Tearing up the office isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time, but there are better and worse ways to do it. For a smooth transition from old to new, make sure everyone at your company has a clear understanding of what the change will entail. Make a solid plan with your contractor, and then set clear expectations with employees about timelines, off-limits areas, and who will be responsible for what during the renovation.

The Planning Stages

When planning your renovation, take all factors into account. You might head into the process for more usable space or better window accessibility, but don’t forget that this is your opportunity to update other details. Consider the Energy Trust of Oregon’s suggestions for more energy-efficient lighting, or ideas like eco-friendly carpeting and paint, wider hallways or a centrally located break room. Where appropriate, take employee opinions into account.

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Springtime means the arrival of many good things, like flowers and sunshine, but it also means that you have a lot of work to do to salvage the damage the winter caused on your office building. From inside to out, here are the 10 things you need to do to get your building spruced up and ready for the season.

Pressure Wash Walls and Windows

With all of the snow and ice that have been covering up your grounds for the last few months, it is no secret that your building is going be dirty once all of the snow subsides. The easiest way to give your building a fresh look is by pressure washing it. Hire someone to clean it from the roof to the ground, including the windows.

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You think getting an office makeover sounds like a good idea. You hear stories of grandeur and promises of productivity from office renovations and you want to experience these benefits for yourself and your company. However, before you dig into your wallet to invest in these improvements, it’s important to make sure that what you are getting done is really going to be worth it.

There are three main reasons that people want to makeover their office: improved looks, increased energy efficiency, or optimal productivity. Perhaps you only desire one of these results, or maybe you want all there. Regardless, here is a further look into these three reasons to help you decide if the time and energy it takes to move forward with your makeover will be worth it in the long run.

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Saying the phrase commercial office design used to drum-up visions of cubicles, poor lighting, and the ever elusive corner office. Fortunately for the majority of employees, commercial offices have now come to represent places where employee workspaces are designed to maintain comfort while increasing work efficiencies. From collaborative work areas to open floor plans the most common commercial office designs are places where employees enjoy coming to work every day.

Open Workspaces: Open office designs incorporate a few of the following elements: shared workspaces, team areas, alternative work areas, large meeting and training spaces, and groups of desks as an alternative to rows of cubicles. Benching applications, which comprise a work surface space with a central technology infrastructure, are also a popular element of an open workspace design.

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How is your office contributing to your company’s overall productivity? If you aren’t sure, it’s time to take a closer look at the design of your workspace. CBS News reports that over 50 percent of employees would be willing to stay at the office for an extra hour every day if they were happier with the space they were given to work. Not only can a redesigned office make your employees eager to work longer, it can also make them more productive and stay working at your company for many years to come. Here are a few renovation ideas you can make to increase your office’s efficiency.

Centralize Common Spaces

The way the office space is set up is the number one cause for loss of productivity. Consider where your employees actually go throughout the day. Is the layout setup for convenience, or are your workers walking excessive amounts to perform simple tasks, such as make copies or get coffee? By providing centralized workstations and break rooms, you are eliminating huge amounts of wasted time. Continue reading →

With any large project, planning is the key to being successful. But a plan is only as good as the questions answered by it. Here is a guide put together by the knowledge staff at Premiere Works that covers the major sections of an office renovation plan that will help you save time and money.

Be Clear on Your Goals

What do you want to achieve with the renovation? Do you want to stay in the space another 10 years or be out in two? Are the changes for you or for your clients? Discuss and agree upon your goals. Get them down on paper. Don’t resist changing them along the way, but don’t start until you’re comfortable with the direction of the renovation. A false start can be an expensive one. Continue reading →