What kind of office space accommodates growth?
The very notion of the office space has been in a state of flux and change for the better part of the last five years – perhaps even longer. The new way of working, for most, has been the shift toward adopting a more remote operational procedure, where – because of our all-permeating connectivity capabilities – we’ve already made strides in figuring out that a brick and mortar office is no longer necessarily a necessity.
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Now, as we continue to live with a pandemic, that idea was pushed from one being entertained only by a few progressive businesses, to the new directive in which we all need to be operating, so that we can maintain social distance as much as possible, and be safe.
But although now – in our ‘internet of things’ state – it might be the perfect time to be a remote-working society, the fact of the matter is the office space is still needed for reasons we may previously not ever have thought of. Reasons that range from the need to collaborate within teams, the negative effects of isolation affecting productivity and mental health, to simply, the availability of resources.
It seems the office space is here to stay.
So, while you may not in recent months, have been thinking about expanding your HQ, perhaps now, as lockdown levels ease and people need to start getting out of the house and back to their offices (even if just for the benefit of their mental health), office space should be top of mind again. But if you’re struggling to remember where you left off, don’t worry, FutureSpace is here to advise on how to get the most out of your office space.
And that brings us to the most important part of envisioning and designing an office space that is practical to your need – especially right now, in this ‘new normal’. The feature of scalability – can you expand if you need to?
Accommodating growth – first, think about your people
This needs to be done in an approach that’s two-fold. Ask your employees what they’d like to see in a safe, accommodating office space – given the requirements now set in place by the presence of the pandemic.
They may want the option to be in-office rotationally, or perhaps even in a set calendar slot, so that they have the option to go in, should they need to. You may then be asking yourself what the point of designing an office for growth would be, if at any given time, there would be minimum people there. Well, simply, it’s not about the frequency of time visited, it’s about the quantity of employees in rotation. As a business owner, growth should always be top of mind – growth cannot happen without a growing staff contingent. So even as work-from-home becomes the norm, you should make sure that as you continue to grow (which is likely) you can afford your people, and more people, a safe space in which to focus away from home.
Honour the remote working directive… at the office
This may come across as somewhat of a contradiction. When thinking about designing an office for growth, the new buzzword is ‘fluidity’ – that’s fluidity in when you need the space, and then how you can work within that space.
Great strides have been made for offices and accommodating growth within them, that allows for full collaboration and interaction, within an entirely safe and socially distanced space.
This is mostly due to the fact that private office space is shifting more toward shared office space – ensuring that less fixed space is needed, and in favour of more open space. It’s a feature to accommodating growth that ensures scalability simply due to the fact that space is saved, not squandered on another batch of cubicles or three more corner offices.
Only expand when you really need to
An open and collaborative space, then, is the most economical way to approach designing an office for growth – simply because you’re not designing to acquire more space, you’re designing to utilise the space you have. And in a world where we’re working remotely more, this allows you to accommodate growth within your business’s office space without having to add to your overheads with more square meterages.
Designing an office for growth with collaboration spaces in mind and less space dedicated to single users, will also allow you to be fully agile, when it comes to exactly what you need that space for and when.
For example: do you need a lounge working situation? A co-working situation? Or what about a private-shared space? All of these can be quickly realised when your office space is adjusted to accommodate growth through collaboration.
At FutureSpace, we pioneer not only bespoke office design, but office spaces that meet your particular specifications and requirements. We can help you in your endeavours when designing an office for growth. What’s more, though, we can make your space bigger, better and more economical in all aspects. We’re here to show you the art of working wisely.
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