ABW or not to ABW by Denise Thomas

/0 Comments/in , , /by

ABW (Activity Based Working) has been around for a considerable time now. There are argurements for and against, Companies who adopt this style do so with an understanding that this environment wont suit everyone. Not everyone embraces change so its important to have open and transparent conversations with all the team before any final decisions are made. Fears can often be overcome by open discusions and solutions found even if compromises need to be made.

There must to be a culture of trust within the business and a team who understands the importance of being accountable to eachother. Everyone should feel comfortable and valued at work to get the most out of their day.

With flexible hours and flexibility of where we work trust becomes more important than ever.

Managers who over micro manage or employees who ‘clock watch’ will need to learn to adjust their thinking or potentially move on to a more ‘regimented’ working environment.

Choosing the right Designer by Andrew Holder

/2 Comments/in , /by

1. Interior Designers design interior fit outs. Architects design buildings. Don’t confuse the two. Often an Architect can interior design but an Interior Designer cannot be an Architect without the relevant qualifications. If you pick the wrong firm it could be a disaster.
2. Interior designers should be made responsible for taking an occupancy brief from you, planning the space, choosing the fixtures and finishes and branding the space with colour and graphics. Make sure they understand your brand or the finished result will be disappointing and your business will project the wrong image.
3. Interiors designers should not be made responsible for designing your air conditioning, lighting, power/data, fire systems and plumbing infrastructure. These tasks are generally undertaken by a Building Services Designer who usually work in tandem with the Interior Designer. These design elements are essential to get right otherwise you may end up working in a sauna!
4. Interior designers should prepare your layout plans in conjunction with Australian Standards. This means that the plans should comply with all fire safety rules. If they don’t your company and its staff may be at risk.
5. Make your interior designer aware of your budget early in the process. Be careful though, Interior Designers are creative people who will make the look and feel of your fit out as their priority, not the project budgets or time line. These important aspects should be managed by your Construction Manager.

Moving Office avoid the pitfalls

avoid the pitfalls

/1 Comment/in , , , /by

When planning an office move or refurbishment you need to be aware of the approval process that governs the industry. There are many aspects to the approval process for a fit out, and a set sequence by which they need to be considered. If you get this wrong you will not be allowed

to move in and your business will be without a home.

10 Things You Need to Know about Statutory Approvals

  1. In order to gain approval for a fit out you need the landlord and the local council to approve the scheme. This means they need to approve your plans.
  2. Before embarking on the approvals you first need to establish whether the building in question has any unusual qualities. For example ,does it requires a change of use order or is it listed on the Heritage register. These ambiguities will throw up additional challenges which you will need to seek relevant advice for.
  3. The two essential approvals that are required for every fit out are a) Development Application (DA) and b) Construction Certificate (CC). If there are no ambiguities with the building, these two approvals can be combined into a joint application – Combined Development Certificate (CDC).
  4. A CDC can be obtained either directly from the council or through a Private Certifying Authority (PCA). Often PCA’s are used as they will take care of all the paperwork on your behalf, making the process quicker.
  5. The first step is to develop and approve your fit out plans. These will then need to be approved by the landlord who will need to sign the CDC paperwork to certify that they approve the work to their building.
  6. The plans will need to be drawn up with all Australian Standards satisfied (disabled aspects, escape distances, corridor widths, fire services, air conditioning, egress and access, bathrooms etc), in order to achieve compliance. Often the landlord will insist that air conditioning, electrical, fire and hydraulics engineering drawings are prepared, before they approve your plans. Ask the landlord what level of detail they need in advance to avoid unnecessary delays.
  7. Once the landlord has approved your plans the Private Certifier or the Council will accept the CDC application. When the application is submitted, it will carry a levy fee which
will need to be paid by you. This levy is called the Long Service Levy and is expressed as a % of the likely anticipated construction costs.
  8. Assuming the plans are compliant, the landlord has approved them and the fee has been paid, the PCA or the Council
will then issue the CDC approval. Once approval is issued construction can commence
  9. Upon completion of the construction period, all major contractors engaged on the project will need to certify their work. These certificates are sent to the PCA / Council for review.
  10. The PCA or the Council will then visit the completed site and check that the construction matches the approved plans.
If this is the case an Occupation Certificate will be issued to grant access. Often an interim Occupation Certificate is issued if a project completion is staged. Without an Occupation Certificate your business cannot occupy the building.
Office Move Understand how to spend your money wisely

Understand how to spend your money wisely

/1 Comment/in , , /by

The various construction elements of a fit out are often consistent, however the scale and quality of these elements will differ for every project.

10 external factors that will affect the relative costs of the various fit out construction elements are summarised here:

  1. Condition of the premises is the starting point (carpet, ceilings, lighting, a/c etc) – this will determine the need to spend money on this infrastructure on these items.
  2. Scale of the project – larger projects attract greater buying power and bigger discounts can be leveraged through bulk procurement.
  3. Quality decisions made during the design process on the choice of finishes & products – choosing more expensive elements to achieve an enhanced look and feel will add to the budget.
  4. Construction time frame – working in an occupied building will often mean a fit out has to be staged. This approach will be more expensive than working in an unoccupied environment.
  5. Sustainability & Heritage factors – some buildings will carry sustainability ratings, or a heritage listing, and some fit out elements may be more onerous to comply with the rules of the building. This may cost you more money.
  6. Quality of the building – premium grade high rise buildings will typically be more expensive to fit out due to the landlord controlled standards of fit out. Fit out guides will often nominate various contractors and consultants that have to
be used in conjunction with the building rules. Less opulent buildings may not carry these restrictions making fit out pricing more competitive. Make yourself aware so there are no surprises.
  7. Time of year – the construction market contracts during December and January as the industry relaxes for the holiday season. This typically makes the price of fit outs rise during this period. Demonstrate caution if you are embarking on a fit out during this time of year.
  8. Geography – each CBD, Metro and Regional market will be at a slightly different stage in its prosperity cycle. This will create some differential state to state based on supply and demand.
  9. Exchange rate / Import market – as the exchange rate shifts around so does the price of imported furniture and fittings affecting the market price in Australia.
  10. Corporate standards – your firm may have a need to spend more on its IT infrastructure for example, due to security issues or head office guidelines. This may make some fit out elements more expensive.

Avoid bad design adopt the right process

/1 Comment/in , , /by

Once you have selected your team it is important
to understand the process by which your designer should operate. Here are the ten key steps in the design process:

  1. Create – once the discovery and exploration stages have been completed your designer will prepare a detailed space plan (map) and concept scheme illustrating the look and feel of the office, encompassing their view on selections and choice of fixture and fittings. It is important at this point to ensure your Construction Manager gives a financial opinion on the project budgets otherwise you might be designing Versace.
  2. Concept sign off – this is an important step for you, the client. Once you are happy with the office layout and look and feel, you should“sign-off”on these elements to enable the detailed design process to unfold.
  3. Discovery – your designer should start by spending time with you to understanding you and your brief, particularly your timeframe and
your budget.
  4. Building selection – visit your chosen building (or short listed buildings) alongside your designer to gain their opinion of what can be achieved with the design brief.
  5. Building appraisal – your designer should prepare test fit plans to indicate that your chosen building will accommodate your occupancy brief. To achieve this they will need to obtain accurate plans from the building owner, or prepare measured plans themselves by surveying the building. If you don’t have accurate plans the project will go wrong.
  6. Explore – your designer should consult with the key people in your business to understand their detailed requirements, in order to develop workplace standards and guidelines for your new fit out. Make sure you engage the right people in your organisation to help, otherwise your business may suffer.
  7. Documentation – this stage takes your concept plans and ideas to a full documentation level where each element of the design is detailed for you to approve and sign off. Once signed off, these documents will form the basis by which the Construction Manager will build your fit out. Often a Building Services Designer will become involved in preparing the documents relating to the design of the air conditioning, lighting, power / data, fire and plumbing.
  8. Approvals – prior to Construction your designer will provide you with a set of plans to submit to your new landlord and to the council for DA approval. Typically your Construction Manager will facilitate this process for you.
  9. Implementation – your designer should be on hand during the construction stage to offer advice to any ambiguous site conditions that require design input.
  10. Reflection – its useful to have your designer prepare a defects report against the finished product. They will identify any areas that have not been built according to the plans, or comment on any quality issues. This will future proof your fit out for the long term.