A great many companies occupy repurposed buildings – retrofitting them as offices. In places where deindustrialization has taken place, these buildings are often old warehouses and factories. They may even be former houses or apartment blocks in some cities that have experienced depopulation. While the repurposing of buildings for use as office blocks is a perfectly reasonable thing, it is not necessarily sustainable. For companies with reasonable premises budgets, building a new purpose-built office should be a no-brainer. In this (barely) post-pandemic economic environment, more and more companies are looking to move into new buildings. Here are a few compelling reasons why companies should consider commissioning an office building from scratch.
Expandability
All businesses want to grow, right? New buildings can be designed with expandability in mind. One of the schools of design that focuses on expandability with an especially practical vigor is a school of ‘modular office design’. Modular offices can be built upon by adding new modules – a cost-effective method of purchasing new space in the future.
Cost Effectiveness
Although it might seem like the building of a new office space would be less cost-effective than repurposing an old building, the opposite is actually true. The costs associated with a new build office are far more upfront than those associated with an office repurposing. Built property is naturally more expensive than land: meaning that businesses typically pay a premium for an old building. Once the building has been purchased, the costs pile up. Refitting, insulation, electronics, heating, structural surveyance, and structural repairs all cost an arm and a leg. All of these costs are included within the payment a company needs to make for a new build. As part of the consultation process the company and the contractor go through, all costs have to be discussed transparently.
Because newly built offices are more effectively insulated than older repurposed buildings, they are far cheaper to own in the long run. Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture is precisely what a business owner should do before considering a move of premises.
Specific Design Parameters
Companies like Mobius Construct in Bristol can offer a business completely bespoke office spaces that make the most use of the land that they are leasing or have purchased. All business owners should have an idea of their needs when it comes to their office space. When purchasing or leasing a repurposed building, these ideas almost always need to be compromised on. Newly built offices are limited only by the land they occupy and the budget of their commissioning party.
Modern businesses with their finger on the pulse typically desire social, open-plan offices that offer employees the ability to choose between a private and public working space. New built office spaces allow a commissioning business to get exactly what they want in this regard. The better suited to employees an office is, the more productive and happy the workforce of a business will be. Some business leaders have very specific parameters for a new office. Roof gardens, solar energy cells, relaxation rooms, gyms: all of these features can be incorporated into a new build office. Gyms are proving to be one of the most popular office features: allowing employees to exercise their minds and bodies without ever having to leave their places of work.
Environmental Efficiency
Let’s get one thing straight: construction is bad for the environment. The construction industry is a big polluter. Having said that, a new building will be far more environmentally efficient than an old one in the long run, and the construction industry is increasing its commitment to environmental responsibility. Old buildings cost a lot to re-insulate: a task that is absolutely necessary if a company wants to run an environmentally efficient repurposed building.
There is a huge hunger in the world of business for greener office buildings. Sustainable office buildings are not just good for the environment: they are good for profits too. Modern construction companies are vying for business contracts by offering more and more sustainable buildings and construction methods. Efficient insulation, ground heat pump systems, and water reuse systems are all being offered. If you want your business to be based in an environmentally efficient office, then you are going to have to commission a new build. In the long run, the efficiency of a new build will probably offset the environmental impact of construction: especially if the most modern construction methods are used.
