The View from the Top: Have a glimpse of the things to consider for a modern day office!
Blaine Weber of Weber + Thompson, an architectural firm based in Seattle, Washington pointed out in his article "Ten high-rise office building design trends" the things you should consider for a modern day office. The article was written way back in 2002 but it is still worth a read if you are considering to update your office and adapt the design ideas of some of the top companies in the world.
The Ten Design Trends mentioned in the article were:
- Safety and Security - The newer buildings in compliance with the latest building codes can comfortably withstand forces of nature such as earthquake and wind as well as most man-made catastrophic events. He further discussed that prospective tenants should also consider stringent security codes, such as control over access points, parking and other vulnerable areas.
- Smarter Buildings and More Bandwidth - Look for smart buildings with good infrastructure in place such as more electrical, heating, airconditioning capacity, technologically smart vertical transportation, security and mechanical systems. Buildings should have information systems with adequate room for wiring, ducting and information systems structure.
- Green Building - With green buildings comes earth friendly designs, energy efficiency and other cost savings. It also provides comfort factors such as fresh air, natural day light and a connection to nature.
- Layered, Sculpted and Scaled Architecture - Weber discussed that "Today’s cutting edge buildings are elegant compositions of sculpture, with a rich palette of colors and textures." Choose a building that would suit your modern office. The location and the building itself is a reflection of your office and subsequently your company’s image.
- Light, Air and Space - He noted to pay attention on the layout of the floor plan and to prefer a space with fewer columns. A reduced glass to core depth is also advisable because glass allows natural light to come in.
- Branded Office Environment - An office says a lot about the company’s image. The company’s brand can be reflected in its office space through colors, display of products and the provisions for employee comfort. According to Weber "When everything about the design communicate’s a company’s values, a strong message is sent to all who enter."
- Facilitating Collaboration - He emphasized the need for a semi-private area where small groups of people can interact spontaneously. Some companies refer to it as dens, chat rooms, "eddies", "clubs" or "hives". He mentioned "In today’s workplace where people disappear into their cubicles, it is extremely important that the design of the office provides places for people to think and talk."
- Adaptability and Personal Space - The demand for increased creativity and productivity in the workplace requires an environment that is physically and emotionally suportive. People should be allowed to find their own balance by being able to modify their own personal place. "Research has shown the ability to modify one’s physical space—even to a small degree—has a profound influence on employee productivity and attitude."
- Leisure Space in the Office - Blaine Weber suggested to provide amenities that allows employees to relax and de-stress such as yoga and workout gyms, sports bars and meeting nooks. It can translate to increased productivity and strong team building.
- Negotiating for the Long Haul - Negotiate for long-term leases in prime locations. Position yourself in a deal that can give you better leverage. A long-term lease gives you an opportunity to remodel or refresh your company’s image. Besides, you don’t want to invest thousands of dollars in renovations and interior design only to dismantle it in a short period of time!
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2 opinions for The View from the Top: Have a glimpse of the things to consider for a modern day office!
Jasmine
Feb 8, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Green buildings are definitely a current office building trend.
here’s a posting on inhabitat showing a green building in Cambridge, Massachusetts,– Genzyme Center– that allows more than 75% of the employee workforce to work using natural light and yielding a 42% savings in electricity costs.
here’s more: http://inhabitat.com/2007/02/06/genzyme-center/
propertycrossroads.com - Taipei 101 : The Tallest Building in the World
Feb 9, 2007 at 4:52 pm
[…] As a supplement to my previous blog; "The View from the Top: have a glimpse of the things to consider for a modern day office!", I would like to introduce to you the current tallest building in the world Taipei 101. […]
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