10 Ways to Renovate Your Office Building


The building and office space that you run your company from are more important than you may realize. It is helpful if you own the building you operate from, but that is not always an option, so you need to be aware of the renovations you are allowed to make before recklessly making changes that may be illegal or discouraged. If you have free reign, then you can get creative with what you want to do. Here are ten things you can do to renovate your office building to be as welcoming and efficient as possible.

1. Power Up

Today’s society is more reliant on digital technology, and more specifically, electricity, than ever before. Think of a large empty room. What aspects does that room need to have that you might not initially think about? Electrical outlets are always needed and rarely available. Make sure that your office supports as many electrical outlets as safely possible. One simple or at least temporary solution is purchasing a universal power supplyOpens in a new tab. or power strip. Either of these products can supply your office with the extra power it needs. Remember, computers, printers, small appliances, and so many other items all require power.

2. Economic Incentives

Depending on the city your building is in, you might be able to take advantage of certain economic benefits. Often, if a company is hiring and creating jobs in the area, the city can offer certain tax benefits or other discounts. Look around to see if you can find any of these incentives in your area. They can be worth it even if they are a bit out of your way. The age of your building can also sometimes come with discounts. Cities are always looking to preserve their old buildings and town history.

3. Modernize

Big tech companies are notorious for having modern, quirky workplaces that make employees feel comfortable and cared for. The employees at those companies are happier on average, which has been directly linked to a better quality of work. You can try to emulate these offices using pictures and descriptions you find online, or you can find other ways to make your office more modernOpens in a new tab.. If you can spare some money, you might want to consider purchasing the most up-to-date computers, copiers, or other appliances that you use often. These could provide a morale boost to all of your employees.

4. Use What You Already Have

Every building is unique which means that every building has some features that it can use to its advantage. Think about what attracted you to your building in the first place. If you can pinpoint what you like so much about the building, then you can use those features to enhance the appeal of the building to the general public. For example, if you have an area with a large window and a pleasant view, consider making it a common area. Or, more selfishly, turn it into an office for upper management.

5. Lighting

Lightbulb technology has upgraded significantly over the past few decades, but some buildings still have not made the jump from the old, yellow-tinted lights to newer, fluorescent lights. Old lights make rooms feel stuffy and uninteresting, so modernize your lights wherever possible. On the other hand, if your building is fitted with new lighting already, you need to get creative. It can be fun trying to find places to hide light sources in places you would not normally think to have them. Extra lighting makes a room seem larger and more complete, so find places to sneakily incorporate it around your building.

6. Exterior Appeal

The first thing that the average person sees about your building will be the general exterior appearance. If your goal is to draw traffic to your business, your building needs an exterior feature that will draw eyes and interest to it. This can be another example of using what you already have, but you can also create something new. A sign advertising what your business does is a tried and true way to draw people in, but there are all kinds of creative options you can use depending on the impression you want to give off.

7. Stagger Projects

If you plan on giving your building a complete overhaul, the people who are most affected will be the employees or tenants who use the building every day. You may encounter some resistance from these people if you do not inform them of the projects you are planning on completing, so the best thing to do is to stagger when you start your projects. You do not want to have several projects all around the building at one time. Instead, break your renovations up into smaller, less-invasive projects that you space out throughout the year.

8. Prepare For the Future

Sustainability is vital when it comes to serious renovations. You will likely be spending huge amounts of money over the course of the renovations, and you do not want that money to go to waste. Invest in products made of strong materials that can withstand whatever elements they are likely to be exposed to. You also want to avoid your building looking dated after a few years, so do not invest in anything too distinctive to the current time. Keep your aesthetic choices simple, and do not let yourself go too overboard.

9. Add Color

Office building and other public areas often fall into the trap of monochromatic color schemes or an overreliance on blacks, whites, and grays. You will be surprised by what a difference a splash of color can make both aesthetically and productively. When people are stuck looking at different variations of the same color and nothing else, they get bored. When they have accent colors to look at, they are more likely to be energized. You can decide what colors you should use based on the decor you already have in your building. There is always an accent color that will work.

10. Floors

Floors go through more general wear and tear than any other than almost any other part of a building. People have shoes and strides that are not healthy for the longevity of floors, no matter if they are made of wood, carpet, tile, or something else. Floor renovations can be some of the most invasive projects because of how often people need floors, but floors do not last forever, so you will have to replace them eventually. When you do, make sure that you have alternative routes that people can use to navigate through the building until the floor renovations have been finished.

There are countless renovation options that you can consider for your building. You need to make functional and practical decisions, but you should not let that stifle your creativity. Sometimes, the workplace seems against imagination, so it is always nice to have a creative outlet. Depending on how much say you have over the design of your building, renovating can be a blast. Hopefully, these ten tips listed above can help you on your way to deciding what kind of building you want you and the people you work with to reside in every day of your lives.

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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