DESIGN & INTERIORS DON’T MOVE, IMPROVE.
A burgeoning backlash against thoughtless consumption has been steadily taking root in recent years, particularly in the domestic sphere. Consumers have increasingly been ditching throwaway culture in favour of fixing, upcycling, renovating and improving. Murray Hibbert, Client Relations Director at Habit Action, explains why the same way of thinking should be applied to the workspace.
When something isn’t working as it should, the temptation to cast it off in favour of a shiny new alternative can be all too powerful. After all, in today’s time poor world, many of us don’t have the time to fix a problem- especially when a new, functioning solution can be quickly bought instead. However, recently consumers are being influenced by the sustainability movement and deciding to turn their back on throwaway culture.
The same way of thinking should be applied to the workspace, particularly when we take into consideration the growing understanding of the effect a company’s workspace can have on employee morale, wellbeing and productivity. Based on this relatively new area of science, business decision makers are increasingly embracing the idea of changing their workspace to fit in with their workers’ particular needs.
give insights into how employees feel about their current workspace, provide a ‘heat map’ of what areas are being used the most and when, and detail precisely what activities each space is being used for.
This gives decision makers a comprehensive picture of how their workspace is used, taking the guess work out of office decoration.
“Done right, an office
refit can not only introduce more space and flexibility, it can also have a long
lasting, sustainable effect on employee job satisfaction and productivity.”
Business as usual You can employ all the help there is going, but any move will always come with a multitude of headaches. And moving to a new office absolutely dwarfs moving house in terms of the disruption caused. In fact, estimates suggest that the full process typically takes a year or more.
In contrast, undertaking an office renovation is an ideal opportunity to effect positive business change-with far less disruption. In fact, done right, an office refit can not only introduce more space and flexibility, it can also have a long lasting, sustainable effect on employee job satisfaction and productivity.
A tailored approach Moving to a new office location can definitely deliver benefits, but rarely gives you the opportunity to create a completely bespoke space. In contrast, opting to refurbish gives you the opportunity to tailor the space to your company’s precise needs, which can be ascertained by employing a data-driven approach.
A data-driven office design scheme analyses an organisation’s working style and pattern and converts it into a tangible workspace design scheme. The data can
34 | TOMORROW’S FM
Financial benefits Usually the costlier option, relocation presents a range of financial hurdles, including interruption to business, removal costs and the cost of signing new leases (not to mention the possibility of increased rents). While refurbishing also comes with costs attached, it does provide far more scope to tailor the
project to make sure it fits in with your budget. Refurbishing using a data-driven approach can deliver additional long-term
financial benefits, allowing a workspace to be leaner and potentially reducing real estate costs by identifying and eliminating space wastage.
Wellbeing benefits Done right, office refurbishment can also help to create a unique, attractive environment that employees want to work in, providing an automatic morale-boost.
The right environment can also be instrumental in improving productivity; our own data has shown us that different types of light, temperature, humidity and CO2 levels can not only affect a person’s mood- it can also affect their performance at work. Tailoring these elements to your employees’ specific needs can be a gamechanger in transforming employee productivity- and your company’s bottom line.
With an intelligently designed office fit out project, you can increase occupancy in your existing space whilst enhancing employee wellbeing, overcoming challenges and shifting culture patterns -for the better- along the way.
www.habitaction.com
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72
