What Are The Different Types Of Office Space?

When it comes to deciding on your office furniture fitout, the first thing you should do is choose what style of office space your business needs. That said, there’s such a wide range of options to choose from that this is easier said than done.

From open-plan spaces to coworking spaces and creative office spaces, each style has its own advantages. Our team are on hand to help you choose the best workspace furniture for your office space planning from the get-go.

Traditional Office Spaces

A traditional office space is built to encourage coworking, with a main location that employees work in daily.

This classic layout will usually have private areas for collaborative work spaces and conversing. It will also feature a boardroom, a reception area, and business office furniture to create a comfortable working space.

Coworking Office Spaces

Coworking spaces tend to be rented offices that provide desks and other commercial office furniture. These are perfect for small companies and start-ups looking for a professional space.

In recent years, coworking office spaces have increased in popularity. This is thanks to more people than ever launching their own businesses or pursuing their dreams of becoming self-employed.

Common features of coworking spaces include 24/7 access, boardrooms, and shared printing and scanning facilities.

Creative Office Spaces

Creative office spaces are renowned for promoting collaboration and creative thought.

Their office space planning usually factors in the resources, tools and technology for a wide range of creative processes. This makes them ideal for PR companies and advertising agencies who work creatively on a daily basis.

Contiguous Office Spaces

Contiguous office spaces feature multiple office suites occupied by a single tenant within one building. These are often  located on the same floor but can also be above and below each other.

Contiguous offices are useful for businesses that want to have detached offices, but still have them close to each other. For example, a business might have their working spaces on the third story of a building, and their client-facing workspaces on the fourth story.

When considering your office furniture fitout, it’s important to consider what purpose you want each office to serve.

Shared Office Spaces

Shared workspaces are similar to coworking spaces. The difference is that shared office spaces are targeted more toward established businesses.

The benefit of these offices is that you have access to a wide range of amenities and resources. This can include a reception area as well as a range of commercial office furniture. This type of working space also provides the perfect opportunity to collaborate with others.

Open-Plan Office Spaces

Open-plan offices allow employees to engage creatively and work as a team. They tend not to have internal walls and are not divided up into different sections.

This office space planning is becoming increasingly popular, particularly when it comes to collaborative work spaces

Closed Office Spaces

Closed office spaces use screens or other business office furniture to create separate areas for different teams.

This approach supports a range of different departments operating within one business. Each department has its own space to work from without clashing with others.

Home Office Spaces

A home office is a dedicated space in an employee’s home where they can work. This should be equipped with all the workspace furniture and resources they need to complete their job effectively.

During the pandemic, home office spaces became common with workers encouraged to work from home. While many people are returning to the office, hybrid working still remains incredibly popular too.

Serviced Office Spaces

Serviced offices are available to rent for a set monthly fee and provide a versatile office setting. All serviced offices are fully managed and offer a range of facilities including access to boardrooms and a reception area.

Also known as managed offices, these are mostly found within business centres.

Office Classes

As well as different types of office space, there are also different office classes.

What Is Class A Office Space?

A Class A office space is a building with high-quality finishes and access to the latest state-of-the-art systems. These are highly sought after because they are usually situated in great locations and have excellent amenities and business office furniture. However, this comes at a price. You can expect to pay higher rents than you would do for a Class B or Class C office space.

Class A offices often include facilities such as:

• Concierge services
• Showers
• Lounges
• Bike storage
• Valet services
• Security
• Dining options
• Covered parking
• Gyms
• Private outdoor space

What Is A Class B Space?

Class B office spaces also provide high-quality finishes and excellent facilities, albeit to a lesser extent. These offices are popular amongst a wide variety of businesses and offer average rent prices. Tenants tend to be those who work in IT, creative services, call centres and smaller businesses.

Class B amenities may include:

• On-site parking
• Collaborative office furniture
• Conference rooms
• Bike storage
• Cafeteria-style or cafe dining
• Shared outdoor space
• Security

What Is Class C Office Space?

Class C buildings are more basic than Class A and Class B offices. They are usually sold to investors who dedicate their time renovating them into a Class B status.

Businesses that use Class C spaces tend to be industrial including those working within the engineering, landscaping, security, construction or electrical sectors.

Class C amenities may include:

• On-site parking
• Break rooms

Get The Right Furnishings For Your Office Space

Once you’ve found the ideal office space, you can then consider the next steps of your office furniture fitout. At BT Office, we supply a wide range of commercial office furniture including collaborative furniture, meeting furniture, modular options and more. Contact us today and we’ll be happy to talk you through your office space planning from start to finish. Call us on 0800 298 7033 or send an email to [email protected]