If you rent – or are
interested in renting – London office space, then it’s natural that you’ll want
your workspace to reflect the lively and productive atmosphere that London has
in spades. Bringing a bit of London je ne sais quoi into your office is easier
than it sounds. With a few simple changes in layout – shifting the locations of
a few desks and chairs – you can make your daily working space feel more
modern, airier and positively Londonesque. Of course, you also need to take
health and safety into account – your employees are not likely to be too happy
if you’ve turned your London office into an obstacle course. But for a quick,
morale-boosting, client-impressing boost to your business, some considered
experimentation with the layout of your office comes highly recommended.
A brief diversion
before we get started – many of the world’s top businesses choose London office
space as their UK headquarters. Many big businesses put a lot of emphasis on
the way their employees use and feel about their workplace – the ultimate
examples of this are probably the efforts of technology companies who have
attracted plaudits (and ridicule) for their open-plan offices, which include
such morale-boosting features as slides, climbing walls and aquariums. You
don’t necessarily need to go this far when rearranging your London office
space, but taking the effort to make your workplace stand out from the
claustrophobic-looking cubicle farms that many people associate with certain
businesses can help in convincing clients, customers and investors that your
business is modern, forward-thinking and friendly.
When designing your
office layout, modular furniture is your best friend. This can be moved around
to create an almost unlimited number of layouts, with small curved tables creating
a sense of regularity between separate desks. Once you’ve got hold of some
modular furniture for your office, you can experiment to your heart’s content.
If you can, then try to arrange your desks and chairs so that a large open area
is left in the centre of the room, thus allowing people to move through the
space easily, whilst having easy access to anyone that they need to speak to.
Unfortunately, many of
us that rent London office space are unable to give up this much space. Lack of
room means that we have to cram all of our employees into a small area. Don’t
worry if this sounds like a familiar situation, there are still steps you can
take to make your office a better place to work. For a start, depending on the
kind of work that your business does, you may want to consider removing
dividers between desks. This can drastically reduce the stuffy, claustrophobic
feeling associated with some workplaces. Of course, employees need to be able
to work in peace, without distraction, but this can be achieved with clear
guidelines on office culture, and a little bit of creativity – try ‘Do Not
Disturb’ signs, for example.
You can also make the
most of limited space in your London office with a few simple
decorative additions such as plants and artwork. Sure, it’s no adult-sized
slide (if you rent a London office, you’d have to be blessed with a very understanding
landlord to be able to start replacing stairs with playground equipment), but
just giving your employees something to look at that isn’t a big, bright screen
can stop concentration from lagging and make your workplace feel more
welcoming.
Experimenting with the
layout of a London office can boost employee morale and productivity, and bring
a little of London’s exciting atmosphere into the workplace. To find commercial
property in the UK capital, contact commercial estate agents in London.
