The moving decision

Although office environments are originally chosen and designed to accommodate a specific company, the organic nature of businesses that evolve in order to survive and prosper, cause the space to lose effectiveness. Whether companies grow, change direction or get smaller, the minor changes that are made in time by the owner or lessee do not always end up to be adding to overall effectiveness. Changes that do not take a holistic picture into account might destroy the sense of cohesion in the working environment.

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.