How do you communicate your office space design vision to your landlord and contractor?

The key points for communicating your office space design vision to your landlord and contractor: 1. Design Brief: Prepare a detailed document outlining your vision, including functionality, aesthetics, and preferences. 2. Visual Aids: Use mood boards, sketches, or digital renderings to visually illustrate design concepts and ideas. 3. Collaborative Meetings: Schedule meetings with the landlord and contractor to present your vision, gather feedback, and address questions. 4. Be Clear and Specific: Clearly articulate expectations regarding layout, materials, colors, and other relevant details to minimize misunderstandings.

I think it is important to consider whether your space is meeting the needs of your people even if your lease is not coming up for renewal. Those not familiar with Corporate Real Estate may not be aware of the 3, 30, 300 rule of thumb, where $3/ft2 goes to Utilities, $30/ft2 goes to rent and $300/ft2 is what you are spending on the salaries of the people using the space. Put your people first and identify what they need of the office to support the accomplishment of your organization's purpose.

Effectively communicating your office space design vision to both your landlord and contractor is crucial for bringing your ideas to fruition. Clearly articulate your goals for the space, highlighting key elements such as functionality, branding, and employee well-being. Schedule meetings with your landlord and contractor to present your vision in person, allowing for open dialogue and the opportunity to address any questions or concerns. Provide a comprehensive overview of the design's practical aspects, including space utilization, and any specific materials or color schemes you have in mind. Effective communication and collaboration are essential for aligning all stakeholders and achieving a design that meets your expectations.

I would conduct an evaluation (Business, HR and Construction Plan) in order to understand our present and future requirements. Once your evaluation is completed, you can better communicate the vision of the organization, goals and future vision. You can start planning with your team, creating a happy and healthy work space for everyone. Always try to build a plan to envision future realignments into existent space. I created a modern Learning Center where we had to request special requirements and take on a bit of extra space that in the long run, evolved into new training opportunities by saving millions of dollars. I would look at creating hybrid work space & partners. Who could work side by side with you and increase success!

Before creating a design brief I would spend good quality time assessing data you have about your current workplace, assessing what works and what does not and engaging with leadership about future needs and with team members. So many projects run into issues (delays and/or additional costs for changes or low adoption etc because a design brief was done with a small insular team or without any engagement and consultation. A clear picture of the direction for the organization can help create a transitional plan that accommodates the current needs and can be more easily reconfigured to suit future requirements. Engagement helps to ensure that the true value and pain points within the current space(s) are heard and addressed in the new space.

Before considering renewing any lease, I would recommend getting a better understanding of how your employees work and where they are most effective at accomplishing their work. I would not rush into renegotiating or extending a lease in this current environment without having clarity on my organizations hybrid working plan. There are also some many options out there now to meet your office space needs beyond traditional leases - co-working and even furniture as a service options to consider.

Per my earlier comments, I would start with this step and make sure that I understand how my team works and what I need in the office for it to be meaningful for employees to be there. If we are going to earn the commute, we need to give employees the opportunity to input on how they want to best connect in meaningful ways with their colleagues.