Georgie's summary:
An office refurb is the perfect opportunity to do much more than update the appearance of your workspace. Of course, design language is important and refreshing it is exciting. However, a refurbishment is a great chance to look at how your office is performing, identify what’s working and what isn’t and make improvements that genuinely benefit the people using it. Here, we explore key benefits of refurbishing your workspace, from boosting productivity to making better use of your space.
Everything within your workplace is constantly changing, even if the physical environment remains the same. Teams grow, technology advances and working behaviours change, meaning spaces that once supported a business perfectly can gradually become less suited to what people actually need.
That’s one of the reasons businesses invest in office refurbishment. Not necessarily because their existing workspace looks bad, but because there are lots of opportunities to make it work better. (Wanting to refresh how your space looks is also a great reason to consider an office refurb too though).
Whether you’re putting together a business case, securing budget approval or exploring the potential of this kind of project, understanding the benefits of an office refurbishment can help you identify where improvements would deliver the most value.
In this blog post, we explore some of the key reasons an office refurb can bring your business a solid return on investment and the advantages of keeping your space up to date.
Read more: 5 signs you’re outgrowing your office >>
Supporting different ways of working
If you think about how people use your office today compared with five or ten years ago, the chances are, quite a lot has changed. Especially since 2020, with the rise of remote working and teams spread across different working locations.
Hybrid working, flexible schedules and more diverse collaboration between teams and colleagues have influenced what people need from their physical working environment. And it looks pretty different to how offices used to look when dedicated desks and traditional meeting rooms were the norm. However, plenty of offices do still have those traditional layouts and approaches to design language that don’t necessarily accommodate modern requirements.
An office refurbishment opens up the chance to introduce a wider variety of settings, giving people more choice and control. The benefit of this is giving people access to the right environment for the task they’re trying to complete, rather than expecting one type of workspace to accommodate everything.
For example, dedicated video conferencing spaces can help teams collaborate with remote colleagues, while touchdown points provide flexible workstations for employees who aren’t in the office every day. Multi-purpose town hall spaces can accommodate presentations, training and social events, while quiet booths offer somewhere to concentrate or take private calls.
Integrating workplace technology
Technology has become integral to almost every aspect of the working day, but it isn’t always well integrated into the spaces where people need to use it. This is particularly challenging when businesses try to introduce modern workplace tech and AV into physical environments that are outdated and therefore not well equipped enough.
Whether you’re introducing video conferencing technology, wireless presentation systems, interactive displays or room-booking solutions, an office refurbishment allows technology to be considered as part of the overall design rather than something added afterwards. It means simple things like power outlets and connectivity don’t become stumbling blocks.
A good example of this is the project we completed for Ombudsman Services, where technology played an important role in creating a more versatile workplace. The project included programmable AV, an interactive smartboard, mobile collaboration screens and technology within the Town Hall and training suite to support different activities. Touchscreen lighting controls also allowed the environment to be adapted according to how the space was being used.
Addressing workplace issues
Sometimes the strongest argument for an office refurbishment comes from the little things that frustrate employees every day. What seems like surface-level frustration actually translates into compromised wellbeing, productivity and relationship-building.
Perhaps there aren’t enough spaces for genuine privacy, meeting rooms are difficult to book or noise travels between different areas, causing constant distraction and disruption. Other issues might include poor lighting, inadequate ergonomic support or a lack of consideration for accessibility and sensory needs. Individually, these problems might seem relatively minor but collectively, they significantly affect the workplace experience.
The refurbishment process gives businesses an opportunity to investigate their unique workplace issues, gather employee feedback and introduce practical improvements that respond to how people actually need to use and experience the space.
Improving productivity and collaboration
Productivity and collaboration are often discussed together, especially where the modern workplace is concerned, but they don’t always necessarily require the same physical conditions. Collaborative work, for example, benefits from spaces that encourage communication and idea-sharing, while productive individual tasks may call for privacy and minimal distractions.
One of the benefits of an office refurbishment is the opportunity to accommodate both, individually where necessary but also connected. Introducing informal collaboration areas, for instance, could reduce the need for every conversation to take place in a meeting room, while dedicated focus spaces give employees somewhere to work without interruption.
It’s about understanding what kinds of work happen throughout the day and ensuring the office provides suitable settings for them. However somebody wants to work, whether it’s in a team setting or alone, they need settings accessible to them to support this.
Read more: Designing for collaboration and concentration >>
Boosting motivation and engagement
Walking into a workplace that feels considered, comfortable and well looked after provides a totally different employee experience than one that is outdated and not very functional. A shabby office with worn furniture, poor facilities or an uninspiring layout can affect how employees feel about spending time there. A thoughtfully refurbished environment, on the other hand, can demonstrate that the business is investing in its staff experience.
Often, it’s the practical improvements that matter most and when these are taken care of, things like motivation and engagement can increase. Comfortable ergonomic furniture, better lighting, places to take a proper break and greater choice of work settings can all make the working day more enjoyable. When people enjoy the physical environment, this then translates into improved performance.
Optimising space and operational spending
A refurbishment can reveal opportunities to use your existing workspace more efficiently, particularly if your headcount, occupancy patterns or ways of working have changed. It can also be useful if you’re thinking about relocating to downsize your office.
For example, you might discover that large areas of desk space are regularly unoccupied while smaller meeting rooms are constantly in demand. An underused formal meeting area could potentially serve a more valuable purpose as a flexible collaboration or training space.
More efficient space planning may help reduce the need for additional premises as the business grows or alternatively, help you downsize without feeling like you’ve lost anything. It could also identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency through updated lighting, better lighting systems or more effective use of other services.
Helping attract and retain talent
The workplace is one of the most tangible manifestations of how a business treats its employees. Candidates will most probably encounter it during an interview or an office tour, while existing employees experience it every time they come into work. A well-designed workplace can reinforce the positive things a business says about its culture, particularly when it demonstrates an understanding of employees’ needs.
Comfortable and inclusive work settings, opportunities for social interaction and access to suitable technology can all contribute to a positive workplace experience. An attractive office can’t compensate for poor management or an unhealthy culture, but it can help strengthen the overall employee experience and support efforts to attract and retain talent.
Read more: How office design can strengthen your employer branding >>
Bringing your brand identity to life
Businesses change over time, including workplace culture and brand identity but the physical workspace doesn’t often keep up. It’s understandable because a brand refresh or company culture update is far easy and cheaper to action than a full workspace transformation. However, it is important for your office to reflect your business.
An office refurbishment provides the perfect opportunity to bring the physical environment back into alignment with your brand. That could involve updating colour schemes, signage and visual branding but it can also go much further than that. A business that prioritises sustainability, for example, might sharpen its focus on furniture reuse and responsible material selection, while an organisation built around innovation could reflect those values through more state-of-the-art tech.
When these priorities influence how a workplace functions, rather than just how it looks, the office becomes a more convincing representation of the organisation behind it.
Reviewing health, safety and accessibility
An office refurbishment is also a great opportunity to review whether your working environment continues to meet current health, safety and accessibility requirements. Changes in occupancy, layouts, equipment and working practices can introduce considerations that weren’t necessarily relevant when the office was first designed.
A refurbishment might involve reviewing fire safety arrangements, access routes, lighting, ventilation, workstation ergonomics and facilities for people with different needs. Addressing these considerations early can help ensure improvements to the appearance and functionality of the workplace are supported by a safe, comfortable and accessible environment.
Are you looking to refurbish your office? Get in touch with our workspace experts to learn more about how we can support your project.
