Problems With Old School Office Design

The way we do business has changed completely in comparison to twenty years ago; however for many, the places we do business in have not. These days, innovation seems to be encouraged everywhere, apart from in office design.

Many companies are stuck in the past, refusing to take onboard contemporary office design ideas and insisting that the old-school way of working is the most efficient.

Here are four reasons why they are wrong.

Employees’ health and productivity

In the past, many office designers didn’t factor in the importance of employees’ health, with light and ventilation often being secondary priorities. Neglecting to clean the air ducts is one of the prime examples. This can usher in poor indoor air quality. Over time, dust, dirt, pollen, and other contaminants can accumulate in your office’s air ducts. When your heating or cooling system runs, these particles can be circulated throughout your office. This can lead to poor indoor air quality, which can cause health problems such as allergies, respiratory issues, and eye irritation. Therefore it might be wise to clean the ducts every year with the assistance of experts from an Air Duct Cleaning company. These experts are often equipped with high-powered vacuum systems that can thoroughly clean your ducts without making a mess of your office.

Similarly, a lack of natural light can also affect employee productivity. This is because the human mind and body are said to have evolved to function in natural light. A perfect example of this lack of planning is the excessive use of fluorescent lighting in older office buildings. This has since proved to be damaging to both productivity and workers’ health.

More traditional offices also refused to take on the task of designing the space ergonomically for both convenience and time-saving.

If you want to retain both productive and healthy employees, a movement away from this outlook is essential.

Sustainability

Going greener not only reduces your carbon footprint but is also a handy way to reduce costs.

Oftentimes, you would find offices with plastic blinds that do not completely block out sun rays. In addition, these plastic blinds may negatively impact the environment if not disposed off properly. To that end, attaching newer, more eco-friendly blinds and Window Shutters in specific areas could do a better job than the old-school ones.

Most old-school offices aren’t designed to efficiently maximize heat and light retention.

Therefore, you will often end up spending any money you save from not renovating on extra energy bills.

So veering away from offices designed for functionality, rather than sustainability can not only help you save the planet, it can also save a few quid in your budget.

UK design companies can give you guidance on the various grants and subsidies available in Britain.

Worker’s enthusiasm

Many of your employees will have friends who work in cool and trendy office spaces, such as Google and Facebook.

They will be hearing how these new, innovative offices are designed to get the best out of the workforce and they will want to be part of that.

By creating a similar sort of space, which fits in with your company’s ideals, you can regain any lost enthusiasm in workers who feel like their workplace is stuck in a rut.

To do this, you could take help from an interior design/renovation firm with expertise in office refurbishment in London (or where your office is located). They could help you create an environment that looks and feels modern, in turn helping your employees work better!

Productivity

Back in the day, the most important thing when designing an office was to have enough space to fit every single one of the workers.

That has changed dramatically in recent times – now the essential thing is to create an environment that gets the most from those workers.

Old school designs didn’t take into account that creative spaces may help creatives, but damage those whose work requires clear and concise focus. A new design could be the answer to getting the most from your workforce and creating a workplace that suits both your employees and your business.