506 Interior Design Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Using design principles that make buildings function better, last longer, cost less to renovate and maintain, and inspire and adapt to changing needs ensures the existence of collaborative, interdisciplinary educational centers of excellence. Part of the design excellence of these facilities includes sustainable design practices. Corporate Office Design As the world of work continues to change, so does the workplace. While a workplace can range from a factory fl oor to a penthouse radio station, one of the most common workplaces is the corporate offi ce. How do you design a great offi ce workplace environment? The work processes of today are different from work processes during the industrial revolution. Historically, the white-collar offi ce refl ected the mind-set of a factory with work developed into a linear series of individual tasks. Today’s products (knowledge and creativity) demand different environments in which they can be nurtured, shared, and produced. Today’s work requires collaborative and nonlinear designs, as fewer workers create physical “things” and more workers analyze, create, collaborate, and act on information. Corporate offi ce design is the number one specialty area for interior designer practitioners in the United States. Today, the offi ce can be located anywhere and accessed anytime. Employees are no longer tethered to a desk or workstation. With wireless technology, an offi ce may consist simply of Internet access, a digital tablet, and an employee. Brick-and-mortar structures with walls and fi le cabinets may no longer be a need. The rise of the mobile workforce is allowing companies to get work done faster and more effi ciently (there are about 119.7 million mobile workers in the U.S. accord- ing to a study done by Cisco). For most companies, a corporate offi ce serves as a recruitment tool, a place to be with friends, an inspirational place, and a place that launches the next billion-dollar company. To build a lasting company, the offi ce is a key element. Principles used when designing offi ces and workplaces include conversations about: “What are our work patterns?” “How do we work differently?” “How do we design spaces to enhance teamwork and collabora- tion?” “What are the basic psychological and human needs that need to be met and enhanced?” Tenant improvement work (TI) is a related specialty area within the offi ce design sector. Businesses, such as a set of law offi ces, often lease building space in which to conduct their work rather than owning the building. As different tenants, or businesses, move into the space, they sign a lease and the relocation of interior walls or partitions occurs to refl ect the new tenant’s brand and business. In addition to a new space plan, TI addresses all existing and new furni- ture, fi xture, and equipment (FF&E) needs, Figure 14-21. Office Design Issues There are many opportunities to consider in the remodel, reconfi guration, or new construction of a corporate offi ce. They revolve around two primary factors: employee satisfaction and the bottom line of any business—revenue generation. Employee salaries account for 80 to 85 percent of the cost to do business. Keeping employees happy is critical to the success of a business or corporation. Enhancing Corporate Culture Today, the corporate culture of an offi ce is a means of attracting the most talented employees and enhancing employee satisfaction. Corporate culture is the collec- tive beliefs, value systems, traditions, and customs that make a company unique. For example, Fortune magazine ranks Google as the best place to work in the country. It attracts people with some of the most brilliant minds and earns close to one million dollars in revenue for every person it employs. Really strong companies all have very strong cultures that they communicate through the physical environment of ©Ron Pollard, Courtesy of RNL Figure 14-21 Interior designers often work with clients who are using leased tenant spaces for their corporate offi ces.