What should you think about when you're moving to a new office or rearrenging your old one? It's all about figuring out your current needs, but also reflect on your future needs. Easier said then done, but we will make an effort to help you!
Space planning: Step by step
To start off, there are some basics you just have to be aware of when considering to relocate. Space and office planning might feel like a black hole, but trust us, it doesn’t have to be. If you start with the basics and get the hang of what it’s all about - the rest will feel much easier. So, what are the basics you might ask? Well here is a step by step on what you can’t miss before starting your project:
- Collect information
Start by asking all the right questions (we’ll get to this in a little bit). The goal is to narrow down what your office, the people in it and the facilities want and need.
- Interpret the information
Step two is to interpret the information. Preferably in a team of people with different roles, backgrounds and experiences so that you can divide needs from wants and reflect on what will actually be possible.
- Consider the space and reflect on spatial relationships
Here is where you turn your head to the actual space. What is realistic, what do you have to work with? Think about the organization, the relationships between the rooms and entries, and what the circulation would look like in the space.
- Create your office plan
Start by sketching it up, seriously, use a pencil and base your sketch on the data you’ve collected. Make several. Put different areas next to each other, look at your options and ask your team what they think.
- What are the right questions?
Asking the right questions are key to everything. Also, make sure to talk to people from different departments of your organization – different roles demand different settings. The answers are the foundation of your whole office plan.
Questions to research
- When you’re at the office, where do you spend most of your time?
- How do you work the majority of your time? Individually or collaboratively?
- How helpful is it for you to have easy access to your team and other departments?
- What are the biggest obstacles you meet in your job every day?
- How do you prefer to work? Quietly alone or around other people with activities going on?
- If you were in charge, what’s the first thing you would change in the office?
Making decisions
The hardest thing about space planning is making decisions. Our advice here is to gather as much information as possible to base your decisions on. And when you have, get a second opinion. Not from everyone, but from a chosen team who carry the responsibility together and whom you trust. Finding a way to tie your coworkers’ needs together with what’s actually possible might not be easy, but it will definitely make a more useful office space than not doing so!
Don't hesitate to contact us if you want help or input on how to plan your spaces – we'll be happy to help!
