Office Design

Walls and Wall Coverings That Can Expand Your Company’s Horizons

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If creative thinking, big-idea generation and collaboration are strong elements you wish to introduce or enhance within your organization’s corporate culture, don’t allow yourself or your collaborative team to hit a wall. Instead let them write on it!

Designers have recently developed wall coverings that will allow your team to write on your walls without compromising the professional image of your business.

Introducing the dry erase wall.

 

Already existing in newer, trendier conference rooms and hotels, the dry erase wall can be created in one of two ways. One is with the application of specially engineered gloss paint, available in a variety of colours, which dries into a hard surface, so hard that dry erase markers and erasers can be used on it. The second is a dry erase vinyl wall covering which is applied to your existing wall much like a peel and stick wallpaper. Both applications are fairly economical.

If dry erase walls don’t fit your corporate image or culture, then you can consider turning your walls into chalkboard walls.

Similar to the dry erase wall, the chalkboard wall can be applied either in paint form or as a vinyl peel and stick wall covering. The paint is more of a specially engineered flat paint that when dry allows one to use a variety of chalks and chalk erasers on it. Both the paint and vinyl applications are available in black or green.

Both types of walls have their advantages.

For one, they are limitless and flexible in size and colour. Your dry erase or chalkboard walls can be as high, wide and long as your existing walls. They are available in a variety of colours so they can easily blend in with your corporate colours. These wall coverings can also be applied on multiple walls, which could encourage your team the think big enough to fill your walls with new, creative and innovative ideas anytime the inspiration hits and anywhere the wall coverings are applied.

In addition, both types of wall coverings can be specially engineered to have multiple uses. Both the dry erase and chalkboard paint and vinyl wall coverings also come in magnetic form. This means that when applied, the walls not only can be written on, but magnet objects can also be applied to the walls to help emphasize and idea or concept. Furthermore, dry erase walls in lower gloss forms can also serve as projection screens, taking presentations to a whole new level.

So, take creativity and idea generation to a new horizon. Consider adding dry erase or chalkboard wall coverings to your office design.

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Permit Grade Design: The Real Deal

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One of the biggest mistakes businesses make when choosing an office space designer is basing their decision on a conceptual drawing or a block floorplan of an office space simply because they assume that the block floorplan is the exact way their completed office will be when the job is done. Not the case. While a block floorplan has its merits, the real decision-making factor is in the Permit Grade Design.

Similar to a block floorplan, a Permit Grade Design is a ceiling-view drawing of an office space with its different subsections blocked in—workstation area, closed in office areas, exits, washrooms, elevators, stairs, furniture, etc. However, the Permit Grade Design is drawn to scale based on the exact measurements and layout of your office space and furniture. With a Permit Grade Design, businesses and decision-makers will have a clearer view of what the final layout of their office space could look like. Presented with various Permit Grade Designs, businesses can make a more educated decision on which office space designer to hire and get the job done based on the best floorplan presented to them.

Permit Grade Designs are easy to obtain—just request one from the office space designer(s) you are considering to hire. In the short term, it may cost you a little money upfront to account for the extra time the designer takes to measure every aspect of your office space and furniture, but it would prove beneficial in the longer run because (a) you will gain a greater confidence in the office space designer you choose to hire, and (b) you will minimize the possibility of some common and sometimes costly problems such as furniture not fitting properly into their assigned office areas .

So, when it comes to hiring an office space designer based on a floorplan, remember that the Permit Grade Design is the real deal-maker!

 

 

 

 

This entry was posted in Corporate Renovation Tips, Office Design, Space Planning, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , .

Don’t Be Fooled by a Block Floorplan!

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There are many main factors that come into play when choosing a designer to create and “build” your ideal office space—three of which are pricing, personality and the plan (floorplan that is).

Pricing: This is obvious. You want the best quality for the lowest cost possible (the best bang for your buck).

Personality: Relatively obvious. You want someone who works compatibly with you and your team while working towards realizing your ideal office space.

The Plan: Deceivingly obvious. The designer that presents the most favorable looking floorplan is likely to be the professional you will want to choose. That is the premise most decision-makers bank on. However, many fall into the trap of making their final decision on the wrong floorplan.

Let me explain.

Designers vying for your business will likely present you with a block floorplan.   As the name suggests, a block floorplan is a ceiling-view schematic drawing of an office space with sections “blocked” on the page to represent individual office and workstation areas, bathroom spaces, stairways, elevators, exits, etc.   Some block floorplans may even include top-view drawings of furniture such as a desk or a sofa just to give an idea of furniture placement within each blocked space. Block floorplans are great for providing a conceptual view of how your office space could be laid out, but they do not represent an exact view of your office space simply because they are most often not based on the actual measurements of both your office layout and your furniture.

Now, a block floor plan does have additional benefits: it can reveal to a decision-maker what a designer is capable of creating and may even give some insight to the question of whether or not the designer can identify with your business needs in relation to your office space. However, as a cover letter is with a resume, a block floorplan should be seen as part of an introduction to a designer who could potentially provide a solution to your office space– not as the actual solution to your office space.

Block floorplans may help narrow your choices of designers to use for your office space, but the real determining factor would be in the permit grade design…but we will discuss that in another blog.

 

 

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Office Space Design – Your Secret Weapon to Attracting Ideal Candidates

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It is no secret – the interview process between companies and candidates is actually a two-way process. Not only is the interviewing company aiming to hire “good fits” to join their team, but the potentially “good fits” are also deciding if the interviewing company is right them. What does this have to do with office space design? A lot, considering companies can increase the probability of hooking their ideal candidates through their office space design.

It is happening in Europe and in different parts of the United States – -Companies are revamping their office space design to fit the mentality (and thus attract the top talents) of the young and up and coming workforce, namely the Generation Y and Z populations.

What exactly does that mean?

It means companies looking to attract the top talents of the Generation Y and generation Z populations (i.e. those born after 1979) are creating office environments that encourage creativity, collaboration and meet tech savvy needs. For some companies, that means trading traditional high-walled cubicles for lower-walled ergonomic workstations clustered in small groups. For other companies, it means trading the traditional boardroom table and chairs of a meeting room for either soft leather couches and coffee tables to create a relaxed “living room” styled social area, or with high cafe tables and bar stools to create a “café” styled office space design–all to encourage collaboration and teamwork. Open ceilings and bright bold primary colours accent the new office space design to encourage the concept of “no limits” on creativity.

Besides being collaborative and creative, both Gen Y’ers and Gen Z’ers are very comfortable with technology. In fact, most are tech savvy. So, if companies want to hook their ideal candidates from these generations, they will need to consider adding additional usb and other connection ports throughout their office space design or add a tech –heavy social networking meeting areas so that people can connect their laptops, IPads/tablets or other technical devices while meeting with their colleagues or clients in person or online. This will become more and more of a need once the younger Generation Z population enters the work force.

So what about clear-walled offices and meeting areas? Will they become a thing of the past? I would suggest no because they will help meet one more need of the Gen Z’ers—the need to on occasion work alone and only collaborate with others through online methods.

References:
About.Com Legal Careers, Generation Y, http://legalcareers.about.com/od/practicetips/a/GenerationY.htm
Blogger, JuJu Blog Site, Characteristics of Generation Z, http://characteristicsofgenerationz-juju.blogspot.ca/

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Extend Your Brand Into Your Interior Design

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OK. I’m about the make a statement that may have some of you in shock.

Ready? Here it is:

Interior design and branding should go hand in hand when designing or redesigning your office space.

Surprised? You really shouldn’t be. Consider this: “branding” by definition is the act of imprinting some sort of mark or unique identity to something in order to make it stand out or be memorable. Companies in general aim to brand their products and/or services with colours, artsy images, logos, a slogan or any combination of these so that the outside world will remember them…but what about when the outside world or even your staff comes into your office space? Consistency both inside and outside of the office can only further enhance your branding efforts.

So how can a company incorporate elements of its brand into the interior design of an office space?

First, consider your walls. Walls are the main canvas of interior design. Any or all components of your brand can be displayed on your walls. So if colour, for example, is a key component to your brand, you can either paint all the walls your brand colour, create an accent wall with your brand colour, or paint portions of your wall the brand colour.   A logo can be painted or mounted on one of the walls in a reception area or boardroom.   Artsy images such as waves, stripes or bubbles that may be related to your brand can be painted or stenciled as accents to your wall design.   Even a slogan or mission statement can be stencilled or mounted on a wall of your office space in order to reinforce your branding efforts.

Now, consider your floors. Similar to walls, colour, logos, slogans or artsy images can be incorporated right into your floor or carpet design, budget permitting. Most companies that incorporate aspects of their branding into their floor design would primarily have this in their main reception area. (Of course, the floors would need a special coating to ensure such images remain intact in high traffic areas.) A smaller budget option would be to have welcome mats in your brand colour either with or without your logo or artsy image intact.

Finally, consider your non-fixed items such as desks, furniture, and accent items such as table mats, coasters, pillows, flower pots or other accent décor items. A simple application would be to purchase such items in your brand colours and have them placed in key areas of your office space. Some companies may take this step further and add their mission statement, logo or branding image on some of these items.

Branding is not just for outside the office. Whether you own or lease your office space, there is always a way to extend your brand into the interior design of your office.

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Changing Office Furniture? Go Modular.

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Choosing the right furniture for your office space is not only important but essential for the success of your company.  Why?  Because the right office furniture ensures the comfort of your staff and encourages their productivity. But when you have to balance the different needs and preferences of your staff with your organization’s goals and image, what type of office furniture should you choose? We suggest modular office furniture.  Here are a few reasons why:

By definition, modular office furniture is actually pre-made furniture units, including desks, chairs, storage cabinets, workstation units and wall partitions that can be combined and arranged in different configurations to furnish an office or establish a workspace.  Much like the pieces of a puzzle, the modular office furniture units may vary in shape and size, however they are made in such a way that any combination of the pieces can be put together to create a unique and private work space for each individual employee, establish a collaborative team environment, or both (i.e. a collaborative team environment while respecting the individual workspace needed for your people to work optimally )—whatever is needed to get the most out of your employees and meet your organizational goals. In addition, some units can be designed to be ergonomically friendly.  Talk about getting the best of both worlds!

Another reason why we recommend modular office furniture is because of its flexibility and adaptability to the actual office space and, of course, mobility if that office space changes.  In other words, a set of modular office furniture units, particularly workstations, can be arranged one way for closed-in office space, and re-arranged another way in an open area — each arrangement optimizing the use of the workspace at hand.

A third reason for recommending modular office furniture is that it can be budget friendly.  Modular units range from inexpensive cubicle units to more expensive executive furniture units.  The furniture pieces purchased can be limited to the pieces needed to create an optimal workspace for your employees in order to stay within any budget constraints.  Additional pieces can be added at a later date if your budget permits and the need arises.

A fourth reason for recommending modular office furniture is that it is environmentally friendly.  Many modular office furniture units are made out of recycled materials.  You would know by the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification stamp found on each unit.

Finally, in general, they are made to last! There are very few cases where a modular unit would need to be replaced or repaired due to damage.

Flexibility, adaptability, cost-effectiveness, environment friendliness and durability, plus no compromise on professional looks—all good reasons why modular office furniture should be your organization’s first choice for furnishing an office space.

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The FloorPlan: Not Just About Planning Where Your Workstation Should Go…

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OK. I am about to state the obvious.
 
Whether your company is undergoing a corporate renovation, reconfiguration or moving to a new location, it is imperative that a floorplan drawn to scale be created and reviewed before any wall or workstation is built or office furniture and equipment is put into place.
 
Obvious, right? But sometimes such an important step can be overlooked to perceptibly save time or money, or maybe because it is just not thought of.
 
Now for the not-so-obvious.
 
A floorplan is not only necessary for the purpose of outlining where workstations, offices and office equipment should go, but it serves an additional purpose—one related to safety and accessibility.
 
You see, a properly designed office floorplan needs to take into account certain corporate space rules in order to ensure an office workspace is safe and comfortable for all employees and visitors.
 
Here are the top three corporate space rules a floorplan should abide by:
 
1.   A floorplan should map out where all the emergency exits are located.  Emergency exits need to be easily accessible to all employees and visitors from anywhere in the office. Not only does there need to be clear passageways to those exits, but workstations and offices should be situated no further than 30 metres away from at least one emergency exit.
 
2.  The floorplan should ensure that pathways between workstations and offices are wide enough to allow for a minimum of two people  to walk side by side or, better still, to accommodate wheelchair accessibility.
 
3.  A floorplan should allow for each individual workstation or office space to be spacious enough for employees to work efficiently and effectively. This, of course, would be determined by the nature of the job demands as well as the amount of time each employee will spend working at that workstation or in that office space itself.
 
These and other rules outlined by provincial laws relating to Building Code and Health and Safety should play an increasingly important role in governing the design of an office floorplan.
 

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What Does Your Reception Desk Actually Say To Your Visitors?

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 You may have a valet parking service outside your office or an awesome online presence, but your reception desk is one of the key places in your office that gives your visitors a first impression of your company.
So what is your reception desk actually saying to your visitors?
Well it should be saying the obvious: “Welcome to our company. Here is where you will find the answer to your queries or be connected with one of our staff”. But it could be conveying messages, even secrets, about your company just based on the style of the reception desk itself.
The reception desk can come in various styles, most of which can be grouped in either a traditional or contemporary style.
The traditional styled reception desk (typically marked by a dark wood finish with sharp 45 and/or 90 degree angles and possibly with embossed designs similar to those found on your kitchen cupboard) could subconsciously portray to your visitors a message of your organization being “steady”, “solid”, “secure”, “experienced” or “around a long time”. It could be saying, “What has been will always be” when it comes to the operation of your business or conversely “no need to change” in the face of a changing world. It may also convey a message of a majority of your staff being more knowledgeable and on the mature side, possibly being with your company or in your industry for many years. The traditional style of a reception desk could be great for law offices, private medical offices, insurance offices, the stock market, or any industry where such messages are a proper reflection of the business.
The contemporary styled reception desk (usually characterized by smooth lines and or soft curvatures in various custom shapes, colours, and sizes and in various finishes, from light wood to metal or from marble to glass) can convey many other messages about your organization. For example, a C-shaped or S-shaped reception desk could convey that the company it represents is well-rounded, flexible, adaptable, or has a relaxed but protected environment while a contemporary styled straight shaped reception desk may suggest that your company is a no-nonsense player in your industry and other irregular shapes may convey a message of  uniqueness or creativity . The use of glass or other see-through materials may convey a sense of transparency or “we have nothing to hide” while the use of lights and two-toned colors may convey a message of diversity, uniqueness or emphasize
“We have the answers! Come here! This is the place you want to be”.

Now, we realize that most companies may choose a reception desk based on what they like, but you should not take
for granted that the reception desk can assist in making a first and lasting impression about your company to your visitors. What is really important is that your reception desk is designed in such a way that is consistent with the corporate image you want your company to portray.

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