always suit the nature of your task. For example, if your job involves detailed, visually taxing work such as inspection or technical drawing, make sure you use a bright light that helps you see clearly. In addition to fluorescent overhead office lights, use a task-specific lamp to illuminate your workspace. At home, it’s a good idea to invest in a dimming system which allows you to adjust the intensity of light in different rooms.

Banish glare
To avoid errors, fatigue and accidents in the workplace, it is important to limit glare. In indoor workplaces, glare can be caused by bright luminaires or windows. Direct glare from light bulbs can cause eyestrain. “Avoid direct glare by positioning lights so you can’t see the bulbs directly,” says Poyurs. “Use lampshades and adjustable lamps to achieve ambient lighting without the glare.”

Reflected glare, such as that on computer screens, can also cause eyestrain. But its worst effect may be that you subconsciously change your posture in order to see well. This can lead to back and neck problems. Use blinds to reduce glare and soften the light.