We all know what we like in terms of how something looks and feels but does that translate into the “best office design” for your company? When it comes to office design there are many more factors involved in ensuring the office design is right for your business apart from how it looks and feels.
Designing an office space can be a huge undertaking given the number of things that have to be taken into consideration. In this article we look at a few of the many reasons why you need a professional office design company when it comes to carrying out your next office refurbishment.
Office Design Expertise
An office design company will be able to bring with them a wealth of knowledge from their years of experience of carrying out office fit outs and refurbishments. They’ll have seen fads and trends come and go and based on their experience they’ll also know what will work and what won’t work for your business and office space. By utilising this expertise, they are well equipped to translate your ideas into the right office design for your company.
They will take all of the factors that should inform your design e.g., your brand, colours, your processes, spacing and layout needs, existing space and legal obligations into account, pulling them together and using tools to provide an optimal design that will meet your needs, will be practical and aesthetically pleasing and most importantly, make the best use of the available office space.
Trend and Industry Insights
Professional office designers will have trend and industry knowledge and insights. They’ll have access to information on the latest trends and innovations in design, development, and technology which they’ll be able to use in designing your office space.
They’ll also be attending industry events such as Clerkenwell Design Week to maintain their office design knowledge and to stay up to date with the latest design information and trends, which as a business owner you may not have time to attend.
The Right Suppliers
It’s important to know the right suppliers who can provide the materials needed for your design. An office design company will have a list of suppliers they know and trust to supply quality materials, reasonably priced. They’ll also fully understand lead times and know when to order the supplies required to ensure materials are delivered in a timely fashion to meet project deadlines.
Quality Materials
Everyone is looking for a bargain, especially these days, but when it comes to office design and refurbishment it’s important to ensure the materials being used are well made and durable. The last thing a business wants is to have to carry out repairs or replace items within a short space of time after a refurbishment.
By hiring a professional office designer you’ll gain access to the knowledge of what products will be long lasting and will work for your refurbishment and the right suppliers to source them from.
Project Planning and Management
Planning and managing an office design takes time and time management. It’s also a process where a start and stop date has to be clearly defined in order to ensure that each part of the process is carried out and finishes on time so that the next part of the fit out can start. It’s also important that these timelines are adhered to so that the business owner can plan their businesses activities accordingly. An office designer will have experience in both of these areas and be able to ensure your project runs smoothly and efficiently and is completed on time.
If you take on the project yourself, you’ll have to work and liaise with various different companies and coordinate their work yourself. You’ll need to understand how much time is involved in e.g., the designing, stripping out and build phases and when to order materials, furniture, fixtures, and fittings etc.
Communication
As a business owner you have your own business to manage and run. Taking on the design of your office means you will have to also manage, monitor and communicate with various contractors. If you don’t have the time to dedicate to this issues may not be addressed, timelines might slip causing delays potentially increasing the cost of the project.
If you hire an office design company they will take full responsibility for the project and will be solely accountable for completing the project on time and to budget. As a business owner you can then concentrate on your business and don’t have to worry about managing multiple contractors and the project or keep on top of the details. There will also be no uncertainty as to when your office refurbishment will be completed.
Financing Your Project
Without the experience of knowing what goes into designing an office, it can be difficult to estimate how much your office design will cost. After looking at your requirements an office designer will be able to give you an accurate quote for the work to be carried out allowing you to budget accordingly.
Your design company may also be able to help with financing your project. This can be done through office refurbishment leasing which can be tax-efficient as it can offer significant tax savings, as the repayments are 100% tax allowable.
Legal Considerations
As with any project which involves building work, office design and refurbishment are subject to legal considerations and it’s important to understand what they are to avoid falling foul of the law. These include but are not limited to Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM Regulations), The Building Regulations 2010, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and Equality Act 2010.
Ensuring compliance with all the latest planning, building and health and safety regulations requirements are part and parcel of an office designer’s job.
JBH Refurbishments, Experts In Office Design
JBH Refurbishments have over 30+ years experience in office design and office refurbishment and can advise on all aspects of your Kent or London office refurbishment. We understand what’s required and will carry out a refurbishment to the highest standards. We can provide the right expertise for your project. Contact us via our contact form or by calling us on 0333 207 0339.
