It’s easy to create an office fit-out and design when there are just the five of you on beanbags in your meditation yurt. But what if you hire more people? How do you future proof your office design
Growth is tricky when you’re designing an office because you have to constantly re-imagine what your space will look like in a few years time. Do you have enough tech capacity to connect everybody? Is there room for an extra employee or two?
If your company is in a growth state of mind, read on. This article is all about looking forward, thinking smart, and making good office design choices that will grow and flex with your business.
Walls Come Tumbling Down
Traditional private-office-and-cubicle arrangements can be large, unwieldy and all kinds of miserable for the people who work in them. They can also seriously limit the number of people you can comfortably house. That’s why savvy businesses choose cosmo-cool shared space instead of dedicated space. In this arrangement for Currency Cloud, employees sit at long, curvy counters so you can fit plenty of people in without the need for additional real estate. Partitions are few, views are wide, and everyone (not just the boss) gets to admire the city from those spectacular windows.
Not A Centimetre Wasted
Not all work spaces are created equal. Some make workers happy and creative and get used every day. Others, like formal boardrooms, sit there collecting dust while people buzz around them. When you consider the sky-high cost of London real estate (whisper the word ‘rent’ to your FD and watch her cry like a baby), it makes sense to make every inch count.
Future proof your office fit out and design by including an always-jamming mix of ‘neighbourhoods’ – small rooms and open floors defined by lightweight and movable furniture with wheels, movable wall dividers, huddle rooms and amphitheatre seating so it’s easy for people to move around, change seats, change teams; they can just plug and play. Warning: you may struggle to keep your derriere at your desk, on account of the all hip ‘hoods to work here!
Write, Draw and Scribble Everywhere
In need of an erasable scribble board for some spontaneous brainstorming? Well, you’re in luck! Every single wall in your office design could become a meeting space if you cover it with chalk boards or wipe-clean paint. We’re seeing a big trend in pop-up meeting rooms – employees want spaces that can be used quickly and informally and you don’t have to waste precious real estate on dedicated meeting rooms that only get used once a month. You can even use movable screens that double up as white boards to section off large areas. Or how about sketching ideas straight onto glass windows – talk about a meeting room with a view!
Hello, Experiences
Wellbeing is going to be a huge office design trend in 2018, so get ahead of the curve and provide employees with features that unchain them from their desks. Bean bags, work pods and even hammocks take mobility trends to the next level, and allow your people to not only move around, but to take their work space with them! The way to a worker’s creativity is through her stomach, so think about installing a kitchen areas that flex as a work space, where employees can meet, share food and gather for Monday-morning meetings. Experiences draw in bright young things and let’s face it – they make work the better part of the day.
Durable Is The New Black
We live in a consumerist society and some furniture designers, like other companies, operate a policy of ‘planned obsolescence,’ meaning the products are designed to become out-of-date and disposable within a short period. But the advantages to investing in well-made, durable furniture are obvious when it comes to future-proofing your office design.
Her at CCWS Interiors, we’re huge fans of buy-me-once shopping. That’s why we’re always on the lookout for the most durable fabrics, lighting, desks, seating and investment pieces to incorporate into our clients’ designs. If we’re lucky enough to spot a jewel piece in the local flea market, we take advantage! Heirloom pieces, like the lush leather sofa in Movember’s office, are fun, indestructible, and never go out of style. The future is in your power!
Not sure how much space you’ll need either now or in the future? Click here to speak with one of our space planning experts, so we can create you an office design and fit out that adapts as your business changes and grows. Future proof your office design with our expert team.