3 things to consider when designing a new office

Moving to a new office space can be exciting, but when it comes to the actual design process, there are a few very important factors you need to consider. It’s easy to get carried away with the aesthetics of the space, without first considering the practicalities.

If you want to avoid a costly and time-consuming office re-design, it’s vital you pay attention to the three things below…

1. Focus on lighting

Did you know that the light in your office can determine how happy and productive your employees are? Some businesses have even gone as far as to install individual, controllable lights in each work station of their office so employees can alter it to suit their mood.

If you don’t quite have the budget for that, it’s worth investing in specialised daytime lights, rather than fluorescent lighting. These are known to reduce depression, improve the mood and boost productivity within an office environment.

2. Ventilation

This is probably the last thing businesses think about when designing a new office space. However, it’s actually really important, not just for employee well-being, but for health and safety too.
Window openers are probably something you haven’t given much thought to, but it’s a very basic requirement. You’ll find high quality window openers to suit any office interior from companies such as Rocburn Limited. You could also go all out and have a state of the art ventilation system installed for maximum peace of mind.

3. Storage

Digital storage solutions have freed up a lot of space in today’s offices. However, there are still numerous things you’ll need to physically store. Ensuring you have functioning and practical storage solutions which also maximise the space available is important. If the office becomes cluttered it will affect productivity so keeping it as organised as possible is highly recommended.

There are a lot of integrated storage solutions out there which can be built in to each work station. Don’t scrimp on storage as you’ll be surprised just how much of a difference it can make to your working environment.

Overall, taking the practicalities of office design into account is vital if you want to develop a productive, happy workplace. Ventilation, lighting and storage may not seem very fun to plan, but the benefits of incorporating them into your design are substantial. If you’re struggling to come up with your own practical office design, you can always invest in specialist software that can help.

Ben Lobel

Ben Lobel

Ben Lobel was the editor of SmallBusiness.co.uk and GrowthBusiness.co.uk from 2010 to 2018. He specialises in writing for start-up and scale-up companies in the areas of finance, marketing and HR.

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Office Space