Setting up a home-based business? Give the office design some forethought. A good design increases work efficiency, makes working at home a pleasure and, most importantly, creates the type of image you want to project to clients. With good planning, a home office can be even more impressive than one in a commercial setting.
Ideally, for privacy, the office is located away from the main body of the house. The physical separation creates the feeling of actually going to work when you enter the office, and reduces domestic distractions. An extension to the house works best, and offers the greatest design opportunity to brighten the office with natural light and views. However, a well planned renovation to the interior can still work quite well.
While a remote location is the main strategy in achieving good acoustic separation between family and work areas, adjoining walls and floors should still be soundproofed. Soundproofing is a small percentage of the total project cost, but its value to business efficiency is enormous.
To make a wood stud wall acoustically equal to an 8″ thick concrete block wall, install fiberglass batts in the stud spaces, use resilient steel channels with 5/8″ gyprock on one side, and two layers of 5/8″ gyprock on the opposite side. Seal the wall perimeter and penetrations with acoustic caulking. Also, consider exterior acoustic annoyances when locating the office.
If you expect a lot of traffic, a separate entrance is a good idea. Then, when the VIP clientele arrive, the other family members can ignore the doorbell and traipse around in their pajamas until lunchtime. If a second entrance is impossible, provide a direct route from the main door to your office.
In many offices, both home and away, there never seems to be enough space, or, perhaps unusable, wasted space in the wrong areas. Before designing the layout, take stock of all furniture, equipment and fixtures needed for the business. Knowing precise dimensions ensures an organized layout.
Storage space is essential to avoid clutter. Allow ample space for files, supplies, reference materials and business tools. If your business is successful, consider the possibility of future expansion space.
If you use electronic equipment – computer, fax, photocopier, printer – figure out the locations ahead of time and install desk-height outlets to minimize the amount of spaghetti on your work surface. Consider the routing of plumbing lines to minimize demolition if, for example, you are building a hair-dressing salon.
A good layout is critical. It not only improves work flow, but speaks to clients about your work style and ability to organize. In business, time is money, and having everything at your fingertips is essential for profitability. There’s little time for fumbling around the office looking for the right scrap of paper.
Good office organization begins with a good layout. As well, a space efficient layout is the most cost effective to build. It makes the most of every available square inch of space. It’s well-organized and compact, yet comfortable and complete.
Creating a pleasant, professional environment is your aim. Projecting the right image is a must, and the process starts with the design. Use colors and finishes to add to your credibility. Choose a scheme different from the family area to reinforce the sense of “office” as opposed to “home”. Make customers feel as if they are truly visiting an office, not just a room in your basement.
Perhaps the most architecturally interesting home office is an upstairs loft, with a bird’s eye view in all directions. It’s remote, quiet, and a definite conversation piece with the customers.
One other plus to remember about a business renovation is that the architect’s design fee and the construction cost are tax deductible, whereas renovations for personal use are not. The fee paid to achieve an attractive, successful design will be returned many times over by your repeat customers.
Before launching a new business venture it’s important to do advance planning. Have both a good business plan and a good floor plan in place prior to opening your new business.

NATURAL LIGHT
In creating a pleasant work environment, there’s nothing like the effect of natural light. Using daylight as the source of background light is not only more energy efficient, it reduces eye strain.
Eye strain is caused by the sharp contrast of a brightly lit work surface against a darker background, similar to watching television in a dark room, or driving on the highway at night. If bright task lighting is used for fine, detailed work, natural light in the background will reduce the amount of contrast.
The best type of natural light for a work environment is northern light. Northern light is diffuse and glare-free since there are no direct rays from the sun. This is why, in designing a library, an architect locates the reading rooms on the north side of the building.
For interior, windowless spaces, natural light can be introduced by high, clerestory windows or skylights. Although there may not be a view, people in the room still appreciate the indirect contact with the outdoors, and have some idea of what time of day it is by the amount of daylight entering the room.