Office Refurbishment v Relocate

With the current credit crunch affecting every organisation the question of whether to refurbish or relocate has never been so critical in costing savings.

The biggest change in the last 12-18 months has been clients looking to maximise their existing office space to its full potential. With companies freezing recruitment and putting expansion plans on hold, the trend to revamp their existing space is becoming the preferred option for many. Beyond the cost savings of refurbishing existing offices and lower disruption (sometimes, but not always) a well planned project can bring other benefits too. The British council for Offices has calculated that improving existing commercial office space can increase productivity levels by a quarter, reduce absenteeism, help staff retention and encourage better communication. Basically, it shows staff that the company directors really care about their employees' working environments.

A recent client of ours was able to make massive savings by staying put. First they utilised our in house design team to spaceplan their current office to increase numbers. We then carried out our office face lift service to give the office a fresh, new look. With some clever use of colour, new carpets and spraying of the current ceiling tiles we were able to transform their office into a bright and energetic office environment. Some changes to lighting and some key furniture pieces completed the look. In this scenario we didn't even have to move all their exisitng furniture, our decorating and flooring guys worked around it. Not ideal, but needs must.

Office Blueprint Tips:

Assess how well you are using your current space - Is there potential for change or improvement?

If you are considering relocating, is it solely to accommodate more people who could, with a bit of planning, be accommodated within the existing office space?

Look at the size of your current desks. Moving from traditional L-shaped workstations to a benching system can give you and extra 25% capacity within the office space.

Clever use of storewall is also a good option for storing items which may be cluttering the office space.

Do you really need or use the meeting spaces and break-out areas that you have, or could this space be better used?

For a free consultation with our experienced Office Designers please contact us at

Office Blueprint Ltd
www.officeblueprint.co.uk
0208 894 5115
neil@officeblueprint.co.uk
tessa@officeblueprint.co.uk