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OFFICE DESIGN Questionnaire

Experts in creating amazing work space environments.

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Cont

ents

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Introduction

Foundation questions

The building and people

The reception

Boardroom and meeting rooms

Storage requirements

Post area

Staff breakout and tea points

Other areas

IT and telecoms

Who can we talk to?

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As your project approaches its starting point, you will

need to select your team and start to organise your

business in the planning for your relocation and or

office design and development improvements. It is

important to have an idea of how your business looks

today and how you would like it to look in the future

whether you will be dealing with an architect, an

interior designer or a specialist team.

This guide will run through a range of questions which should be

taken into consideration prior to meeting any potential suppliers.

This is to make sure that you are fully prepared throughout the

process. Some are relatively simple while others should begin to

help you shape the design ethos for the upcoming project.

Chameleon are experts in providing everything you need in

office design, refurbishment and office relocations. We hope you

find this guide useful.

Intr

oduc

tion

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• What are the drivers for the scheme?

• What is the proposed cut-off date for

completion?

• What would happen if you missed this

deadline?

• What other milestones need to be

accomplished in the course of the

programme?

• What are the main areas of risk to the business

through-out the process?

• What are the core concerns for the business in

relation to the relocation?

• What would a flawless outcome for the project

look like?

• Is there a perfect time to implement the move

to reduce the impact on the business?

• What level of specification are you considering?

• How do your major opponents approach their

office environments?

• Is there an example or a certain standard that

you would like to match?

• Are there specific areas which ought to have a

higher quality specification?

• Have you considered a budget for the scheme

or explored likely overall cost requirements?

• Will you consider new furniture, personal

computers, telephone systems and IT

equipment?

• How vital is the level of control and

functionality of heating, cooling and

ventilation systems for your new space?

• Have you considered the option of lease

funding for your fit-out?

• Have you taken advice concerning tax breaks

and capital allowances?

• What is your attitude to eco issues and

sustainability in the design?

• Have you spoken to a specialist advisor to

explore the choices for sustainable design?

• Do you realise your responsibilities regarding

Health & Safety as the client and employer?

• Have you considered how to connect with and

engage your staff with regard to the project

and how it may affect them?

Foundation questions

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• Where is your preferred site?

• Will you lease or buy your new building freehold?

• Do you prefer multiple floors or a single floor?

• Which aspects of your present building do you

want to replicate?

• Which features of your current building do not

work for you?

• Is it imperative to have your own dedicated

reception at ground level?

• Do you mind sharing entrance halls and building

security with other occupants?

• Are you flexible about lease term or will you

prefer a certain one?

• What is your opinion on sustainability for your

new building?

• How do your people feel about your present

offices?

• How will the move affect them?

• What is the current headcount of your business?

• How is this separated into departments and

roles?

• Which departments and functions need to be

near to each other?

• Which individuals or departments need to be in

enclosed offices?

• Is there a need to think about more open plan

work areas?

• What is the present space allocation per person?

• Is this considered acceptable?

• What are the probable predictions for future

growth or reduction in headcount?

• What is the view concerning allocation of quality

space such as breakout, touchdown and social

space?

• How does the company hierarchy work?

• How will choices be made and by whom during

the process?

• How will the staff feel about this?

• What provision over and above statutory

guidelines will be made for disabled staff and

visitors?

The building and people

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Boardroom and meeting rooms

• What look and feel would you like to achieve?

• Have you looked at any other office

organisations for inspiration?

• What level of specification do you want?

• Have you considered your total budget and the

ratio allocation of this to reception?

• How many reception staff will you be having?

• Have you thought how visitors will be

welcomed and catered for?

• How much traffic will flow through reception

and how will you handle security?

• How much seating will you need and do you

have display or audio visual requirements?

• How will refreshments work and access to W.C.

facilities?

• Will you be having disabled visitor access?

The reception

• How many meeting rooms will be needed?

• For how many people will the meeting rooms

need to accommodate?

• Will you want informal meeting areas?

• What equipment will be needed within the

rooms such as audio visual and conferencing?

• What level of lighting and control of light levels

is essential?

• Do you need facilities such as catering or toilets

for the meeting room areas?

• What is the biggest headcount that would

need to be accommodated in any one

meeting?

• What levels of visual or acoustic privacy are

needed?

• What is the preferred location for meeting

facilities and how does this work in your

choice of building?

• Do you need to vary the sizes of meeting

rooms through the year?

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• What are the personal needs for storage in the office areas?

• Have you considered a storage purge as part of the movement process?

• What central storage requirements do you have?

• What element of storage could be archived off site?

• Will you need any intense storage such as roller racking?

• What level of security is required?

• How will post be dealt with and where in the building?

• What type of equipment will be needed in this area?

• Printer and Copier Areas

• Will this area be open plan or in an enclosed space?

• What allocation of service areas will be needed and where?

• What equipment is needed and will this be new or relocated?

Storage requirements

Post area

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• Will there be a First Aid facility?

• Have you considered a Staff Recreation area with games and

breakout?

• What about shower facilities?

Other areas

• What number and type of staff facilities do you need?

• Will you provide catering facilities, vending or drinks on site?

• What demand will be placed on these facilities and what headcount should be catered for?

• How does your proposed building work in offering the required extraction, ventilation and waste routes for

service areas?

Staff breakout and tea points

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• What is your preferred cabling system - Cat5e, Cat6, or Cat7?

• Will the LAN (Local Area Network) cabling terminate into an

IDF (Intermediate Distribution Frame) or in the CER (Central

Equipment Room)?

• Where do you want data and power to be presented - at floor or

desk level?

• Will you need to link to floors or other areas of the building?

• Will your internal team or the supplier team undertake labelling

and patching?

• Will Wi-Fi be used in the new building?

• How many data points and power points do you want to allocate

per workstation?

• How many cabinets will be needed in the new CER room?

• What size cabinets will be installed?

• Will you require a UPS or back up generator provision?

• Is gas fire suppression or VESDA (very early smoke detection

apparatus) required?

• Do you need leak, high temperature and smoke detection

systems?

• Will you need intruder alarm systems or a Red Care connection?

• What is the preferred cooling method in the CER and will you need

built in resilience?

• What are the heat outputs and power consumption requirements

of your equipment?

• What level of fire resistance or structural integrity do you need for

the CER?

IT and telecoms

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• What are your security requirements for the CER room?

• Will you buy replacement servers or will you relocate existing

equipment?

• Who will decommission and move P.C.’s and IT equipment?

• Will you phase the relocation of hardware?

• Will you buy a new telephone system or relocate the old one?

• Have you considered your telecoms choices such as Voice over

internet or ISDN lines?

• Should you consider some analogue extensions for back up

purposes?

• Will you need call logging or call recording capability?

• Do you have dealer board requirements?

• Are you aware of lead times for new telephone lines?

• Have you explored the potential of retaining your existing

telephone numbers?

• Who will manage the site level IT implementation?

• What requirements will you have for audio conferencing?

• What allocation of display screens is required?

• Who will undertake the specialist design of the CER room?

• Who will design cabinet layouts and produce elevation diagrams?

• What video conferencing requirements will you need?

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Who can we talk to?

Hopefully you have managed to work through our list

of questions. You should now have a good head start

when you begin the process of putting together a

briefing document or begin to brief your design team.

Once you discuss your needs with each member of your steering

committee further levels of detail will also emerge to help the

process. We find that once you begin space planning and design

concept development that the remaining areas of detail will

emerge naturally.

It is important to also get a good concept of timescales and areas

that require longer lead times as early as possible. If you would

like to explore your brief in more detail, contact us using the

details below.

Email: info@c-b-i.co.uk

Telephone: 01482 221004

OfficesHull

2 Humber QuaysIsland WharfHullHU1 2BN

Birmingham

Colmore Plaza20 Colmore Circus QueenswayBirmingham B4 6AT

Leeds

Princes ExchangePrinces SquareLeeds LS1 4HY

York

Innovation CentreYork Science ParkYorkYO10 5DG

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www.c-b-i.co.uk01482 221004

“ We believe that good design provides return on investment, by improving team

productivity, client relationsand making best use of space.”