The top 5 things to consider during an office refurbishment

An office refurbishment is a great opportunity to revitalise your workspace. Create the feeling of a whole new office without all the excess costs of moving to a new space and starting from scratch.

From our years of experience, we have come to believe the key to creating the perfect office refurbishment is to focus on creating the ideal staff experience. The process starts with developing a solid understanding of how your employees work best and reflecting on what they need and want in the future.

Collaboration

Within the office environment, employees are inspired by the opportunity to connect, collaborate and communicate with colleagues in-person. Integrating collaboration spaces into your office refurbishment will help provide a designated area for your employees to work together safely. As well as providing areas for professional collaboration, creating comfort focussed breakout areas offers a space more ideal for informal collaboration. Providing a relaxing space is an important thing to consider during an office refurbishment as it is conducive to a productive working environment.

Health and safety

Although co-worker collaboration has been missed during the time of remote working, many are still concerned by the health and safety issues of being in a shared environment. Concerns around physical health have remained high since the restrictions lifted. Having hand sanitiser around the office and encouraging the use of PPE is a start, however it is important to consider how else you can support your employee’s physical health during your office refurbishment.

Implementing an office layout that allows for both collaborative and lone working provides employees with peace of mind when going into the office. The pandemic is forcing workplaces to evaluate their health and safety procedures; however, this will also benefit companies in the future.

Small health considerations can make a big impact on productivity. Introducing natural elements into your office space can help reduce fatigue, purify the work environment and reduce employee illness. Simple health aspects to consider during your office refurbishment include utilising natural light, good ventilation and introducing biophilic design.

Biophilic design

Biophilic design incorporates natural elements into indoor spaces. Biophilic design emulates the outdoor experience and creates the same mental and physical responses one would experience outdoors, improving employee wellbeing and reducing stress. Adding natural elements to your office can be easy and requires limited costs. Adding natural elements such as plants, natural light and water can be simple ways to incorporate this design style.

Longevity

Office refurbishments are a significant investment of time and money, meaning you want your office space to work for both now and the future. Using sustainable systems and materials provides durability for your office space. Having trust in the longevity of your workspace ensures peace of mind for you and your employees by reducing overall costs and time spent on fitouts. As well as considering the materials you use it is also beneficial to consider the lifecycle of your furniture. Will each item live in the same space all the time, or will you need to be able to rearrange it to accommodate for changing needs? Considering the versatility of your space ensures it will keep up with your business and employees as you grow.

Sustainability

Sustainability isn’t just about being environmentally friendly. There are three pillars of sustainability, all of which can be utilised within your office refurbishment. Evaluating the environmental, economic and social aspects of your workplace can help you to create your ideal sustainable workplace. Using these sustainability pillars you can create a cost-effective, durable space that functions for your business. Sustainability can offer your business the chance to demonstrate high levels of corporate social responsibility, improving your reputation and prospects.

Working culture has evolved greatly as a result of the pandemic. Workspaces need to evolve with it. An office refurbishment provides an opportunity to evaluate your employee needs and create the right working environment for both them and you. Our team take the time to learn what your space really needs to ensure the optimal environment for your employees and visitors.

Get in touch with our team today to start a conversation about your space.