Three things we’ve learnt designing office space for charities

In this post our co-founder Joe shares his insight on designing the perfect office space for foundations and charities.

1. Design without limits, then design again

Budget is of course a restraint on projects and life! That said, it shouldn’t shape a project entirely.

Working with charities who naturally want to use their money for their cause rather than the workplace has its challenges. We find you have to start with an open book, start the design with no limits and funnel down from there.

Once you have understood what impact you are trying to make and what story the design should tell, you can design again with the restraints in mind.

Creating something good doesn’t need to be expensive. Be wary of those who say it does! Review our pitch document for Whizz Kidz if you need the proof!

2.  Give the people what they want! 

You will often be surprised how simple the things a client’s employees want actually are.

In one instance, we helped one of the charities we worked with to speak to their people. From doing this they were able to understand that all the team really wanted was more seating in the breakout area. Aligning this with the fact that nobody used the reception area, we were able to move a wall back by 3 metres and give the people what they wanted!

It sounds simple but sometimes the right solution is just that. When you can’t do everything, identifying the most important things will ensure the project hits the criteria set to be successful!

3. Provide the pride!

A lot of people who work for charities do so because they have a passion or a purpose aligned with the cause. An office design for these organisations shouldn’t be afraid to tell this story.

We use prints and frames to show the success stories. We use the brand guidelines to remind staff and visitors of the reason the charity is here. We use the meeting rooms, giving them names of the most relevant events or acts the charity is known for. We make sure our design provides the pride!

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If you’re a charity with an office space in need of a refresh, feel free to get in touch and talk to our design team about potential options today.