Six things to consider this when Designing and Planning an Office
Every office is special but none are unique. There are basic items to consider for every office design project. These six topics are the things considered by GYST* Solutions when dsigned an office:
Support Work Flow: Supporting the flow of work means paper flow, communications flow, people traffic, snail mail delivery, entry way, public vs private spaces. And more. In spaces that may be not all that attractive it may not matter as long as the work is flowing well through the support structure of the office. Office furniture matched with good traffic flow and an understanding of how the company works can be a facilitator of good, effective work flow.
Accommodating Technology: Is it wireless or are there cables? What is the back up and where is it? How many screens are needed per desk? Do meeting spaces need to have internet capability for video conferencing? Is there a screen in the reception area with a marketing message? If how is all this technology being handled is a big unknown it’s time to bring in an expert. This is one area where we don’t always know what we don’t know.
Flexibility: Whatever the staff of a company is today it can change tomorrow. How to manage additions and deletions in staff is part of being flexible. A beautiful office space with an expanding staff can be a night mare of “Where are we going to put them?” What are the changes anticipated in this company and how do we prepare for those changes? Growth, cyclical seasonal patterns, right sizing, downsizing are all considered when laying out a commercial space.
Cost of Ownership: Not as cut and dry as the initial startup costs of a space. Will the company be moving in the future and can they reuse everything in the old space for the new? A lower priced furniture system may not have the warranty of the higher priced system. Dry wall partitions are inexpensive to build initially but expensive to change. Open plan workstations are more expensive to buy and then less expensive to move later.
Ergonomics: How the space supports the individual person will make or break an office environment. The screen needs to be equal to the users eye level. The chair must be adjustable on many levels, seat height, arm height, arm depth and have lower lumbar support. The best kept secret in ergonomic office design is the foot rest. It pushes the lower lumber back into the chair and takes the stress of the back of the legs. For a fun version of applied ergonomic design see my YouTube video on Doggie Ergonomics
Aesthetics: Notice this is last. Most of us think that the colors, finishes and materials are the first decisions. Usually these are the last things to be considered. How it looks is a result of the function of the space. The aesthetic or “look” will show itself through the process of designing the space. Of course there is the client that says “I LOVE BLUE” so we use blue. And I like to tie in the client’s logo color where ever possible.
There is always more to consider in every office design project. As I said in the beginning, each office is special not not unique. These topics are universal in office design and GYST* Solution’s considers them for every project.
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