When you are an employer, it is imperative that you provide a suitable working environment for your employees, and there are many factors to consider. You want to create a comfortable environment that allows work to flow freely, helping improve productivity and increasing employee well-being. It is often best to speak with a company that is an expert in office design, as they can help you formulate a plan to maximise your use of available space. They can go through all the vital aspects of your office design to ensure you create the perfect office space for your business that also adheres to regulations. Below, you can see the different parts of your office refurbishment and design that can help create a comfortable and productive office space.
Your Floor Plan
The floor plan of your office space is one of the first vital factors to consider, as this will affect other parts of your office refurbishment. You will need to decide on the desk and seating arrangements to determine what materials you will use to divide the space. You want to ensure there are no obstacles to keep the workflow smooth within the office and try to ensure each department in your business has plenty of space, including if they need to expand. Once you have confirmed your floor plan, you can look at other office design aspects.
The Office Ceiling
You need to ensure that the ceiling in your office performs correctly, and there are various roles it can perform. Within the ceiling, you will have the lighting, which needs to be abundant but not too harsh. You can also have a dropped ceiling in your office, which gives you a convenient place to hide cabling and ducting, making your office space look cleaner and less cluttered. The ceiling can also help you reduce noise levels in your office by reducing echo when dropping the ceiling, and acoustic tiles can also help dampen the noise. It is simple to get a quality suspended ceiling in Cheltenham or anywhere else, and it can play a significant role in creating the ideal workplace for your business.
Dividing The Space
You will also need to consider how you will divide the space in your office and what type of partitions you will use. You do not want to build brick walls in the office when you rent the space, as when you leave, you must revert the building to its original condition. Office partitions are an excellent alternative to traditional walls, and there are plenty of options available, such as:
- Drywall Partitions
- Sliding Partitions
- Glazed Partitions
- Switchable Glass Partitions
- Demountable Partitions
- Frameless Glass Partitions
Glass is a good option for darker office spaces, and you can get double or triple-glazed partitions that offer additional acoustic and thermal insulation. However, demountable partitions are also an excellent alternative, as you can take these down and reconfigure them if you ever decide to change the layout of your office.
Lighting
The lighting in your office is vital to get correct, and you want to have as much natural light as possible. However, you will also require electrical lighting, and when looking at the various options, LED lights are among the best choices available. They cost a little more to buy but make up for it in the energy they use and how long they last, making them an excellent cost-effective option. You can also use Smart lights and a computer or mobile phone to alter their colour and brightness, creating the perfect lighting that is not too bright. You can always ensure your office space has plenty of light, and switching to LED lights can also reduce your energy bills and your business’s carbon footprint.
The Office Furniture
When you are refurbishing your office space, it is the ideal time to replace your old office furniture. You want to select ergonomically designed office furniture to help your employees maintain the correct posture and prevent accidents and strains. Cheap furniture often needs replacing sooner and is not always as comfortable, so investing in quality furniture with an excellent warranty can be more cost-effective. Ensuring the comfort of your employees can also help reduce absenteeism, and when your workers are happy, they will also be more productive, which benefits the business overall. An excellent option to consider is bamboo furniture, which comes from sustainable sources, is hard-wearing, and is an environmentally friendly option.
Office Acoustics
You must also consider the acoustics in your office, and you want to avoid a large space with many echoes. You can hang pictures and posters on the wall, which can help with this, and using partitions can also help reduce noise levels. Selecting soft flooring materials and having curtains at the windows can help minimise noise and make it more comfortable for your employees. You can also use a dropped ceiling with acoustic tiles to help absorb sound waves and reduce noise levels.
Your Office Colour Scheme
You must also pay attention to the colours you use in your office design, which can significantly affect employees. The colours in our workspace can alter our mood and productivity levels and help people be more creative. There has been a lot of study into the psychology of colour in the workplace and how colours can improve productivity and other aspects of work. The best colour scheme will depend on the type of work your company does and its branding, and you can get more information on how the different colours can affect us by clicking here.
The Office Flooring
The flooring material you select for your office space can significantly impact the look and feel of your space, so you must ensure you choose it carefully. Harder flooring materials like laminate and hardwood look fantastic and are easy to clean and maintain, but they will increase noise levels in your office. Carpets are comfortable underfoot and can help absorb sound, but they can be hard to keep clean and get stained and damaged. There is no correct solution to this problem, and you must find something that works for your business, such as combining harder and softer flooring materials.
When you are planning an office refurbishment, these are a few of the different aspects you must consider. Take your time, do plenty of research and seek expert advice, and you can ensure you create a fantastic office where your business and employees will thrive.
