Dublin has become a hot spot for cutting edge office fit outs. Both local and international corporations have made an impact on the property market by creating workplaces that are innovative in their layout and design. Facebook, Google, Huawei and Amazon are just some of the huge names exploring new ways to make their office spaces more innovative and contemporary.
Of course, not everybody has the entire floor of an office block to work with, but that doesn’t mean the up and coming competition can’t be just as inspirational with their office fit outs. Many small to medium companies are growing their businesses in much more compact locations. From the Georgian houses of Leeson Street to the Innovation Centre at near Pearse Station, there are all kinds of office buildings that are trailblazing a road into the future.
If you want to join them and create an office that’s comfortable, efficient and, most importantly, inspirational for your staff, continue reading our Office Fit Out Dublin guide for all the tips you need to get a top of the line fit out at a cost-effective price.
Office Fit Out Dublin Tip 1: Ask your staff what will work best for them
As you begin the exciting task of redesigning your office, one question that you need to be aware of is: How will it impact your staff?
This encompasses everything from how they work, how they socialise, whether they need a large meeting zone, or should everybody be compartmentalised at their desks. You might think that you know the answers to these questions already, but the truth of the matter is nobody knows your office better than the people who are working in it every day.
Ask your employees what will make their lives easier.
Some of the most exciting companies in Dublin are designing work environments that their staff are eager to visit each morning. This is because more and more people have recognised that quality of life is as important as a decent paycheque, so you need to be just as competitive on that front if you want to retain the best talent working in Ireland today.
Office Fit Out Dublin Tip 2: Use as much natural light as possible
There’s no doubt about it: Humans like natural light. People spend thousands of euro every year just to visit sunny countries, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that professionals who work in offices with a lot of natural lighting are much happier and productive than those who are stuck under the buzz of a fluorescent light.
If your company is in an older building, you might not be set up to take advantage of this fact. Many of the 17th century constructions around our fair city didn’t have sunshine in mind, and office blocks that were built in the 80’s and 90’s just didn’t make the connection between happiness and quality of work.
When you’re planning your office fit out in Dublin, take it as an opportunity to find a solution for these problems. Can you expand a window? Can you add a skylight? Are their dividers that block the window from certain employees? Or can you knock down a wall and turn your two-room operation into an open plan metropolis?
Remember, you’ll continue to enjoy the benefits of a good office fit out for years to come, so a little inconvenience in the short-term is well worth it in the long run.
Office Fit Out Dublin Tip 3: Bring some of the outdoors inside
In conjunction with our second tip is that fact that people also benefit hugely from having a little plant life in sight. That isn’t to say you should turn your office into a greenhouse, or even just drop a few ferns into an empty corner here and there, but you should certainly outline some way to bring a little bit of the outdoors into your building.
Even so, introducing greenery to your workplace can be a fussy affair. You need to make sure you’re not making the place look too old fashioned, that you’ll actually be able to maintain what you bring in, and that you don’t choose some exotic monstrosity that takes over an entire floor.
Some of the best office fit out examples we’ve seen have utilised greenery, whether real or fake, for touches of natural hue around the workplace, and it’s often been a critical part of the design that is only noticed subliminally.
Office Fit Out Dublin Tip 4: Build upon what you’ve got
For as many problems the older buildings in Dublin can cause, there are just as many opportunities to bring out the personality of a location and integrate it into your brand.
Exposed pipes, wooden floors, old plaster work and unique features of historical interest aren’t elements that you need to battle in your quest to create the perfect office fit out – they are assets that can be used in conjunction with your plan for a contemporary office design.
The Digital Hub in Dublin 8 is a tremendous example of this, where old mill equipment from the Guinness brewery has been repurposed throughout the building to populate breakout zones, waiting areas, and break rooms with distinct furniture that gives the location its own unmistakable look and feel. If there’s one lesson you should remember from our office fit out Dublin guide, it’s that you should work with a talented designer who appreciates you don’t want to gut your building: you want to bring out the best in it!
Our Axis Office Fit Out team are always excited to get talking about a new project, so if you’ve been waiting for the right time to begin planning, make sure you get touch with us by sending a message or by picking up the phone 01 5368572.