Effective office space planning and design

Scheduled Dates (sort by: location | date)

Course Overview

Space planning is a subject that is surrounded in mystique. At the simplest level it is about arranging desks in an office, but there is far more to it than that. The environment in which employees work has a direct effect on their productivity. The type and amount of space they occupy can directly affect the profitability of a company, so it is vital to get it right. And there are so many variables to consider, from your own corporate culture to what your staff do, where they need to do it, and whom they need to interact with to be effective.

This seminar is about office design, the skills processes and people involved, and how to manage a space-planning project. It looks at all stages from deciding what kind of office environment would best suit your organisation, through briefing, analysis and design to fitting out and furniture supply.

Included in this seminar are case studies from experienced and in-experienced people who have done it all before.

Audience

This seminar has been designed specifically for those involved in determining the design and space planning requirements for their organisations’ workplaces. Previous delegates have included:

• Facilities managers
• Health and safety managers
• Support services managers
• Project managers
• Building services managers
• Office managers
• Managing directors

Skills Gained

Having attended the seminar you will be equipped to:

• Enhance the performance of your staff by providing the right working environment
• Gain a better understanding of a complex process
• Communicate your requirements better with your design team
• Get buy-in from those most directly concerned – your staff
• Achieve better results from the project
• Choose the right form of contract for the work
• Appraise EU and H&S regulations as they affect the design of workplace

Course Outline

Business issues and corporate culture – what kind of office environment suits your company?

• Corporate culture – Looking at the ways in which the focus on solutions and problem solving has changed the corporate culture of organisations
• New ways of working – Coffee shops, hot-desks, sofas, table football machines are now all recognised as places to work – so how do we define working?
• Reducing churn – Office design can contribute to a more productive, happier workforce. This can have a significant effect on profitability, especially if you can reduce churn
• Cellular or open plan offices – Breaking down the myths of status, privacy and practicality

Analysing needs and formulating the brief

• Developing a brief – Which aspects of your offices can you leave to your designers and which do you need to specify yourself?
• Space audit and analysis – How to work with your designers to find out exactly what kind of office environment suits your organisation

Project implementation

• Procurement routes – Tendering procedures and procurement routes vary – which is right for your project?
• Selection of specialists, contractors and suppliers – What to look for when choosing a contractor or supplier
• Scheduling – How long do you need for your project? Phasing and planning to ensure that your business can operate throughout the implementation programme
• Cost control – How to ensure that you have the right budget and that you avoid over-running
• Tips on project management and getting the best from the team

Interior design

Interior design is something we all think we can do, but think about how difficult it is to agree a domestic colour scheme or layout – in an office you may have several hundred experts and you need to communicate with them effectively

• Partitions, ceilings, flooring, lighting – How the materials and designs you choose for your offices affect running costs, flexibility and productivity
• Furniture futures – Selection criteria for desks, chairs and storage Ergonomic issues
• EU/H&S regulations – Ensuring that your furniture and PC’s are installed in a way that conforms to EU regulations and provide a safe working environment. Ensuring your building has the right facilities for the disabled
• The psychology of colour – How different colour schemes can affect productivity
• Communications – How to keep your workforce and achieve buy-in

Space standards and flexibility

• Examining what kind of working environments you need to provide – Different working spaces have different functions and produce different results. We examine typical spaces and their uses
• Calculating floor areas – Optimising your space is vital for the success of your business. Are you using your space efficiently or could you dramatically improve efficiency without the need to move?
• Building-in flexibility – How to provide facilities that will serve their purpose today AND tomorrow

What to expect to see

• Understanding plans – How to interpret their meaning, what they tell you and what they can’t
• Computer visualisation – CAD has transformed the way in which we can view a project before it is built – we look at the techniques, the advantages and the pitfalls
• Diagrams and tables – How to understand blocking and stacking, proximity diagrams and schedules

Case studies

Putting the theory into practice, by examining a number of case studies we can identify some of the potential pitfalls and help you avoid them in the future

• The real value of a space audit
• Comparing one building to another in terms of space planning and fit out costs
• Issues that can be used in negotiating with the Landlord

Effective office space planning and design / cm65374