Office Space Design

A Logical Guide to Office Design & Fitout Planning

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:23:53 +0930

Updating an office fitout or provisioning a new office design can be both challenging and expensive. We offer some fundamental design tips from our design & fitout experts that may help to decide an approach that results in the successful delivery of a well designed, functional office fitout delivered according to agreed time and budget constraints:

1. Planning: is one of the most important tasks of a successful office design & fitout project. Don’t hesitate to allocate enough time on planning as the more data you have available, the less time will be wasted during more time critical phases. A well defined understanding about your organizations current and projected staff requirements, office versus workstations needs and other baseline demands such as reception areas, storage areas, meeting & collaboration spaces etc, will help you shortlist prospective office space tenancies, receive design & fitout estimates in a much shorter timeframe, while giving you more control;

2. Safety - in parallel to planning your own requirements, don’t forget to include a well defined summary about your unique office related safety requirements. It helps to create a safety checklist with your OH&S representative as this will ensure you are able to quickly validate your OH&S requirements and integrate them into your office design & fitout planning workflow. Don’t forget to account for wheelchair access;

3. Preparation - Once you have shortlisted prospective tenancies, time spent measuring planned work areas is a very good investment. Develop and agree an office design that maximizes the use of available office space. Be practical and careful, think about the height and sizes of the people who work in the office, think about their office or workstation requirements and planned departmental expansions;

4. Opportunities - Limit budget expenditures by examining internal or reusable solutions. What elements of the previous fitout can be reused or salvaged? If it is possible to design around previous fitout assets you will be pleasantly surprised at the cost savings. Also don’t hesitate to contact an office design & fitout specialist who will be able to highlight areas of the design & fitout that can achieve real cost savings;

5. Office Furniture & Fixtures - Take time to research all options available in terms of office furniture and fixtures. There are now a large range of innovations available when it comes to workstation and office furniture design that really add value. Examples could include non standard shaped furniture that maximizes office floor space, and low hanging ceilings for space saving and cable management;

6. Natural Elements - Use all available natural elements effectively – pay particular attention to natural light as it is one of the most important elements of a great office design. It has been scientifically proven that the amount of natural light in an office has a direct impact on productivity and staff morale. The best way to ensure good natural light utilization lies in well designed open space planning and workstation design and configuration;

7. Office Necessities – once you have locked down the positions and layouts of your offices and workstations, it is important to define the positions of office necessities. These include cabinetry, computer equipment, phone lines & outlets, power outlets, data outlets, shelving and storage. It is important to ensure your planning is based on convenience, access and flexibility;

8. Aesthetics – After you have finalized the planning for all office necessities, consider occasional furniture or finishing that compliments the office. This may include cadenzas, artwork, interior color palettes as well as the final skirting, branding, advertising spaces and finishing requirements.

Planning for an office design using a logical planning sequence will help to ensure a functional design is proposed that leverages existing assets to lower fitout costs while ensuring all the fundamentals are in place.

Professional office designers can then very quickly adapt these inputs and present final drawings and an accurate office fitout estimate and project timeline.

Defining an “Office Fit Out” (officedesignsydney.com)

Ergonomic Workplace Techniques to Combat RSI

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:44:00 +0930

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) was initially referenced in 1982 by the National Health and Medical Research Council in a document that suggested: “workplace injury” triggered by a strenuous pressure from repetitive movement, or by maintained postures.

By the mid 1980’s a considerably broadly worded definition surfaced:

“Repetition Strain Injury (RSI), better known as Occupational Overuse Syndrome, is seen as a name for an assortment of conditions categorized by aches or consistent soreness in muscles and tendons… Repetition Strain Injury is commonly triggered or aggravated by work as well as being related to repetitive movement, continual or restricted postures and/or forceful movements.”

By 1985, in excess of 4000 incidents across Australia had been announced inside of the public service and more than 80% of all workplace damages claims by females had been linked to RSI. 20000 litigants had materialized and the Insurance Council of Australia estimated prospective claims for the next twelve months at over $1 billion dollars!

There are numerous factors, which can lead to RSI presenting, in particular:

repeated motions for long stretches of the time
lengthy work hours
working too fast
keeping your muscles in the same stance for a very long time
doing work on with equipment not suited to your body
not having rests
absence of training
absence of diversity in the work performed
working in cold conditions

RSI may appear across a vast number of workplace environments. Jobs where extensive desktop computer use is required greatly increases the risks, mainly because of poor posture over an extensive length of time and repetitive actions.

Whenever muscle groups are used, tiny rips can potentially occur on the muscle tissues, and these muscles may be painful as the body system makes an attempt to mend the damage. Repeated movements over a long period of time may adversely threaten these muscles ability to mend itself.

Thankfully there are measures that may be taken to defend RSI from manifesting and these may also treat symptoms of early phase RSI. Listed below are a list of suggested preventative tips formulated on workplace ergonomics:

Always maintain your monitor approximately between 50 and 100 hundred centimeters away from your face. Helps reduce eye strain. Whenever the depth of your work desk doesn’t permit this, shift your computer monitor to a corner, or use a flat screen monitor (if available), to attain a deeper working surface area;

Change your screen so that the middle of the screen is situated at eye level. The screen ought to always be directly in front of your face and at / or marginally below eye level. If you wear glasses and continually tip your head back in order to look down through them at the monitor, lower the monitor further (or heighten your seat) so the screen sits at 15 to 20 degrees below eye level. You could also tilt the monitor slightly towards your face;

Place your key board so that your upper arms can easily dangle vertically. Try to avoid placements where you are forced to stretch your arms too far forward or flex your elbows away from your body to type;

Keep your key board at a height so your forearms extend no greater than 20 degrees above a horizontal position (if sitting), or 45 degrees beneath a horizontal position (if standing upright);

Position your mouse near your key board so it possible for you to transition between typing and using the mouse with as little impact on your arm and wrists. If you have a numeric pad on the right side of your key board, you may want to use your mouse on the left side as this centers the part of the keyboard you use most. (You could also try alternating left and right-sided mouse usage to diminish the impacts of repetitive use);

Position all desk accessories within eyesight and reach. Place your phone, writing equipment, books and other equipment you use on a daily basis within grasp from where you sit. (You should not need to stretch to reach objects);

If you use a document holder, do not set it to one side of your computer monitor (unless you also use a 2nd one on the other side); twisting your head in one direction for prolonged periods fatigues the neck muscles. If possible, position the document holder directly beneath the monitor, angling it in the middle of the screen and keyboard set up.

Vary your chair elevation so your feet are flat on the floor. This should keep your knees and torso at somewhere around the same elevation. To find this level, stand up by the chair and increase or drop the seat edge to just below your knee caps. If the seat isn’t adjustable, either put a foot rest below your feet or add a wedge pillow to the seat of the chair

Arrange your back-rest to press comfortably on your back. A good back-rest will press into your lower back and provide you with lumbar support.

Set up arm rests to retain elbows bent somewhere between 90 and 110 degrees horizontally. Take attention and care that your elbows are not winged out, but rather suspended at a comfortable, relatively straight angle. Your forearms should be parallel to the floor and your wrists in a natural, comfortable position.

Always maintain a neutral wrist posture. Avoid angling your wrist sharply upwards or downwards to type. Use a split or ergonomic keyboard; to assist your wrists “drift” over the key board, work with a wrist support;

Adjust your position frequently. Regardless of how healthy your work posture is, sitting in any single position for a prolonged period is not healthy. If you have an adjustable chair, switch in between the upright, reclined and declined positions, all of which will keep your pose natural and stress-free.

If you are in the process of setting up or refitting a workplace, there are significant choices available for workstations and ergonomic office chairs that have been designed to assist reducing the effects of RSI. Alternatively a good commercial interior designer will be able to recommend workstations and office furniture that is adjustable and built according to best practice ergonomics.

Office Space Design provides sustainable architectural and design services to companies undertaking relocations, refurbishments and complete fit outs in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fit Outs

The Feng Shui Fit Out

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:07:00 +1030

Feng Shui (literally translated as “wind - water”) is a Chinese system of geomancy that is said to utilize the laws of heaven and earth to assist in the receipt of positive Qi.

Feng Shui is widely practiced across far eastern culture and has been dated back to 4,000 BC. It is a formal study that is part of courses undertaken by students wishing to pursue careers in architecture and interior design. Armed with a Bagua and a compass a Feng Shui practitioner will optimize and enhance the flow of Qi.

Feng Shui has seen a significant adoption in the west, it is a common consideration undertaken by many interested in alternative and new age thinking during the design of homes and offices and has been promoted by public figures such as Donald Trump who had only recently engaged a Feng Shui master to analyze the auspiciousness of the Trump Towers.

Qi is best defined as a movable life force and Feng Shui infers to ‘Qi which rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water’. It could also be described as best practices in design for attracting and retaining positive energy, while assuring harmony.

Image via Wikipedia

Insightful tips as well as ‘dos & don’ts’ of Feng Shui office fit outs are noted. Feng Shui states that color is an important attribute for optimizing positive energy:

Red represents one’s aggressiveness in business;
Orange stands for cooperation and collaboration and strengthen concentration and purpose;
Yellow represents clear thinking and install warmth and friendship;
Blue and green colors account for reflection and infer peace and trust;
Purple can influence the healing of the body and mind and influences creativity;
White defines confidence and represents dignity and poise;
Black promotes power, money, income and emotional power;

The do’s of Feng Shui (in relation to Office Fit Outs):

DO Assume command by placing your desk so as it faces towards doorways or entrances; ensure support by having a wall to your rear and lever support by placing an earth element against your back;

DO place an oxygen generating money plant in a red pot to the east side of your desk to encourage good health or in the south east for wealth;

DO make the entry to your office inviting as it will welcome positive Qi;

DO place a peacekeeping symbol in (such as a rooster) in the middle of the office to discourage backstabbing and encourage harmony;

DON’T ever sit with your back to door and if you must, place a mirror on your desk so you can see those who are approaching and try to avoid facing towards stairs, elevators, storage rooms or toilets which are thought to be distracting;

DON’T ever use a cactus or sharp pointy plants as they generate fierce Qi, and don’t leave dead decorative flowers, or rancid water as they may have a negative effect on wealth;

DON’T work in a cluttered space, and don’t retain old items that harbor bad memories – all objects have energy and they represent your past, present and future business so things should be filed to encourage success;

DON’T allow broken equipment to be visible, a dripping tap may symbolize a steady slow drain on resources, the same goes for mops & brooms which may ‘sweep away’ success;

These simple, do’s & don’t’s are said to aid the flow of positive Qi around the office so as to establish a better workspace and more profitable business. Feng Shui may also improve the mental and physical health of your workforce.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fit Outs

Office fitout costs: Tuning the cost dial

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:10:02 +1030

In our previous article, we discussed the loose “definitions” used across industry for the term #fitout, and how a vague understanding of the associated works often impacted clients actual understanding of costs, in some cases leaving them short. This article continues on and highlights cost reducing and cost neutral opportunities that clients can refine to meet budgeting requirements.

Understanding the core elements that impact the costs of an office fit out is critical when tuning any “fit out budget”. Opting for particular products, specifications and planning arrangements can make a very large impact on the cost of a fit out, with having a major negative impact on the final result.

The key to tuning a “fit out budget” lies in identifying cost savings opportunities and staying clear of cost savings that will quickly become liabilities to office fit out asset, or that will prevent your fit out from looking its best or functioning productively and efficiently. Therefore there will be cost increasing factors on your budget that are essential to achieved client vision and a successful outcome.

Cost reducing factors include opting towards anyof the following components:

an open plan layout where the ratio of dedicated offices to workstations remains under 1:5;
non ducted screen systems catering for data and power only;
manufacturer standard fabrics;
versatile generic seating over designer or brand specific seating;
catalogue standard furniture selections;
all carpet floor treatments;
minimal colour changes for paint finishes;
10mm plasterboard partitions;
kitchenette in lieu of full kitchen cabinets and dining area;
no glass in partioning,or at entrances;
low height partitions;
no set ceilings;
window tinting only;

The following components are largely seen as cost neutral factors and playing with these is unlikely to have a large impact on overall budget;

loose furniture over joinery;
balance of individual offices and open plan workstations to a 1:5 ratio;
pre-laminated boards;
standard finishes;
mid range fabrics;
AFRDI rated ergonomic seating throughout entire office;
minimal premium or designer furniture selections;
carpet floor finishes with minimal tile and timber;
CAT5E data cabling
single circuit power;
soft wired screen / workstation systems;
13mm plasterboard partitions;
vinyl in lieu of ceramic tiles;
open kitchen dining area;
moderate glass - side lights;
perimeter window furnishing only;

The components of an “office fit out budget” that are likely to increase costs include:

joinery over loose furniture;
individual offices over open plan workstations to a ration of 2:5 or greater;
veneer, 2 pack and / or stone finishes;
hard wired screen / workstation systems;
non-standard laminates
executive seating throughout the entire office;
premium or designer specific furniture selections;
“green” or “sustainable” products and processes (cater for up to a 30% increase);
high levels of tile, timber or other special floor treatments;
coloured glass features or splashbacks;
acoustic treatments;
supplementary / additional AC systems;
architectural door and cabinet furniture;
full height glass partitions;
catering kitchen and staff breakout areas;
timber wall panelling
CAT 6 data and Krone 2020 warranty;
extensive plasterboard / set ceilings;
extensive internal glass / furnishings;

The team at Office Space Design have been working with clients across Australia since 1997 and are able to deliver great designs and quality construction and fit out services at a substantial cost savings. Call 1300 313 495 to speak to a consultant about a FREE quote.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

Definitions & Estimates of an “Office Fitout” Budget

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:55:37 +1030

Preparing an accurate estimate for an “office fitout budget” is quite a complex procedure, and is a critical task for organizations. Office fitout rates can vary depending on the tenancy and the level of works required and workstations or furniture selected.

Ensuring the financial estimates are correct is the best way to avoid re-visiting Capital Expenses. Contextually, much confusion has arisen from the use of the word “fitout budget” as its inferred meaning can be quite different across the related segments of Australian construction industry:

Budgets that have evolved from “builders fitout” estimates have caught a few people short, with no allocation for joinery, furniture, window blinds, or other services in the budget;
Budgets that have evolved from “furniture suppliers” may not necessarily include accurate interior construction or fitout/building costs;

It is important to understand the following definitions well, before finalizing an estimate or budget for an office fitout:

“Base Building Fitout” – if you are looking at a brand new or fully refurbished tenancy, it may be in a “lock up”, “base-building fitout” or “base-building shell” condition, which means there will be no internal walls, carpets, painting, finishes or furnishings supplied. In most cases the tenancy will include basic services and have a ceiling, base lighting, electrical services switchboard / MDF, kitchen and toilet facilities.

The tenant will usually be responsible for the “office fitout” additional internal partitions, joinery, lighting, supplementary air-conditioning, power and data, office workstations, office furniture and special finishes. Tenants need to be careful when considering office tenancies which do not include the basic base-building fitout or essential services as these can be of considerable cost to the tenant to acquire and these costs could be negotiated with the leasing agent / landlord so as to be off-set in the leasing agreement.

“Office Fitout” – is used fairly generically and indifferently within the industry. A request for an office fitout estimate from a partition contractor, will generally assume you are referring to fitout rates for walls & doors and will not necessarily include “hidden costs” such as the sites accessibility, location, consideration of the ceiling height, additional services, carpet protection and/or corporate finishes. Similarly, an estimate from an office furniture supplier won’t necessarily allow for custom furniture sizes, custom joinery, electrical & data requirements, building alterations or partitioning.

Lastly, If a tenant engages different trades to undertake their office fitout (i.e. one contractor for office partitioning and building works, a company for workstations & furniture, another services provider for data and electrical and so on) there is a large probability they will end up engaging a project management firm to orchestrate these providers to meet cost, time and quality constraints which adds another layer of cost which is again often over-looked or not accounted for.

“Office design & construct” or “Full Package Fitout” – the full package fitout is normally provided by a project management focused company who are able to provision all components of an office fitout, including project management, architectural design, building works, services, workstations, furniture and finishes. As such a complete design and construct full-package office fitout estimate is an accurate budget number you can have much more confidence in.

Typical “Office Fitout” Estimates

It is very important to restate that “office fitout rates” can vary depending on the tenancy and the level of works required and workstations or furniture selected. The following table provides an approximate guide which can be used to start estimating the required capital outlay:

The best way to get an accurate budget in Australia is to have a consultant from Office Space Design review your office needs and proposed space requirements. Call us on 1300 313 495 to discuss your fit out needs.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

Don't send flowers, send a plant!

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:20:00 +1030

Today’s work norm sees us spending 40 hours (or considerably) more at our offices. This equates to approximately 30% of our lives not including preparation or travel time.

Scientific evidence strongly suggests that our workplaces environments have a significant impact on our physical, emotional and social health. Contributors include the color schemes we see, the quality of ventilation, the noise levels, our privacy, physical space and our ability to personalize our environments.

In parallel there is mounting evidence that plants can and do play a large role in countering some of the negative contributors and can actually significantly improve our health and the environment within the workplace.

Our ongoing need for eco-friendly, sustainable and green design is dramatically reshaping the way in which we design and source workspace environments. More and more we hear our clients reference their desires for sustainable design as part of an office fitout.

Kamal Meattle’s proposed office park ‘GreenSpaces ™’ in New Delhi, is an extreme green example where building energy consumption targets include reductions of up to 40%, achieved through a combination of air filtering plants and sustainable architecture.

The Paharpur Business Center, a recently launched design prototype, boasts superior air quality achieved through green design and offers a healthier environment to India’s corporate world. The statistics speak for themselves and include dramatic reductions in workplace health issues:

Eye irritants down by 52%
Respiratory symptoms down by 34%
Headaches down by 24%
Lung impairment down by 12%
Asthma down by 9%

Aside from the positive impact on health, indoor plants are known to improve workplace productivity and efficiency by increasing blood oxygen levels.

Kamal cites the Areca Palm, Mother in Law’s Tongue and the Money Plant as of the driving forces that has allowed the Paharpur Center to “grow” fresh air:

Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens) also known as the “Butterfly Palm” or “Golden Cane Palm” is a small to medium-sized palm growing to a height of 6 to 12 metres. “According to NASA and Dr. B C. Wolverton, the Areca Palm filters xylene and toluene from the air…” (Wikipedia)

Mother in Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) also known as the “Snake Plant” is an evergreen that can grow to 90cm in length and is commonly used as an indoor plant. “A study by NASA found it is one of the best plants for improving indoor air quality…” (Wikipedia)

The “Money Plant” (Crassula ovata) also known as the “Jade Plant” is a succulent plant with small pink or white flowers is also listed as a plan recognized by NASA in reducing toxins from the air.

For employers there is an obvious case for encouraging staff to decorate their workstations with plants, and to use oxygen enriching indoor plants in break out areas and as fixtures.

For employees the benefits of having a mood altering, performance enhancing, oxygen generating machine sitting on the desk to call on at will no doubt make you the envy of your colleagues.

For old school romantics, think about sending an indoor plant instead of flowers. Your gesture wont wilt, dry or disappear and will have a very positive impact on your recipient!

For us, the secret recipe to quality office fitouts, lies in managing the small things that can really add value and make a difference.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

How many workers can I fit in my office?

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:42:00 +1030

Having been in the corporate fit out space since 1997, we have received many design briefs, met a lot of clients, and attended countless locations across Australia for site walkthroughs where senior stakeholders have presented their visions for their workspaces.

It is safe to say that most corporates now demand an open plan area where they are able to accommodate more staff, increase productivity and save upwards of 20% on overheads. We have also seen a noticeable increase in the ratio of open plan areas against total floor space.

We can attest that the question “How many workers can I fit in my office?” is a question we just don’t hear asked by professional companies. Open planning is a pre-requisite, hence the question becomes “How can I design I space that my staff will enjoy working in, and that will increase our collaboration and productivity?”

The open plan workspace is not a new concept. In the early 21^st century companies would consolidate task-based workers into common areas:

By the 1940’s open planning was commonplace across banking, insurance and media industries and large open office spaces housed the majority of office workers:

The benefits of the open plan workspace, when implemented well, far outweigh the cons and include:

Employee Morale – open offices can be designed to encourage positive social interaction, collaboration, organizational culture and a sense of community
Cost Efficiency – open plan offices save upwards of 20% on overheads and if the right sort of furniture is selected, office planners are able to maximize usable space
Environmentally Friendly – open office spaces are more eco-friendly as they provide much greater lighting and ventilation allowing for efficiencies in heating and cooling
Productivity – open plan offices have been statistically proven to facilitate higher productivity. A 1996 study by Harvard Business Review demonstrated productivity increases within organizations of up to 440%

The design challenge of open space planning is simply not new. We do however continue to optimize and enhance our workspace environments making use of advances in technology and communications.

Further the options available to design, configure and install workstations and office furniture into open plan office spaces addresses most concerns. Workstations:

can be optimized to host small or large groups of domain-based workers together and can be configured to fit most office layouts
sizes now accommodate the physical space needs for all types of white-collar professionals ranging from data entry clerks right up to executive management
are now designed to maximize the actual m2 space allocated per person and privacy concerns are being addressed without the need for intimidating divider screens that create cube like spaces

Screens, partitions and dividers are much more functional and can play a large role in quieting the environment while offering employees a sense of privacy without reducing the value of collaboration.

Accessories, enhancements and add-on such as additional storage, shelving, power and data cabling have driven cost efficiency and often give employees more spaces that can be personalized.

Fittings, fixtures, occasional furniture and dedicated collaboration spaces complement an open space office and are critical in creating mood, giving workers dedicated spaces for quiet time, small meetings, and dealing with noise pollution.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

New Facebook offices in Menlo Park, CA

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:56:27 +1030

New Facebook offices in Menlo Park, CA:

We love the space, diversity and culture of this office!

Commercial Interior Design - Colour Palettes

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:24:31 +1030

The successful conception, design and implementation of any commercial fitout require mastery and expertise across architectural, design and construction phases led by excellent project management.

Interior design and its disciplines have been mistakenly understood by stakeholders of commercial projects as a luxury afterthought; ‘a cherry on the cake’, ‘an olive in the martini’.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In our humble experience, good design is often the result of the right vision and expertise across functional domains, coming together through well led orchestration and collaboration.

The onus of relevance has never been more important, keywords such as ‘timeless’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco-friendly’ driving the creative agenda adding value to a project is much more than just lip service.

Our discussion highlights the elements that can be controlled or utilized to define your corporate space and we deep dive into some ‘rule of thumb’ concepts around the usage of a ‘colour palette’:

Understanding your space: what are the sizes, heights and shapes of your working areas? What sort of furniture and fittings will be integrated? Where are the doors? Where are the windows? How much natural light is available?

Defining your vision: is branding defining the vision? Is the vision to achieve harmony across all areas or to accommodate functionality? Is there an orderly pattern among materials, objects and placements? Are the furniture and fittings distributed aesthetically and dimensionally relevant to each other and their environments?

Selecting a colour palette: every space is unique, and every corporation has a different vision, domain and operation. As such there are many variables to consider when selecting a colour palette for your new corporate interior:

Corporate identity will likely play a lead role in any design brief, a company’s existing brand and culture will need to be present and complemented in the final colour palette;

Colour temperature will often complement branding, but the size and lighting density of your space or climate can also add weight to your selection:

warmer colours (reds, oranges and yellows)
cooler colours (violets, blues)
neutral colours (as a general rule, greens are the most neutral of all colours) ;

Optical illusions are the secret weapon of any interior designer, a low ceiling can seem taller when using a cool colour that is lighter than the walls, a vast space can be contained using a colour darker than the walls, a room can seem more spacious using cool and light colours on side walls, against darker warmer colours;

There are four sorts of colour schemes to choose from when defining your colour palette:

Monotone – a single pale colour palette (e.g. beiges)
Monochromatic – a single vibrant colour palette (e.g. reds)
Analogous – adjacent colour wheels (e.g. red, orange and yellow)
Complementary – contrasting colours (e.g. red with green)

Personal touches are the finish, they include the plants, pictures, and other aesthetics that add weight to and complement your corporate identity.

Here are some ‘rule of thumb’ concepts and tips to consider when experimenting with your “colour palette”:

Use lighter or neutral colours on large expanses, using brighter colours sparingly for accents;
Consistency is important, don’t be afraid to reuse accent colors;
Balance patterns with plain elements, don’t overwhelm;
Plain areas give the eyes rest, while textures and patterns relieve boredom;
Natural light changes colours and intensity throughout the day;
Use natural light to your advantage, greet the morning sun with bright cheerful accents;
Use muted, cool and neutral accents to complement darker spaces;
Grayed tones are more restful and will complement your accents more fully;
Use bright intense coloring only to highlight key accessories, the smaller the area the more intense a color can be;
Vice versa, colour intensifies with area, the more of one color you use, the stronger it can seem;
Make allowance for texture rougher surfaces or fabrics appear darker, hard glossy surfaces reflect more and appear brighter;
Make allowances for distance, the close a space is the more intense it can be, colors will often grey or blend to their environments with distance;
Think about proximity, complementary colors brighten each other, related colors (dark/dark or light/light) will soften each other, neutrality brightens clear colors, strong primaries deaden neutrals;

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

This inspirational folding chair is fast on its way to becoming...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:48:51 +1030

This inspirational folding chair is fast on its way to becoming the next iconic development in office furniture, just not in Australia and it probably wont be a product placement in 7’s next series of ‘The Project’.

Thanks to Abduzeedo for this refreshing alternate reality.

Suggestions for Allocating Workstations and Space (Part 4)

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:15:00 +1030

The following a ‘rules of thumb’ to assist space planners and designers in determining how best to allocate workstations and space across an organization:

Management offices are normally allocated to roles who often host meetings with 2 to 4 persons and who have strong requirements for confidentiality, security, visual / acoustic privacy - best suits C level management;

Enclosed offices are normally allocated to roles who host meetings with up to 2 persons and again have requirements for confidentiality, security, visual / acoustic privacy - best suits HR and counseling;

Executive workstations are normally allocated to roles who are involved in concentrated multi source paperwork, compiling information, reading, writing, analyzing, calculating and referencing multiple sources of material - best suits most mid level management, professional or technical staff;

Medium size Workstations are normally allocated to roles who handle multi task paper intensive work – telephone work, keyboarding, filing, sorting documents, handling mail, editing, operating equipment and scheduling - best suits roles including secretaries, administration and/or support staff;

Small Workstations are designed for specific task orientated work such as data entry or data processing - best suits roles including clerical / data entry staff;

*TIP* In larger organizations where the ‘open floor plan’ has been adopted, multipurpose ‘collaboration rooms’ can effectively host small groups, webinars and/or individuals requiring a level of privacy. This approach requires the right furniture, and communications infrastructure and equipment.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning, Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

Space Analysis and Workstation Requirements (Part 3)

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:12:00 +1030

Departmental managers must always be allowed to participate in planning activities, especially for Space Analysis and Workstation requirements. This will increase the level of engagement managing expectations and will also boost departmental productivity and ensure creative, cost effective solutions are proposed:

Some practical tips & advice for Space Analysis:

Plan space so that short term space requirements are isolated from longer term requirements to enable better future space utilization
Allocate approximately 25% of the space as circulation space.
Space should be allocated according to functional requirements (not organizational hierarchy)
Plan the size of smaller support spaces so that they can be interchangeable with workstations for people.
Space should be as flexible as possible to accommodate evolving business requirements:

Open space planning wherever possible
Reducing number of different sized spaces
Standardizing sizes of office spaces

Points to consider when defining Workstation requirements:

In order to create flexibility, promote air quality, increase natural light penetration and reduce costs, attempt to limit the number of enclosed workstations to 45% of the total workstations on a floor.

Enclosed offices should be positioned on the building core and provided with glazing to receive natural light.
Partitions in open space environments should be 1.65m or lower in height.
Attempt to standardize workstation furniture so that, when moves occur, only people need to move.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

Planning of Office Design Projects (Part 2)

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:35:00 +1030

The ‘design and planning’ phase of an office relocation / refurbishment project is founded on the guidelines agreed and defined during the initiation phase. This stage of any project aims to capture current and evolving requirements and needs of organizations (such as):

Staff numbers
Expansion plans
Interdepartmental links
Storage requirements
Meeting room requirements
Reception functionality

These types of inputs are required for any design brief and are also utilized to understand:

Space Requirements (which can identify opportunities to streamline operations and better identify whether an organization should refurbish or relocate);
Workspace Planning (which will optimize operational productivity, ensuring the right work environment is defined per function, while ensuring inter departmental processes is logical and efficient)

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

Successful Office Design Planning (Part 1)

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:42:00 +1030

Successful Office Design Planning

In our experience spanning over 15 years, we have noticed that successful office relocations / refurbishments are often treated as carefully planned projects by our clients.

During the next few weeks we will be reviewing each of the phases involved in such projects from ‘Concept through to Commissioning’ and highlighting some of observations.

Part 1 – Founding Guidelines of Office Design Projects

A good office design is much more than final finishing and aesthetics. A workspace must be functional and facilitate productivity and efficiency – both of which start to be conceived during the initiation phase.

The Project Manager will plan for and incorporate a set of guidelines that will drive activities undertaken during the planning phase to ensure the new design meets expectations and needs of every role within the organization, and should include:

A framework for undertaking business analysis that is focused on ensuring operational processes and needs across the organization can be captured and understood;

Business requirement guidelines clearly focused on forecasting business growth and stating technological requirements. Further a framework is needed to capture the requirements of inter related organizational processes and needs.

Stakeholder Analysis guidelines that will ensure maximum levels of feedback, participation and engagement are received from departmental managers

Agreeing these guidelines, simplifying them and communicating them to all concerned is critical to managing future risks and uncertainties while ensuring delivery during the Commissioning phase meets shareholder expectations.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

Aligning Interior Design to Corporate Identity

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:25:00 +1030

“…the ‘persona’ of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives” (Wikipedia)

The past decade has seen a considerable increase in brand development focussing on “Corporate Identity”.

Is a brand positioned correctly to reflect the corporate “persona” its culture, and cause the right reaction within the hearts and minds of the target market?

Is a brand unique, prominent and will it be recalled across communications channels?

These types of questions are given much attention from marketing and communications experts and often result in tangible enhancements to corporate signage, and messaging across digital, BTL and ATL channels.

Aligning interior design to accurately convey “corporate identity” plays a critical role in this process. Regardless of a companies’ size, its corporate space conveys “persona” and can substantially influence both employees and consumers in their decision making.

Does your corporate space meet the needs of your employees?
Will a consumer who enters your space for the first time, know without doubt what brands you represent?
Does your space convey credibility, trust, sincerity and other elements of your corporate culture correctly?

Interior Design is not just about refurbishing your space to be more functional, productive and cost efficient. A good interior design will vary and must accommodate the special needs and requirements of your corporate identity and business. And every business is different:

Are you a technology firm? Do you need to convey a “cutting edge” or “post modern” atmosphere?
Are you a law firm that needs to convey “authority”, “power” and “control”?
Do you specialize in financial services where conveying “stability” and “success” are a pre-requisite to doing business?

Office Space Design can work with you to engineer an environment that accurately conveys your brand identity while ensuring the creation of a functional, productive and cost efficient atmosphere.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

Creative & Modern Office Design

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:33:00 +1030

A creative work environment helps to stimulate minds and inspire innovation. Google and Facebook’s non conventional approach is one great example of how to push the boundaries when it comes to design. See Hongkiat’s blog for the full gallery of inspirational office designs.

1. Google’s Zurich Office

2. Facebook’s Office

How can corporate organisations rejuvenate their office workplace and take advantage of this new era of design:

Space assessment or planning is one of the most important phases of any successful creative office design. This involves having a solid understanding of the shape, size and height of the space, the opportunities, constraints, light sources, and inherent architecture. This also ensures that you comply with the OH&S requirements for minimum space indexes or people p/m2 and the standard workstation size, corridor widths, staff traffic flow and distances to fire exits;

Color and décor is a critical element in any design. We work with our clients to match a color scheme to corporate branding and operational requirements. We use complementary colors proven to enhance mood and increase creativity and lateral thinking;

Lighting is also a design element that can enhance morale and productivity significantly. A good office design effectively harnesses any available natural light resources and allows natural light penetration. It is important that supplementary lighting is neither dreary nor overwhelming, if a white or warm colour is appropriate and the use of energy-efficient light fittings should be considered . Providing individual desk lamps across workstations has a positive design impact on aesthetics, while providing employees with both a tangible and intangible benefit; adjustable lighting and a sense of control.

Open spaces are core to fostering a level of collaboration. We have invested heavily in designing a range of modern workstations that offer the right amount of privacy, maximise acoustics and reduce the level of noise transfer but to optimize productivity, while ensuring a level of openness that maximizes light and fosters team spirit.

“Occasional” furniture we have designed or sourced for clients has also made a significant impact.

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts

Office Design Tips

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:22:00 +1030

As a design focused company, it is refreshing to find “mashable” delivering ‘Design Tips from Experts’ that closely resemble our own thinking (summarizing their five insights):

Space & Light

Ensuring there is enough space for the energy of the company to circulate while balancing the need for “buzz”.

Utilizing open plan spacing well - remove unnecessary walls and work with all available natural light sources, this assists in reducing fatigue and noticeably improves employee moods.

Collaboration Spaces

Harness the collective mind power of your workforce, give them a space (not just a meeting room) where they can informally collaborate, share ideas and add value to your business.

Integration

Good functional design is critical - ensuring everything works together, that offices can be kept tidy, while planning in advance for storage needs!

Fitouts & Furniture

Opting for cheap furniture may save on immediate budget but more often than not it will be costlier as it means shorter life spans of heavily used items such as workstations and chairs.

Cheap furniture will have an impact on employee mood. It is important to get the right chairs for your staff – in some cases the right chairs will mean fewer complaints, and less sick days!

Lastly - don’t overlook the small things such as cable systems for workstations, & planning for connectivity.

Branding:

Be proud of your company – branding corporate spaces reminds employees of the companies mission, reflects corporate identity and culture and lets your customers know they are in the right place!

Great insights and definitely worth a read for anyone planning to relocate or refurbish their corporate space!

Office Space Design is a specialist professional services providers engaging with clients across the full project lifecycle. From concept through to final commissioning,

Office Space Design delivers inspirational workspaces that are efficient, productive and customized to business needs.

Visit our website to learn more about our Office Fitouts