“You Must Plan Your Log Office Use Correctly, so it Fulfils Your Needs Now
and Later on too!”
Planning your log office use, is very important! You need to know what you will primarily use your log office for, so that all the crucial features and activities can be implemented efficiently. Whilst you might know quite clearly what those requirements are now, do you know what might be best in 5 years time? In modern business things change very quickly and we must always have eye to the future, to adapt to the changes. In this respect space will be one of the most critical factors. You need to think about how many people may work there, how they need to interact and whether you have the need to accommodate clients in your office.
We’ll explore Log Office Use in more detail
People
How many people you need now, or may need in the foreseeable future, will be a key factor in how best to plan your log cabin use. Every person will require sufficient space to work effectively, but how these people interact on a daily basis, needs careful consideration. Do you want to be able to all speak freely together from your desks easily? Or do you need your own separate space to work to optimum potential. Think about noise and how this may affect each other. If you are all working in a single small space, someone who spends long amounts of time talking on the phone, may be quite disruptive to others. You also maybe work somewhere where you can entertain clients, separate from the general work area. Also consider what facilities everyone will need to use and how these can be located effectively. Heavily used items such as printers or photocopiers, need to be readily accessible.
Size
Probably the single most important factor is size and therefore space which is available internally. Do any of your normal work activities require a lot of space? Is there a need for any especially large furniture or equipment in your office? Important aspects like this must be considered from day 1. Try to minimize any dead space, entrance areas can be wasteful in this regard. If you are not sure what space will be required, it may be best to have a more open plan and then use moveable partitions to divide up areas. Just bear in mind though moveable partitions may visually work well, but noise can still be an issue. Also always remember that over the years the need for storage of files and documents tends to grow. Try to allow for future needs in your overall space.
Facilities
What facilities will your log office use? Most people will use computers, so plenty of make sure desks are designed to cope with this and that computers will be sited well, so using them does not become an issue through bright light etc. Think about heating and cooling of your office. Extremes of temperature will often require heating or cooling to be used to retain optimal working temperatures. While log offices that are insulated have great properties this way, the comfort of your workforce will affect their performance, so in the long term it pays to be considerate.
Also think about what facilities within the office will be required for basic creature comforts and needs. Will you need to provide a kitchen area for food and drinks? Do you need a toilet inside the office, or are there others within easy reach? If the log office use is just for you only, these types of issues are easy to manage, when your employees become involved however, you must address the things properly.
Services
What services will be required for all the facilities you require to function? The most basic requirement would be electricity. This will be needed for lighting, all the electric sockets for powering equipment, possibly heating and cooling systems and security if required. Additionally most offices will require telephone lines to operate, with broadband internet connection as well. If you are looking at either a kitchen or toilet (or both), water will be needed and also drains for sewage. Even if you are not sure whether you may need some of these facilities in the future, sometimes for little extra cost, some of the basic infrastructure can be fitted during construction. This would avoid major upheaval and costs at a later stage. My advice is install more electrical sockets than you think you need, as you will probably find you will want more later on! Make sure your log office use is not restricted by a lack of services.
Internal finishes
The log office use you have in mind could influence your choice of materials for the inside. The flooring in particular is very important in this regard. Work places tend to be quite high traffic environments and the flooring should be designed to combat wear and tear. Any areas which could be a risk from wet activities, it would be sensible to use waterproof flooring materials. If you do plan to use wooden flooring (which looks great in a log office), don’t be tempted to use soft wood in high traffic areas. Even though this may save cost initially, excessive wear and possible replacement costs, may soon cause you to regret this decision.
The walls and ceiling may also worth considering. While many people will love the calming and healthy environment the wood will give, in some situations other materials could be utilized too. For example if you want a really high impact display area for clients, it may be that this would stand out more against a plainly painted plasterboard wall, than the natural beauty of the logs. The amount of natural light may also influence your choice too. A log office with limited natural light may benefit from a light ceiling for example, so plasterboard could be a good choice here. In our office we have both timber and plasterboard finishes, carpet and wood flooring and it works very well together and provides some visual contrast too.
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