Answer these questions to adopt an action strategy that is closest to your needs. Is the new or refreshed office supposed to help strengthen social contacts between employees? Improve workstation and workplace ergonomics? Or perhaps tackle the problem of too much noise? It is fundamental to identify the purpose of the change, because it will help determine the right measures.

An office should not restrict employees in their duties – actually it should help them do their work the best they can. Before creating a design, it is a good idea to decide what your company’s work model will be. Will it be office-based or hybrid work? For all team members or selected departments?

The answers to these questions will depend on the nature of work performed by team members, their duties, as well as the resources or equipment they need to carry out their tasks as effectively as possible. This is also the right moment to consider the future of your company. For example, if new recruitment or organisational changes are planned in the near future.

Regardless of the work model and type of office you choose, it is important to include zones that support employees and help them perform their duties. If the right proportions between those zones are maintained, you can help increase team performance, satisfaction and commitment. Based on our previous experience, we believe that every office should include these four basic areas:

• ADMINISTRATION - this area supports the performance of activities such as computer work, administration work, document processing by offering the right equipment, such as workstations for short- and long-term work and reception desk.

• COMMUNICATION - this area consists of meeting spaces - both for live and online meetings. Spaces for the exchange of ideas and information, but also places that support strengthening formal and informal relationships.

• REGENERATION - an area designated to caring about people’s physiological needs and relaxation, with spaces such as chillout room or nap room.

• CONCENTRATION - an area intended for individual creative work in focus and silence.

Businesses move to new offices every five years, on average. To us, it’s a routine process as we have helped create thousands of spaces for organisations from many industries of various sizes and in various corners of Europe and the world. Based on our accumulated knowledge and experience, we have developed a proprietary tool called Workplace Questionnaire. The questionnaire allows you to collect important information that will help you create an office tailored to your needs. It contains the questions mentioned above as well as many more to serve as a guidepost on the way to a better and more optimal work environment. Who knows, maybe it will lead you towards solutions that you might not have thought about before...?