London Office Layout Ideas

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.

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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.