Knowing when it’s time to refurbish your office is one thing but understanding why you’re carrying out an office refurbishment is another. Some of the moment common reasons for this type of interior design project include the need to accommodate new types of technology, attracting young talent, boosting productivity levels and combating modern workplace issues.
A refurb project is not something that should be taken lightly and even though it is entirely possible to complete an office refurbishment on a budget, costs can escalate if you’re not careful. For this reason, you need to ensure you’re embarking on the project for all the right reasons…
Here are some of the main reasons why business owners may choose to re-think their workspace design:
To boost motivation and productivity levels
If your office design has been the same for many years and the facilities (including furniture and technology) are dated, this can cause staff to lack motivation and therefore cause a dip in productivity levels.
In order to feel inspired, able to collaborate and willing to work to their full potential, employees need a progressive workspace which is going to facilitate this.
To integrate new systems and technology
If your workspace design hasn’t been refreshed for a number of years, it may very well be the case that it is ill-equipped to cater for the systems and tech innovations that are being used in the modern working world.
Refurbishing the space is a great opportunity to accommodate things such as digital signage, tech-integrated furniture such as the media:scape and improved video conferencing tools.
To combat new workplace issues
As work modes evolve and tradition dissolves, a whole new set of workplace issues are emerging that can be tackled through strategic workplace design and various furniture and technology products.
One example of this is increased noise levels as more and more businesses make the transition into an open plan office (which could prove to be a reason to refurb in itself). A solution for this problem is to create a workspace which integrates noise control solutions such as acoustic furniture and private focus pods – an office refurbishment might be required in order to implement these.
To introduce new ways of working
Research has proven that in order to get the best of out staff, employers need to cater for a diverse range of working styles. These include things like collaborative work and impromptu meetings, as well as mobile working and accepting social spaces as an important part of a successful and well-balanced working environment.
Traditionally-designed offices with dedicated desks and enclosed workspaces don’t cater for this type of choice and control so an office refurbishment is often required in order to facilitate this increased flexibility. While this might be an initial expense of time and finance, this type of varied working environment is easy to future-proof and will evolve with trends and requirements more seamlessly.
To attract and retain new talent
As well as redesigning the workspace to accommodate new styles of furniture and office technology, a refurbishment might also be carried out to make attracting and retaining new talent more effective.
Considering things like privacy, postures and wellbeing through ergonomic, user-centric design is something that will appeal to the talent of today. This isn’t often possible in conventional or old-fashioned workspaces so an office refurbishment project will be used as a tool to reposition the brand and what the business can offer to its staff.