If you manage to plan your modern office construction smartly in the early stages, the benefits later will be tenfold. There is nothing worse than a business that has not thought through the repercussions of their actions when it comes to renovating their office space, and it can be costly with multiple headaches down the track. By following these steps, you will find the whole process pain free, with the ultimate results.
It’s No Longer All About Open Plan
Yes, a while ago if you did not have an open plan office you were doing it wrong, with your multiple side offices and nooks and crannies. However, these modern times warrant a mixture of new and old, to ensure maximum efficiency and production is maintained in the work place. More and more sections have to work together, so it makes sense to have a free-flowing floor plan that integrates these areas, so staff can work collaboratively and in harmony. This should include open plan areas, cubicles, breakout areas and an area for a ‘mobile’ office for visitors and staff based off site. The latter area should include a high-quality wireless router, charging stations and file storage systems, like iCloud and Dropbox among others.
Keep The Noise Down
Noise in the workplace is one of the major complaints from members of staff. It can be annoying and counter-productive to work efficiency and motivation. When planning your office renovation think about installing sound absorbing materials, or a wall in a busy walkway near a breakout area. Carpet on the floor and acoustic partitions between staff’s workplaces will also help cut down unwelcome sound.
Have You Done Your Homework?
There are many standard problems that arise during a renovation, so make sure you and your team are aware of the major issues.
- Existing utilities condition
- How old the electrical system is
- The age of anything mechanical
- What issues did past evaluations discover?
- Where these dealt with?
By carrying out a preliminary site evaluation, any unforeseen issues should be discovered which will save costly issues at a later stage. By looking at past evaluations, you can evaluate if any major issues were dealt with or merely swept under the carpet.
Your Schedule Should Be Realistic
Just because you are renovating your existing building, does not mean it will be completed any quicker. So, you must be realistic by creating a schedule. After spending time analyzing all potential snag-points or pitfalls, you should be able to put a plan together. For instance, all materials should be delivered and on-site by a certain time; the electricians should be able to make their alterations to the current system by such and such a date. Your schedule should ensure the project is free-flowing and does not hit any major delays. And of course, there will be delays, so allow for these too. Your renovation should go as stress-free as possible, while you should ensure you do not go over budget or sacrifice the quality of craftsmanship to save time and money. All issues should be resolved as they arise, by tackling the problem head on.