A Brief Guide to Office Renovation

Whether you have to renovate or newly construct an office, you can’t go ahead without proper planning of what to include in the site. Though you take the help from an architect, you should first know your requirements so that you can have the same office that you envisioned. Be it separate cabins or more meeting rooms, planning beforehand can have several benefits when you start working in the office.

So, here is the guide to office renovation and what to consider before you expand your current office space.

Renovate or Relocate?

If your current office space is not enough for the increasing staff and operations, then you may want to renovate to give bigger space to the office. And sometimes, the current land space may not allow it. In that case, you have to check whether it’s possible to relocate to another location or not.

Depending on your future office operations, if you can’t accommodate everything in the current space even after the renovation, then it’s better to relocate to a better and bigger office site.

Think about your plan for future growth

A business should always be evolving, and your office space should allow it. Before you go for the renovation, think about the growth strategies that your business is taking.

Does it require more employees, more partitions and meeting rooms? Or are you planning to have a new pantry room, relaxing lounges, or client meeting rooms? Think about the exact purpose of renovation and state your requirements clearly with an architect or a designer. Accordingly, you will get a feasible design in which you can invest without any hesitation.

Establish budget contingencies

While renovating or constructing an office, it’s always vital to establish budget contingencies. Because the total cost will always be higher than what you expect it to be. For instance, you need an additional amount for temporary protection and partitions, phasing, labour cost for overtime work, and many more.

Also, minimise the cost wherever possible and don’t go beyond what is necessary. Change only what is needed and retain the items that are functional and aesthetic.

Make sure to inspect the site and make use of the site fully

An office design isn’t like the home. It should have enough space for all the employees to work, space to walk around, extra rooms for meetings, space for toilets and relaxing rooms, etc. So the office design should be in such a way that it is making use of the site fully. It’s possible only when you inspect the land first. Sometimes, it’s beneficial if you appoint a professional for a site survey so that you will know how much land you can use to build or renovate the office.

Effective Renovation Ideas:

Renovation is not only about space expansion but also adding aesthetic and functional features. Some of the renovation ideas that you can implement are:

• Adding greenery and allowing sunshine

Just because it’s an office doesn’t mean that it should not have greenery. Adding plants gives freshness to the office and elevates your mind to be more productive. They can compensate for the emptiness present in the large rooms and make them more welcoming. And greenery in small rooms gives brightness and positivity. Also, allow sunshine inside your office by opting for large glass windows.

• Using partitions

Closed partitions and cabins have become outdated. Open workspaces and creating partitions in the large cabins is a new trend and also aid for more productivity in your employees. Creating partitions and revamping how your workstations look is an interesting area of the renovation. Discuss with your designer what fit-out design works best for you.

• Repainting the office walls

A simple, affordable, and effective renovation idea is repainting the office walls. Whether you use the same colour or a different one, you can get an instant freshness and a new look to your office. While you’re at it, try adding some wall décor to elevate the beauty of your office.

• Upgrade your lighting system

Too much harsh light coming from bulbs and lamps can trigger migraine and headaches. Make use of the natural lighting wherever possible and use halogen and light globes to diffuse the light in all directions. It makes the intensity less and makes your work area pleasant.

Renovations are worth your investment!

Constantly upgrading your office instills a strong brand image both in your customers and employees. It implies that you think about the inner work environment and how you’re projecting it to the outside world. From time to time, you can work on small upgrades so that your office looks fresh and new all the time.