Your office space is the heart of the workplace. It must accommodate your team, clients, different departments and anything else your business needs to run smoothly. But how much space do you need to accommodate that?
In this article, we’ll outline important factors to consider when managing space in your office and determining how much you actually need.
For personalised advice, contact our team at HQ Renovations today.
Assessing Your Needs
When managing office space, assessing your current and future needs is important. However, if you’re a currently growing business, anticipating your needs might be difficult. Here, we’ll outline key questions and tips you can use to help identify what your needs may be.
Current Needs
- Outline the basic needs of your business: What is your main goal? What do you need to accomplish this goal?
- Ask employees what they are missing: Do they need more office space? Do they feel isolated from other workers?
- Is one department underperforming? Determine why this may be and how adjusting your office may help.
Future Needs
- Where do you aim for your business to be in the future? Does this involve an expansion of your business goals?
- Are you looking at hiring a larger team or more specialised individuals?
- Are there any recent trends that indicate businesses are moving in a new direction? How would these trends impact your business, and should you embrace them?
Having a clear plan is the best way to ensure your workers can get what they need and work to the best of their ability. While these questions are not a comprehensive assessment, they can help guide your planning.
Space Allocation: How Much is Enough?
Space allocation should reflect what you value most. For instance, if you are a client-facing company that often has guests or visitors, you may want to prioritise a reception area.
Likewise, a business that has a lot of workers may want to ensure your employees have enough space to work efficiently and comfortably. When allocating space, it’s important to determine your priority as a business.
However, if you’re not sure where to start, there are a few guidelines you can use. For instance, most offices recommend having at least 5 square metres allocated per person. Further, a few additional metres of clear space should be allocated around each workstation to ensure workers can move freely.
Meeting these spacing requirements will not only help your employees work more efficiently but will ensure they feel valued in the workplace.
Key Considerations
Beyond square footage, there are a few more factors to consider that can impact your space management.
Equipment
Equipment can often make or break your operations, but it must also be taken into consideration when organising your space. For instance, utilising adjustable and easily moved desks is a great way to embrace flexibility in the workspace. Not only can it be ergonomically beneficial for workers, but it can also help you to quickly rearrange your office as needed.
Likewise, more efficient storage solutions can also open up more space. Shelving and hanging storage lets you utilise the available wall space while freeing up valuable floor space.
Combining Spaces
With multipurpose areas, you can save valuable space without sacrificing your office needs. For instance, combining staff kitchens with a lounging area combines them without sacrificing one for the other. Likewise, making your workspaces more comfortable overall might reduce the need for additional staff break rooms.
Appearances
While the appearance of your office may not help with practical space, it can offer a lot of relief to your workers. Improved lighting, natural or otherwise, can make your office feel larger and less enclosed. If worker morale, rather than practical space, is your issue targeting lighting may be your solution.
Renovating to Optimise Existing Office Space
If you have limited space or are struggling to re-organise your office to meet your needs, a renovation could be the answer. They can help to improve your office operations and optimise your existing space.
Consider revising the structural layout of your office. This could be used to remove partitions or walls to embrace an open floor plan. This not only gives you more square footage to work with but also gives you more flexibility to adjust your working areas as you see fit.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Office Space Planning
When planning your office space, it’s important to determine your overall business needs and goals. Likewise, speaking directly with your employees can reveal issues you may have overlooked. However, there are still several pitfalls in office planning that you should avoid.
Ergonomics
Ensure your office plans do not negatively impact the ergonomic needs of your workers. Cramped space allocation combined with a lack of ergonomic consideration could severely impact not only your worker’s moods but their health as well.
Noise
Noise, especially in open areas, can travel quickly and be disruptive. Be sure to consider the needs of different departments and whether or not a noisy area will negatively impact them.
Regulations
Many buildings have regulations that must be followed. These could be enforced by your landlord or be required by law. Either way, ignoring regulations when planning your office space is likely to cause fines or even harm to your workplace and employees.
Need Office Renovations You Can Trust? Choose HQ Renovations
Office renovations are one of the best ways to make the most out of your space. At HQ Renovations, we use our years of experience and expertise to refresh the style and improve the function of all kinds of office spaces.
If you’re not sure where to start, reach out to our team today. We can help you determine the best ways to update your space and make the most of your office.
