Commercial Real Estate In Kansas City: 8 Tips For Designing Your Perfect Space
Trends in office space design have undergone massive changes in the past decade, with companies moving away from traditional models and experimenting with how best to promote productivity, creativity and collaboration. It can be hard for small businesses to keep up with these trends, but there are a few basic principles to stick to if you are at a point where you have some say in the design of an office space for lease in Olathe, KS you are moving into. Here are a few factors to consider as you plan your designs – with emphasis on the principles of flexibility and simplicity – as outlined in the article “10 Questions to Ask When Designing Your Office”:
- Space per Employee. The first step in designing an office space is determining how much space you are working with. In the past, designers would plan on about 250 square feet per employee, which meant room for an office, desk, computer and personal touches such as photos or other decorations, but now the mindset is shifting to a more mobile idea of what an office is. Because employees have laptops – which contain both work and personal things in one small space – designers are now allotting only about 150 square feet of space per employee. This is also factoring in the principle that giving employees the option to work from home on occasion means that the office might be only partially occupied on any given day.
- Flexibility. Along with having a general mentality of flexibility in terms of employee mobility, businesses are also starting to make the spaces themselves more flexible. This is especially important for small businesses who are growing and changing. Some ways to do this include buying furniture on wheels so that desks and chairs can be easily moved, getting dividers for conference rooms to reconfigure the space easily and creating “plug and play” areas where employees can take their laptops and sit and work.
- Reception Atmosphere. If your business has a reception area, one of your major design concerns is making that space as welcoming as possible, since that is where customers will form their first impressions of your company. One thing to consider is lighting – try to make sure your reception area allows for as much natural light as possible, and avoid harsh, direct artificial light if possible. Specific colors can also create different impressions – such as blue for loyalty or creams for sophistication. It’s also good to make sure the space is not intimidating; if you are working with a large lobby area, consider creating small clusters of furniture where people can sit.
- Privacy. The trends are certainly moving towards more open spaces, with executives rubbing shoulders with their staff and a general sense of transparency and community, but it is important to still balance this with employees’ need for privacy. Try to create spaces for private conversations, individual work or simply a quiet place to get things done. Having a good mix of community places and solitary places with few distractions is a great way to maximize creativity for all employees.
- Behavioral Patterns. Another thing to consider is how you want to shape the habits of people in your office, because design can really have an impact on people’s behavioral patterns. For example, consider the placement of recycling stations to encourage recycling, or create community printing or coffee areas to encourage interaction between employees who might not normally speak.
- Company Culture. Design of an office space can also communicate both to employees and visitors what your company’s culture and mission are. This is an important thing to consider if you are revamping your business’s brand. Incorporating those changes into the design of your space can really cement the ideas in the minds of your staff and clients.
- Comfort. Companies today are trying to make sure that their spaces have enough amenities to ensure that employees are comfortable throughout the day and actually enjoy being at the office. One way to promote both comfort and communication is by creating inviting cafe or pantry spaces for employees to snack and connect. Other businesses are going for bigger strides, such as fitness rooms, in-house dry cleaning, massage centers, and wellness rooms where employees can go if they are not feeling well. The overall aim is to create a place where employees can balance productivity with necessary elements of well-being, such as socializing, relaxing and exercising.
- Green Possibilities. In all areas of design and construction, the trend these days is to factor in sustainability. Incorporating environmentally friendly elements into office design can range from using reused or recycled materials in carpeting to buying overhead lights that dim as natural light enters a space. In some cases, these kinds of features can even save your business money on energy costs in the long term.
If you have an opportunity to design or re-design a Kansas office space for rent, try to utilize this new beginning to see how you can positively improve anything from productivity, to image, to employee satisfaction in your commercial real estate in Kansas City.
If you are looking to move into a new small office space for rent in Overland Park, KS, give us a call today at 913-685-4100 to learn more about our available office spaces for rent in Overland Park, KS!
