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5 Things Not To Forget During An Office Fit Out

They say moving house is one of the most stressful things in life but office fit outs must rank fairly high on the scale for business owners who don’t plan first. So if you’re approaching your first office fit out, here’s some advice on the basics.

Make sure your fit out fits your business
You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to office designs, however the main focus should be on choosing a layout that fits your business. Hot desks and spaces designed for creatives who move around a lot with their laptops might be right for a marketing company but if you prefer your workers to be static, then you will need some good sized desks to keep them comfortable.

Declutter and account for extra space
You can’t expect an office to have the same space demands forever so it is worth remembering that storage space should be adequate. Your business if successful should grow over time and this will require extra space for storage and additional staff when required. It is also important to declutter so that your office isn’t designed around stuff that would be better placed in the nearest skip.

Don’t forget about technology
Office design creativity is at an all-time high just as much because of technology as it is as a consequence. Many gadgets are wireless these days and often slimmed down so you need far less space for wires. Unfortunately even the most efficient office machine will need to be connected up to the power at some point so make sure your office include enough provision for extra sockets.

Is Silicon Valley Style Office Design The Best Way To Attract Graduate Talent?

April 21, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

While architectural magazines are beginning to question playful office design, an article in the Guardian newspaper recently suggests that it is the best way to attract top graduate talent.

The article, Fun agency office design draws in the bright, young graduates, says that this may be the reason trendy media companies have the pick of the best talent out there because these graduates have come to expect relaxed environments full of toys and places to get away from the desk when a break is needed.

Not every business of course has the budget to start filling their offices with table football, slides and so on so it puts businesses that seem less cool in comparison at a distinct disadvantage recruitment-wise.

Companies such as Facebook, Bloomberg and of course Google are just a few of the trail blazers when it comes to fun office design, but in the UK outside of London, you may struggle to find many examples of firms incorporating playgrounds into offices.

There are plenty of business owners out there who would rather have their staff just get on with their work rather than preside over offices that can look like a youth clubs or kindergartens. But it’s the media companies who seem to be driving a good proportion of the innovation and growth in the UK economy.

Has Google Type Office Design Had It’s Day?

April 11, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Google is the undisputed leader among the world’s search engines and it has also been a front runner in the evolution of office design, but experts in office design are beginning to question how its brand of office design can actually be detrimental to some businesses.

It’s inevitable that office design trends will change over time and Google’s playful approach to making its employees feel at home in the work place is beginning to look a little bit dated.

A recent article in architectural magazine, Dezeen suggests that even some Google employees are getting fed up with hearing people play on slides. Many among those who have tried out office play equipment themselves, often do so only once when they realise that their clothes have been messed up in the process.

Turning offices into playgrounds was seen as a way to stimulate creativity and put staff back in touch with their childhoods to keep them more relaxed. While this may have worked and helped Google staff solve problems creatively, for some businesses having staff stand around next to play equipment can lead to people not working as hard as they should or messing around in the workplace.

The article concludes that If you do intend to kit your office out like Google, it is worth assessing if the playful approach is right for your business before doing so to avoid problems later on.

Office Shortage Drives Surge In Rents and Refurbishment

March 20, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Cities across the UK are experiencing a shortage in supply of office space which threatens to drive up costs for businesses as rents inevitably increase. The shortage in office space has led to a surge in demand for office refurbishment in efforts to increase supply in some of the UK cities including London Cardiff and Bristol.

The statistics were revealed in Savills’ Regional Office Market Review & Outlook report which also says that there is less than one year’s supply of grade ‘A’ space available. The national shortage is driving up demand at a time when space in crowded city centres has become limited as many older buildings have been converted into residential housing.

In London, there is now a particular problem as commercial and residential developers fight it out for space in the city. This has pushed up office rents in locations such as Canary Wharf.

Bristol and Cardiff were two cities highlighted as having the biggest potential for rent rises this year. Bristol office rents are set to increase by 12% while nearby Cardiff is expecting to see rents rise 9%.

Across the UK availability of office space is down 18 percent on 2007 levels.

New Google Offices In London Shrouded In Secrecy

March 3, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

There are reports that Google is planning to have developers build several new offices in London, notably in Kings Cross where an 11-storey office building has received planning permission.

The new building only received the go-ahead last month from Camden Council and in typical Google style it is unlikely to be the run of the mill kind of office development. Plans include a large roof terrace overlooking the city and there are certain to be many other features you would expect from Google’s office designers.

According to Joe Borrett, Google’s director of real estate and construction, the new office building will cement Google’s expansion in Kings Cross as well as make the area its new home in London. The tech giant has already revealed plans to spend 1 billion on its UK HQ according to reports, but it is not clear if this new building will be part of it even though the firm has been buying up additional plots in the Kings Cross area.

The planned regeneration of areas of Kings Cross have not gone down well with everyone. Architect Peter Cook has allegedly branded some designs as boring while Google’s Larry Page himself has allegedly considered scrapping one scheme because he too labelled it as boring.
Google’s current London offices feature anything from allotments to grow veg to dodgem cars and beach huts.

US and Chinese Investing Record Sums City Offices In Record Numbers

February 20, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

United States and Chinese investors are swooping in on London office stock to take advantage of fast rising rents in areas such as Canary Wharf.

Investment from US and Chinese investors made up 53% of investment in offices in central London in 2015. £8.2bn was invested in office space in Central London in 2015 with investment from the US and China making up 4.5bn of that figure according to a survey by global real estate advisors, CBRE.

London remains the hub of business activity in the UK and with the economy posting positive growth, the appetite for office space in the city remains undimmed. One again the economic recovery is being driven by service sector industries with the tech sector in particular growing rapidly and accounting for much of the increase in demand for office space.

Stephen Pearson, Executive Director Central London Capital Markets, said: “The City of London remains a hugely attractive prospect for international buyers, with last year’s total office investment easily surpassing the record set in 2007.”

The increase in investment in the office real estate sector is likely to stimulate demand for office refurbishments as investors look to update offices and attract new business tenants.

Canary Wharf Offices Best For Rental Growth In 2016

February 9, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

If you happen to own offices in Canary Wharf, London, this year will be one of the best years yet for rental growth.

Canary Wharf in Central London is London has become a magnet for service sector businesses in recent years. So much so that it will have the best rental growth in the city this year at 12.8% which puts it ahead of nearest rivals Shoreditch 10% and Midtown 9.6%.

Despite the increase in demand for offices in Canary Wharf, it still remains an affordable alternative to Central London. Excellent connections to the city centre via Crossrail have raised its appeal even further.

The increasing number of tech and creative firms setting up in the capital will be the key drivers of growth in 2016 according to the Knight Frank report. In fact the technology sector has been the largest source of demand for office space in the capital for the past 5 years.

While rising rents and increased demand will be good news for owners who let office space, those seeking more affordable offices may be forced to move further out. Vacancy rates are currently at their lowest level for nearly 14 years. In the West End of London, the vacancy rate is at its lowest level since 1989.

The 3 Big Office Design Trends For 2016

January 25, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

If you want to project your company as ahead of the curve of office design, now is the time to start thinking about changing things around so that spaces are more collaborative as well as being compatible with wireless technology.

The End Of Permanence
Having a rigid office layout that never changes is rapidly becoming old fashioned in today’s forward thinking technology conscious offices. A trend this year will be towards offices with modular components which can be moved around or combined when the need for collaboration arises.

Embracing nature
Rapid advances in technology have pushed us further and further away from nature. The trend this year will be to bring nature back in with natural materials incorporated into office design. Letting in as much natural light as possible will always be fashionable in offices that are lucky enough to have it. Also expect lots more plant life coming to an office space near you. Plants help to keep the air clean and add some character to what can be dull soulless spaces.

The rise and rise of multipurpose workspaces
The thought of having your staff leaving their desks to collaborate over large oval tables would have been the stuff of nightmares for bosses until fairly recently. Now collaboration is actively encouraged and non-assigned seating is replacing the traditional rows of desks as people are becoming unshackled from sockets thanks to the continuing development of wireless office technology.

An Office With No Walls Or Doors?

January 14, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

How would you like to be sitting in an office where you can see everything the boss is doing? This is the case with US banking giant Citigroup which is not just opening the doors to a new HQ but removing them altogether!

The bank is about to take the open office a stage further with its no-door design according to the Wall Street Journal. While open offices are more in line with what you might expect from the likes of Google and other trendy creative firms, this marks a significant departure for the more sober world of banking (though some might argue that creativity is alive and well in banking for better or for worse).

CEO of Citigroup, Michael Corbat, will swap his current 600-square-foot office for a 360-square-foot office which doesn’t have walls or a door. How is this possible? Well the walls are replaced with 7ft glass panels.

Desks in the office won’t be assigned either which might freak out anyone who likes to make desk space their own.

With the current trend now moving towards a mix of spaces which people can make their own and also areas to collaborate, this extreme open-plan idea is pushing things in the wrong direction but maybe bankers will be happier keeping an eye on each other through the working day.

Is Having A Stuffy Office Bad For Your Brain?

November 4, 2015 / admin / 0 Comments

Research into the effects of bad air quality in offices says so. Poor air quality is said to be responsible not only for poor cognitive performance but also health.

Researchers have reported in Environmental Health Perspectives that working in stuffy offices can halve cognitive scores. The news that half of office staff could be performing at half their normal mental capacity is unlikely to be well received by business owners.

Research found that simply opening a window or two to let in some fresh air can bring positive benefits, however this may not be possible in the depths of winter when staff may complain about the cold instead.

Yet if productivity levels are to reach their maximum it is clear that offices should be designed to expose people to at least some fresh air during the day. A fresh breeze might be all staff need to increase their production levels and brain functioning.

The study was limited to just 24 professionals, but it did include architects, designers and engineers. The study was conducted over 2 weeks in what was laid out as a typical office space. The study examined Co2 a VOC levels and how the gas impacts on performance.

Scores in tests were over 60% higher when conditions were set for these gases to be reduced indoors.