Effective workspace planning can make the difference between chaos and calm in the workplace. If you’re looking to re-work your existing office space or are about to move to new premises and want to know how best to set up your new office, then read on to find out how best to go about effectively planning the area.
Planning your workspace properly can avoid costly changes in future.
Before deciding on any specific plans, you need to think more broadly about what it is that your office needs to offer the people working within it daily. What are the essentials? How many people does it need to be a home to? Do you need extra partitions for things like boardrooms or meeting places? Does it need to be open-plan or cubicles? If you’re unsure which approach is best, try reading our previous blog article on open place offices vs. partitions first to help you decide. Only once you’ve decided these basics can you then start to plan in more detail – nail the basic idea, and then think about the following.
Lighting
One of the most important (yet often overlooked) aspects of any working environment is the lighting; both natural and powered. The bad old days of inefficient, un-environmentally friendly strip lights buzzing away over people’s heads are thankfully dying out. LED lighting is the future, but you should also try to allow as much natural light into the workspace as possible. It can do wonders for people’s morale and general sense of wellbeing, as well as help to avoid eye strains from display screen equipment in dark, dingey offices. Consider the use of frameless glass partitions which will allow light to flow through the office as a whole, but still offer soundproofing and some privacy if required.
Storage
We’ve all seen it happen; you spend hours and hours tidying up the office, only to find that the very next day all that glorious, tidy space has been filled with general office clutter again. Having optimal storage solutions in the workplace can stop this from happening. When planning this aspect, try to keep the old adage “a place for everything, and everything in it’s place” in mind. If you can’t find a home for it, do you really need it? If yes, then create a permanent home for it somewhere in your office planning.
LED lighting can offer a greatly-improved workplace experience for your employees.
Acoustics
There’s a balancing act to be struck when it comes to ambient noise within your new workspace. Too quiet, and the entire atmosphere can feel intimidating and oppressive. Too loud, and people will complain of not being able to concentrate or conduct phone calls in a professional manner. Your final decision on this will probably depend on your industry – it’s unrealistic to expect a call centre to be quiet, for example. There’s a lot that can be done to help dictate and manage the general noise level in any given workspace, regardless of it’s size or shape.
Growth
You’ve already reached the point where you want (and can afford) to design a new workspace, so don’t be short-sighted with your plans. Your business may well continue to grow organically, and that means the strains and pressures on the workspace will also change over time. You don’t want to find yourself squeezing extra desks or cubicles in that you never planned for, as you’ll likely end up undoing most of the good work you did in your original office planning! Think about how long you need this workspace to service your business for in the future and plan it accordingly. This way you’ll avoid having to re-plan and re-fit the entire office for as long as possible.
We’re experienced experts in workplace planning, and our dedicated space planning service can help you every step of the way! To find out more about our space planning services, please call us on 01462 484022 today and we’ll be happy to discuss your requirements.