Friday, February 14, 2014

Article from Entrepreneur.com 

10 Questions to Ask When Designing Your Office

10 Questions to Ask When Designing Your Office
Image credit: Zeospot.com
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10 Questions
The work environment is evolving at many companies these days, resulting in the need for new office design. At some businesses, for example, individual cubicles and offices are being dismantled in favor of a more open environment in which an employee's work station is wherever he happens to plug in his laptop.
Whatever the specific design, the emphasis today is clearly on being lean and flexible, says Alan Feltoon, managing principal at Washington, D.C.-based MulvannyG2 Architecture. He is one of three experts we consulted to come up with questions small-business owners should ask before designing or refashioning an office to meet the requirements of today's fast-changing workplace.
Do I want to encourage transparency and camaraderie?
More companies are knocking down walls and cubicles to create more open space. Now, top executives and managers may even sit in open areas with other employees. Feltoon recalls an office he designed for an investment bank, where he used glass instead of solid walls and provided open space for "impromptu get-togethers." The owner of the firm wanted people out in the open to convey an image of transparency to clients. An open design also can encourage team spirit. "When you open things up, all of a sudden, you have a vitality and transparency that encourages conversation, participation and learning," says Janet Pogue, principal at Gensler, an architectural firm based in Washington, D.C.
How do I provide privacy when necessary? 
While you may want a more open office design, it's still important to provide spaces where employees can work quietly on individual tasks or simply have a private conversation. People spend about half their time in "focus mode," so the office needs to have a mix of "me spaces" for individual work and "we spaces" for group work, Pogue says. She suggests designing privacy rooms where there are no visual distractions.
How much space do I really need? 
Office designers used to plan for about 250 square feet per employee, which included a walled workspace with a desk for a computer and personal items, such as photographs. Now that number has dropped to 150 square feet. The photos are on each person's laptop, which can move from home to the office and then to different locations within the office. Feltoon calls it a "'work from anyplace" mindset, and with an increasing number of companies letting employees work from home certain days, the office may only be partially occupied at any given time. "You don't want to pay for more space than you have to," he says.
What if some people often work from home?
As it becomes more common for employees to work at least partly from home, companies need to be concerned about home office design, too. Ergonomics is an important but often overlooked issue in home offices. "Being huddled over your laptop at the kitchen table is not the way to go," says Tom Polucci, senior principal and director of interior design for HOK, a New York City-based architecture, engineering and planning firm. The computer monitor should be positioned properly relative to your chair and desk height to avoid stress and strain on your back, neck, shoulders and eyes. You also need the right kind of lighting to reduce glare and eye strain. You might hire a consultant to help your employees set up their home workspace. Alternatively, "your health insurance provider might have information available to assist employees with home office set up," Polucci says.
How can I make my space flexible?
A young, growing business that is expecting to add employees and services doesn't want to be pouring precious dollars into reconstruction. Pogue suggests keeping your space as flexible as possible. You can buy desks and tables on rollers for easy movement to reconfigure a space on the fly and create "plug and play" areas where employees can take their laptops to work. Private offices can double as huddle rooms for group meetings, and you can use dividers to make conference room space as big or as small as needed.
How do I make my reception area warm and welcoming?
The reception area "is the first impression someone is going to have of the company," says Polucci. So, it's important to create a comfortable and hospitable atmosphere. You can impart a feeling of warmth by allowing daylight to stream in and by making artificial lighting indirect and soft. Some designers suggest specific paint colors to convey a certain vibe: creams and beiges for sophistication, blues for honesty and loyalty, and greens for prestige. Finally, the overall space should not be imposing. "If it is a large lobby, for example, we create pockets of space within that volume for people to have a comfortable place to go," Polucci says.
What do I want my office space to say about my company?
Your office design can help communicate your corporate mission and image to both clients and employees. That can be especially important if you change your business model. Pogue uses the example of UBM, which with Gensler's help, redesigned its office to reflect its transformation from a century-old print media company into a 21st century online media firm. "Their San Francisco office was moved from a dated 1980s style cubicle farm into a bright, open and fully networked space that communicated the paradigm shift the company was undertaking," she says. "The space redesign not only clearly reflected the company's new focus and products, but allowed their employees to live the brand on a daily basis."
What kind of employee behavior do I want to encourage?
Your design can incorporate elements that will help you achieve certain results. If you want to encourage recycling, for example, you can install recycling stations throughout the office, providing easy access and clear instructions. Do you want more mingling between employees in different departments? Create a centralized coffee bar or printing station that will entice them to leave their immediate work area and share their thoughts with co-workers from another group.
Do I have comfortable places for employees to socialize and relax?
Popular spaces are cafes, pantries and other spots where people naturally congregate. Some businesses offer more elaborate amenities, such as fitness rooms, acupuncture/message therapy centers, dry cleaning drop-off points, and wellness rooms for everyone from nursing mothers to employees who don't feel well. "Creating spaces that allow employees to socialize and get some exercise or rest is important to create a sense of balance and well-being," Polucci says.
How do I make the space as green as possible?
Thinking in terms of sustainability is becoming the norm in office design, Polucci says. "We're designing every project with a sustainable focus, from mechanical and electric to lighting to recycled, renewable and reused materials. And we're to a point where many of the sustainable choices add no cost." For example, some overhead lighting will automatically grow dimmer as more natural light enters the space. Such a system can pay for itself in reduced energy bills within three years, Polucci says. Many "green" offices also use carpeting made of recycled content and wood harvested from sustainable forests.
Lisa Girard is a freelance writer who covers topics as diverse as golf fashion, health and beauty, the hardware industry and small business interests. She also has been Senior Apparel Editor for PGA Magazine for more than a decade.


Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226839#ixzz2tLyEE0Ej

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Yours Truly Entered the "Zipvan Loves Design" Video Contest--No, I Didn't Win But...


...did I ever have fun trying--and I learned some new skills to boot!  IKEA and Zipvan created this video contest to win a room full of IKEA products, as much as would fit into a Zipvan. The challenge was to:

  • Create a 15-second video answering this question:  How would you redesign a room with a Zipvan full of products from the IKEA® store?
               * Creativity / Passion: How creatively did you share your ideas and 
                     show why you deserve to win?
               * Uniqueness: What makes your design different from others?
               * Realistic: Is the design something that actually can be done 
                     with a Zipvan full of IKEA products?
               * Inspiration: Does the video inspire others to design their own space?

Let's just say I have a new-found appreciation for film-making and I'll be forever grateful for the support and encouragement of my friends.  (See my LinkedIn profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynmoorejones to meet my team.)  From writing the script, to staging, to learning the movie-making software, and finally editing and producing the video itself--whew!  A great deal of work goes into the process, even if the result is only a 15 second video.

So here's my video:



  
Okay, so who won?  Take a look.


Congratulations to Kelli Shives!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Amateur Reupholstery: Couch

By: Adorn Jan 06, 2007

Earlier this year, I moved across the country, taking with me only what I could fit in my car. I lived a week without an apartment and another week without any furniture.  Then, I bought a bed.  Well, a mattress and box spring.  I wasn't in any rush to buy furniture, especially not furniture that I couldn't fit into my car.  This made me the office charity case.  A coworker gave me a kitchen table and chairs. Then, another coworker found a couch on the side of the road in a nice neighbourhood.  He smelled it and checked for stains, then picked it up and put it in his pickup truck.  That night, he and I carried the couch up the stairs to my apartment.   
created at: 03/28/2013Photo: Adorn
 It was a solidly constructed couch.  There were a few cat scratch marks on the sides of the upholstery, but otherwise, it was in decent condition.  I just couldn't shake the idea that bugs or animals had crawled all over the couch while it sat out on the road.  So, I undertook a plan to reupholster it.

I had no experience with reupholstery and very few tools.  I read a few articles online, but they weren't very helpful.  All of the upholstery books at the library were out.  However, I have a bit of a "just do it" attitude when it comes to crafty things, so I jumped right in. 

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Office Design and Build-out

If you're considering an office move or refurbish, here's a useful article from the Help Moving Office (USA) website (http://www.helpmovingoffice.com/the-moving-office-process/creating-the-perfect-office-space)

Your Guide to an Inspiring and Effective Office Design & Build-out


The right office design provides you with the opportunity to create a place of business that can maintain and enhance a strong corporate identity. It will enable you to showcase your priorities, values and image to your customers. First impressions really do matter so the initial visual impact of your office design will play a key part.
Furthermore, all companies understand the importance of having a workforce that is effective, motivated and happy – so your new office design also has a major role to play for your staff. A well-designed workplace will play an integral role in motivating, developing and engaging the workforce resulting in improved efficiency and business performance.
For this to be achieved, working with General Contractors (which comprises Office Space Planning, Office Design and Office Build-Out) who understand your company values and appreciate both the aesthetic qualities and functional aspects that you want to include in your new workplace – is essential to a successful office build -out. These General Contractors will take you through each stage of the office design and space planning process; which involves all or some of the following:


Workspace Appraisal

The starting point for any office relocation is to carry out a detailed analysis of both your current and future business objectives and office space requirements. This can then be assessed against your current office space size and configuration and the moving office budget available. The main aim of the Workspace Appraisal is to determine whether you would be better served by relocating to a new office or refurbishing your existing office space.


Office Space Planning

Office space planning is all about achieving the most appropriate and cost effective office space solutions to meet your specific requirements and maximizing the use of space, facilities and equipment. It deals with the fundamentals such as how much office space is available, how many people need to work in the space, what sort of work they will be doing – as well as the practical issues of your meeting rooms, break out, reception, storage, kitchen facilities etc.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Are your employees as productive as you'd like them to be?

Do you own a business? What are some of the space planning challenges you face? Do your employees have adequate space to produce the desired results? How can minor changes in office layout make a significant difference in how you and your staff feel about coming to work? This blog is dedicated to answering your questions and helping you find solutions to these types of dilemmas. Our first post will be up in a few days. Meanwhile, please feel free to let me know if you have a space planning issue I can help you resolve.

Sincerely,

Evelyn Moore-Jones