Designing an office floor plan involves more than simply arrange a few cubicles; it requires careful thought and consideration to create a space that is productive, visually appealing – and less expensive to create and maintain. That’s why we at Carolina Services Inchave created this brief guide, offering a few pointers on how to design office floor plans.
Focus on Efficiency
Well designed office floor plans should increase the productivity of an office by ensuring ease of organization and communication for the workers, without creating unnecessary storage space or distractions. To accomplish this, you must consider the unique needs of each department. For example, if a certain department, such as a creative team, requires constant interaction, an open floor plan in which employees share common work surfaces may be more appropriate and less space-consuming than using individual desks. Or, perhaps a department requires frequent access to files or materials, in which case it would be wise to place the department nearest to the storage area. An optimal floor plan is one in which every employee has easy access to the resources they require, as well as an amount of privacy appropriate to their position.
Consider Appearances
The appearance of your office space not only makes a powerful impression on clients, but it can also effect employee moods and productivity. So, before finalizing any office floor plans, consider the first impression it will make. Does it seem cluttered? Are there awkward empty spaces? What is the first object that will catch the eye when you walk into the office, and is that object what you want to be your first impression? After all, what you would rather a client see first – an inviting and stylish reception area, with your logo highly visible, or a copier machine and overflowing trash can?
Budget Space and Plan for the Future
Office floor plans must be able to adapt to the changing needs of a company! As a business grows, it may require more employees, work space, and storage space, and a good floor plan will be able to accommodate growth – to a degree. It is also important for a floor plan not to have too much unused space, as this can appear unfinished and be wasteful.
Check Building Codes
This area may especially require the experience of a professional space planner! Office buildings must meet building codes, which specify a wide range of factors such as the amount of space each employee has, emergency escape routes, proper ventilation, acoustics, and even the placement of electrical outlets. A professional space planner will not only be familiar with and able to comply with these codes, but will know how to use building codes to create an efficient space – for example, how to best organize an office so that everyone has easy access to an electrical outlet without the use of too many unattractive extension cords.
At Carolina Services Inc, we are proud to offer space planning and design services. Using a sophisticated CAD program, our experienced staff can create office floor plans that help save you money and create an attractive, productive office space. Contact us today to learn more!
Photo courtesy of: Forgemind ArchiMedia
