So what makes the ideal office space? The layout, beautiful artwork on the wall, large doors and windows or maybe it’s the mahogany furniture and brick rooftop. Whatever it is, one thing is paramount when designing any type of office: space. That is why anyone looking for commercial office interior design is required to first do what is called ‘space planning’.
Any ideal office space has to be able to accommodate a constantly growing number of employees, equipment and office infrastructure while still being spacious enough to ensure free movement of employees within the office. But space is not the only thing that makes an office the ideal place for maximum productiveness, a variety of other factors come to play to make any office the ideal productive work place. Another important aspect is the location. An office or property located in Perth can make a big difference to a business.
The ideal office space: factors and ideas to consider
1. Lighting
Lighting is one important factor. Employees need to work in a well-lit environment with ambient light that is neither too dim to cause strain nor too bright to cause headaches. Lighting also requires that the walls of the office space not be painted too bright to prevent reflection which also affects the eyes.
2. Noise
For an office in an urban area, unwanted and disruptive noise is an unavoidable nag. This can be reduced by having thick walls or having exterior sound walls. The décor of an office also highly contributes to employee productivity. Décor can be achieved by lively paintings on the walls, art, potted plants in selected locations around the office and color pops. The pops should however be placed away from direct sunlight to prevent reflections.
3. Layout
There are two main types of office layouts: open and closed office layout. Open office layout is where the employees all work from the same space separated by small cubicles or individual desks. The closed layout is where employees all work in closed offices separately from each other.
Advantages of open office layout
- It promotes collaboration amongst the employees
- It is the cheaper alternative
- It is the popular choice with the majority of managers as they can closely monitor all the employees at once
Disadvantages of open office layout
- It is very noisy and hard to concentrate
- Employees are easily distracted from their work
- There is no privacy for the employees
Advantages of closed office layout
- Employees have a sense of personalised space
- There is privacy
Disadvantages of closed office layout
- It is isolating and can get lonely
The challenge is to design an office that not only provides space for collaboration but also provides space to hide when need be.
Upcoming trends
The concept of ’studios’ is one that is becoming increasingly popular with current managers for office layouts. These are workspaces consisting 8-10 people teams with crafted space and shelving units around them and that are fully enclosed complete with lounge, conference spaces and even kitchens. They combine the open office layout by having several people in one workspace but also the closed layout as the small number of people encourages a sense of personalized space and privacy.
Another upcoming idea for owners who still prefer the closed layout are ‘work caves’, which are upholstered niches where employees can work on solitary projects without shutting out their colleagues.
Recommendations
Chest Constructions is a Perth based construction company that has grown to be a market leader in the construction of office and commercial builds. As commercial builders in Perth, we have built a reputation for ourselves in delivering excellence and meeting our client’s expectations.