Blog Post

When a company sets out to refurbish its workspace, office space planning is a vital first step. London and Hertfordshire companies can call on Thames for an expert service, taking advantage of the experience we have built up over more than 25 years.

Here we look at 10 key questions we bear in mind when designing a client’s workplace, to ensure that every area of the office is used to its full potential. Creating detailed plans at the outset can mean that the resulting design will be better tailored to the requirements of your business, and give you less reason to move to new premises in the future.

1. Access to Facilities: The location of areas such as washrooms and kitchens is an important element in an office fit out. We can advise you over the regulations applicable to aspects such as the number of toilets for the number of people on the site, and disabled facilities. Thames can carry out all the plumbing work needed, so there will be no need to call in additional contractors.
2. Special Needs: Access is something that must be borne in mind not only when planning kitchen and washroom facilities, but at every stage of a modern office refurbishment. Accessibility needs to be built into the design, for instance by including ramps and lifts to ensure that people with disabilities can get around the building unaided. Entrances and exits are obvious areas where access needs to be considered, but it is also a factor governing the width between desks or workstations.
3. Teams: One reason for an office refit is a business reorganisation. Often it may be the case that one area of a company has contracted, while another is growing and requires more space. We will discuss with you which members of staff need to work closely within teams. Another question is whether some teams need to talk to each other on a regular basis, so that it would be a good idea to have them in adjacent areas.
4. Access to Files and Equipment: Storage requirements have changed dramatically for most businesses in the digital era. However, many employees do still need access to physical files, and this is always an important part of our office space planning for London businesses. The location of pieces of equipment such as printers and photocopiers can affect productivity, so it is essential to make sure enough power points are included for these machines.
5. Noise: When deciding which teams should be based in what part of the building, it’s important to think about what noise levels are acceptable for different types of work area. In planning space, we will bear in mind all sources of noise, including other nearby departments, equipment, corridors and the location of social areas.
6. Meeting Space: Even where most of your office design is open-plan, meeting areas will also need to be included. Some completely private and separate meeting space will probably be needed, for instance for consultations with clients. You may also wish to include some semi-private, quiet space, such as informal meeting areas. Using office partitioning is a way to use space flexibly and create private spaces within a larger area.
7. Entrance/Reception Areas: These areas are the public face of your business and their layout is therefore especially important. Facilities for visitors are one important element, including access to facilities such as washrooms. You also need to consider the distance between reception and work areas, in order to maintain privacy and avoid unnecessary disruption.
8. Creative Spaces: Does the design of your workspace need to help inspire or stimulate creativity? Dedicated “creative space” can be an element in some office designs – for instance, with larger desks designed to allow creative teams to work together more closely. Where this type of layout is chosen, office partitions can be an important element to maintain privacy.
9. Retaining Positive Aspects: When firms in the London or Hertfordshire area begin the process of planning out their working environment, they are likely to concentrate on the areas of the office which need changing. However, equally, there may be aspects of the current layout, design or decor that staff like. We will look at how these features can be retained while still making necessary improvements to the workplace as a whole.
10. Flexible Spaces: Yet another point to bear in mind during planning is whether some areas have to be adaptable for more than one use. In some smaller London offices, an informal breakout area might also need to work as a large meeting room for company meetings, or a larger office might need to be partitioned off into smaller areas on occasion. We will help you think creatively about how to make best use of space and look at innovative materials and techniques. This will allow a greater range of options and ensure the desired results are achieved.

For more details of our full range of services, contact Thames Contracts on 020 8368 0045