Commercial Office Design: Don’t Gut The Space, Renovate It!

So you’ve spent what seems like months searching for the ideal office space in the perfect location. You’ve found a premises that is ideal; the only issue is that it’s a little run down.

You love the premises but are wondering whether it’s best to gut it and start again or work with what’s already there. Often, when it comes to commercial office spaces, renovating is better than gutting the space and starting again. This is because often there are features that are in place that you can utilize for your own business, saving time and money.

If you’ve decided to go with a fixer-upper commercial office space and plan on renovating it, here are a few useful tips to bear in mind, to ensure that you make the most of the space and its features.

Work with the architecture that you have

Before you spend thousands demolishing areas of the building, take the time to look at what features there are that you could work with. Remember that every building is unique and it’s the quirky features that a piece of architecture has that makes it so impressive. The fact is that if every building looked the same, the world would be a very boring place. So when it comes to your business premises, aim to see the potential of every feature that’s in place. Want your business premises to be eye-catching? Then take advantage of the architecture that’s already in place – you will regret it if you don’t.

Take advantage of any features that are still in place

It’s not just the layout and architecture of the building that can be saved, if there are any features in place that are still in working order, such as fire sprinkler system, a high-tech security alarm, or emergency lighting solutions, consider using them. Take emergency lighting systems, for instance, they don’t come cheap, so if there’s still one in working order, it’s worth taking advantage of it. Have it tested to ensure that it’s still safe to use and invest in emergency light maintenance, and the system that’s in place should be as good as new. Whether you’re on a budget or not, taking advantage of features that are already in place is just good business sense. There’s no point spending money when it’s not needed, is there?

Select a design style

Before you call in a contractor, pick up a paintbrush or start selecting office furniture, it’s imperative that you have an idea of the design style that you want to incorporate into the building. Are you hoping to keep the design as close to the style of the building as possible or do you want to modernise the space? What style will best represent your company? Is there a way to incorporate eco-friendly design into the building? Take the time to think carefully about how you will design your commercial office space to ensure that you are making the most of the premise.

Learn from others

Thanks to the internet, when it comes to how you design your commercial office space, you don’t need to go it alone. By going online and taking the time to see how other companies in the same sector as you are designing their office spaces, you can get a better idea of what tends to work well and what doesn’t. You can look at buildings that have been renovated and how the company behind the work went about it. What design features did they choose to use and which did they get rid of? What design style was used to renovate the space? Take your time to look at how other businesses design their premises and take inspiration from them.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to commercial office design is that your business premises should be as unique as your company.