Cost Savings Ideas For Modernizing Your Workspace - Pt.1

When Ceilings Need Not Come Crashing Down

Do you have ceiling tiles from the 1980's or 1990's?  Have your acoustical ceiling tiles turned that color of stained yellow when you used to be able to smoke in the office or grey from all of the dust accumulation over the years? Chances are, that if it's been at least ten years since an acoustical ceiling was installed, it may look and feel like working at Initech in the movie Office Space.  They only difference is you may or may not have to submit those darn TPS reports.  If your workspace is in need of a refresher a good place to look is up.  Many companies look at old, beat up, and stained ceiling tile and immediately think "replace".  While this is an option and there are some fantastic new and innovative products on the market, replacement is not your only option.

In an occupied environment, even during off hours, removing and replacing ceiling tiles is big undertaking.  It's messy, inconvenient  and a needs serious logistical maneuvering to be successful.  My advice.....PAINT!

Replacing Ceiling Tiles Costs More Than Money...It Costs Time.

While there is still some aspect of inconvenience, there is definitively less of it.  You will still need to cover with plastic the majority of surfaces, however, you WILL NOT, in most rooms, need to manipulate the positions of desks, chairs, and individual contents.  A good painting contractor with a well maintained spraying machine will be able to maneuver around most contents and cover the ceiling evenly. Care should be taken not to spray areas not intended for painting like walls (if not being painted) or VP John's favorite plastic plant.    
                                                             

Painted Ceiling Tile & Grid From White To Black

As for costs, it should cost fifty to seventy-five percent less to paint ceiling tiles and grid rather than the cost to remove and dispose of the old tiles, purchase new tiles, and install the new purchased tiles.  Another consideration to note is the saving of landfill debris.

3 Themes Of Modern Workplace Design

By Katherine Butler | October 1, 2012 at 1:02 am 

Mentoring, socialization, and technology were themes heard throughout the recent IFMA Workplace Summit discussions at Cornell University. These tangible topics aren’t just taking the place of yesterday’s buzzwords like productivity, innovation, and employee experience – they’re helping companies achieve a successful workplace strategy.

The value of mentoring, socialization, and technology lie in the ability to define them within the framework and context of corporate culture, which may make them easier to harness. On a large scale, it seems that we are no longer only concerning ourselves with the “how” and “why” of the physical workspace, but rather moving into discussions about the impacts and integration of culture and organizational strategy within the workspace.

One question asked at the Summit: How do we measure the outcome of mentoring and what is the impact on space?

I would argue that it’s the single most important quality to obtaining high morale and employee investment – yet it does not need to be measured in the traditional sense.

Mentoring is essential to employee investment; without it, a company cannot attract and retain the talent it needs to find success and profitability. Having a well acclimated employee base that works together will undoubtedly help obtain the elusive “productive workspace” designation.

Equally challenged was the concept of reverse mentoring. Putting young employees in a position to support those with more experience on things they are more knowledgeable about — often coming in the form of technology proficiency — helps give them a sense of purpose and cultural importance within an organization.  This leads to a flatter, less hierarchical organization; the future of the workplace, spatially as well as organizationally.

These types of shifts within the organizational structure affect the overall space distribution. They need to be planned for so that all generations can draw on one another’s experience and knowledge.

Facility managers, clients, and real estate advisors are evolving to a more virtual world. Before being able to work virtually in a successful manner, however, it is crucial to develop a working rapport. Without the initial “get to know you period,” there is no way to graduate to a virtual relationship.

During one of the panel discussions at the IFMA Summit, it was stated that once you know an employee, you can read their body language and tone through the phone. For this reason alone, the physical space cannot be devalued as a conductor for a socialized and congruous workforce.

The effects of decreased face-to-face interaction also need to be considered within the scope of mentoring.  How to integrate new employees is often a challenge that we do not concern ourselves with in the built environment.  It is important for young employees to learn by mirroring experienced employees in day-to-day tasks, external client communications, internal company communications, and organizational behaviors.

Beyond the development of working relationships, there should be more value put on socialization itself in the workplace. Casual conversations around family, activities outside of the office, and general conversation about life beyond the office should be considered real work, as this is the establishment of a relationship and trust among co-workers. In creating space, it should be considered crucial to build space that supports this type of communication which facilitates trust and comfort working with one another.

Intranets, virtual workspaces, smart phones all allow us to work around the clock.  It has commonly been the perception that if you are not in the office you are not working. In reality, we are most likely working more now than ever given the continual connectivity.

The advancements of wireless technology are only at the beginning.  How wireless technology will continue to proliferate and revolutionize the work environment was discussed at the Summit. While we cannot predict the future, being able to support and integrate future technologies in our workspace planning will only increase the longevity of a newly constructed space as these technologies become more commonplace.

At the end of the day, the goal is to serve clients and provide a stimulating work environment that supports employees and their work processes.  The physical workspace is integral to achieving a high rate of success for a company but it cannot support users without a successful organizational culture in place.

When we are advising clients on workplace strategy, it is important to understand what the effects are on the organization as a whole. We cannot work alone in a bubble; bringing in key stakeholders, boards, HR, finance and other various groups can only strengthen the case when attempting to modify, rectify or define organizational culture.

Why Has Oak Furniture Been Popular For So Long?

It is hard to think of a timber that is more illustrious than oak. Oak is often used for furniture – it has been used throughout history because of its dense heavy structure and the attractive grain it has. Its properties of toughness and durability are prized and well known. What else do you know about oak?

The oak tree is a member of the genus Quercus. This genus is native to the northern hemisphere. There are broadly two type of oak the Red oak and the White oak, and there are over 400 different species. Red oak has a coarse grain and is darker in color than white oak. Red oak is often used for flooring, especially in the US. White oak is considered superior for furniture and cabinet making, as it has a finer grain, less porous, has a nicer color and is much stronger.

The grain of white oak is longer and has attractive silver flecks in it that are the result of medullary rays in the growing oak. The rays can be more clearly seen when the oak is quarter sawn. Quarter sawn oak has been prized since the Middle Ages and was used in the British House Of Commons, The rays are the pathways for the nutrients and can be clearly seen running across the grain and add to the character of the higher quality oak. There are many distinct grain patterns known as flake figures, fine lines, watery figure, pin stripes and leafy grains.

Oak contains a lot of tannin. Tannin gives a bitter aftertaste, helpful in the production of red wine; hence a lot of wine was stored in oak casks. Tannin also protects the oak against infestation of parasites and mould. Different species of oak give different characteristics for wine and many producers have to choose between American and French oak for the flavor they require.

Oak takes a long time to mature – anywhere from 15 -150 years,depending upon the type. Acorns will not appear until the oak is mature, but can take many more years to start growing. Oak was readily available across England and Europe for many years, but as consumption increased and the trees were not replanted it has become less common and more expensive. The quality of oak within a type will vary with the growing conditions. Oaks with the finest grain are usually those grown slowly on well drained soil. These slow grown oaks are the easiest to work with and are more stable in different levels of humidity. The US produces more oak than any other nation at present. Oak accounts for over a third of all hardwood produced in the US

Oak is a dense heavy wood, this makes it good for hand carving as you can get much more detail in a dense piece of wood. It is also very heavy, the old pieces were bulky and very heavy, more modern pieces are made of less wood, but can still be very heavy compared to woods such as pine. Green oak is easy to split making it simple to get the timber into pieces for seasoning. The qualities that oak has are amazing. Oak wood has hard open grain, it is strong, durable and heavy, white oak especially can retain its strength even when in moist conditions. Today many items are made with oak veneer which is applied over other timbers typically composite wood. Oak veneered furniture does not have the same characteristics and features as solid oak furniture, so be sure to choose the type of oak furniture correctly.

Today oak is still grown and prized as a hard wearing wood for furniture. Oak is used for all kinds of furniture from oak bedroom furniture to oak office furniture. There is much more to the oak than just great furniture and acorns! For more information visit Oak Furniture Guide