Individual establishments have different workspace needs, depending on the size of their workforce, the nature of business they are involved in and their organizational values and culture.
The environment in which staff works under goes a long way in determining their overall wellbeing as well as productivity. When designing a custom commercial office, several factors have to come into play to achieve a healthy, safe and sustainable working environment for you, your clients and employees.
These include; accessibility, flexibility, natural lighting and ventilation, energy efficiency, technology integration, aesthetics to safety and security. This article explains these considerations in detail.
Cost and Budget
Just like with any other project, cost consideration plays a critical role when customizing an office building.
Custom Office Building Designs
The size of your budget will determine the quality and number of functionality features to be included in the new office plan. Designing an office building has to be financially sustainable when the aspect of ROI is considered. In essence, you have to strike a balance between modernity, standards and financial sustainability.
Safety and Security
Safety and security form the basis for individual performance and collective growth of a company. In this understanding, it is important to install high profile security systems that guarantee the wellbeing of not just your staff, but your clients as well. CCTV cameras, emergency exits and a well-functioning fire alarm are among the systems that can help assure both your staff and clients that their wellbeing is valued.
Accessibility
When designing a building for a custom office, accessibility is a critical issue. Accessibility refers to the ease of entering and exiting your office premises. A perfectly designed custom office should have a working lift, ample parking lot with designated parking for the physically challenged, grab rails, and a floor plan that accommodates all cadres of physical abilities. Accessibility features, including those used by the disabled in both the office and restrooms prove your commitment to diversity, which leads to more business and ROI for your company.
Technology Integration
Due to technological advancements, life is becoming easier each day that passes. As you do custom design for your office building, you must also embrace these changes if your company will have a place in the hot contested industry. Fast internet connectivity, smart lifts, motion sensor lighting, smart doors and integrated AV systems are some of the technological considerations to make when custom designing your office building.
Flexibility
When designing your office floor, you are more inclined to consider the size of your workforce. While this might seem like the right thing to do, it may become a challenge later when the company grows and you have to adjust accordingly. To combat this challenge, be sure to leave room for expansion. Instead of the room lying idle, transform it into a yoga room where your staff can go, stretch, and come back to their station more focused.
Natural Light and Ventilation
The current design innovations have seen the introduction of measures that maximize on natural light and ventilation. Natural lighting and ventilation may not be sustainable for all office floor plans. This is especially true in high-rise buildings where the only source of natural lighting and ventilation is windows. To trap more of it, install large windows with several ventilations. Natural lighting is not only healthy, but it translates to lower power bills
Layout and Flow
Layout and flow is an essential aspect to consider when custom designing your office building. This is because a layout can work in your favor or against you. For instance, open office layout enhances interpersonal relations within the office, compared to closed cubicles layout. It also enhances deliberation and collaboration, all of which translate to increased individual performance as well as collective growth of the company.
Aesthetics
A perfectly customized office building should reflect the company colors and style in order to create cohesion. From material selection, architectural details, to interior finishes, custom design of an office building should match the company culture and style. To make it even more blissful, introduce natural elements such as greenery.
Custom designing an office building is a multifaceted approach that seeks to strike a balance between aesthetics, sustainability, and environmental considerations. By integrating these factors into the design process, companies can create workspaces that support the wellbeing of both their staff and clients, productivity and innovation. Collaboration with highly skilled and experienced interior designers helps bring to life the vision of the company while still prioritizing the needs of their clients and staff.
