When you design a new home, you want to make sure you incorporate all the features that you will want. For some people who do a lot of work at home, this might be a home office. But a home office shouldn’t just be another room. The needs for an office differ from the needs for a bedroom or a game room, so your considerations for its design should vary from considerations for other kinds of rooms. Here are six things to consider when incorporating a home office into the design for your new home.
Location
It’s very important to think about where in the overall scheme of the house the office will go. Do you want it to be more-or-less separated from everything else? Or do you want it to be in the middle of the action? If no one will be home while you’re working, maybe you want it to be close to the kitchen so that you can have easy access to snacks and drinks. Or, if the kids will be home all day with you, maybe you want to separate the office from their play areas. If you have to come and go a lot, consider locating the office adjacent to the garage or driveway for easy access that doesn’t interrupt the rest of the household.
View
As well as location, consider whether you want big windows with a nice view of the backyard or surrounding area. Some people work better when they can look out and see trees and grass, while others might prefer to be enclosed without distraction. Knowing what kind of view you want out of your office window will be important in determining where the office is located, but also what kinds of windows and how many you want in the office itself.
Work Flow
Be sure to consider how you work and the needs for your workflow when you design your office. If you need a lot of space to spread out, then be sure to give yourself that space. On the other hand, if you only need a computer and a chair, then maybe you don’t need as much space for the office. If you need extra desk space or a table in order to work more efficiently, then plan for that need. You might even consider incorporating built-in desks for the office space in the design.
Vertical vs Horizontal
Part of workflow is knowing whether you need a lot of storage space or if you need more activity space. This might make the difference between building horizontally versus vertically. Horizontal table space and desk space might be necessary to unroll maps and plans, or to sort papers into piles, while vertical space can be used to store papers and other items. If you touch each paper once and then move on, consider vertical; but if you need to work with many kinds of documents at the same time, consider horizontal space.
Technology
Most office are built around a computer. But for a home office, you may want more equipment such as copy machines or large printers, depending on the kind of work you will be doing. Be sure to take these things into account not only for space and layout considerations, but also for the electrical wiring or home networking. If some piece of equipment requires a 220 outlet, be sure to plan for that in your design. But also plan where all the equipment will go.
Light
Light is very important for productivity: the wrong kind of light can give you a headache, while not enough light can make it hard to work. So plan for your lighting needs, with both good windows to let in natural light when available and fixtures that illuminate the workspace as needed.
More and more people are working from home, so if you need to incorporate a home office into the design of your new home, be sure to take all your needs into account for the design. If you have any questions about a new custom home design, be sure to contact Harden Custom Homes either at our Model Home at 2818 Tropicana Pkwy W., Cape Coral, FL 33993, or by calling (239) 603-6083 to talk with an experienced custom home contractor.
Location
It’s very important to think about where in the overall scheme of the house the office will go. Do you want it to be more-or-less separated from everything else? Or do you want it to be in the middle of the action? If no one will be home while you’re working, maybe you want it to be close to the kitchen so that you can have easy access to snacks and drinks. Or, if the kids will be home all day with you, maybe you want to separate the office from their play areas. If you have to come and go a lot, consider locating the office adjacent to the garage or driveway for easy access that doesn’t interrupt the rest of the household.
View
As well as location, consider whether you want big windows with a nice view of the backyard or surrounding area. Some people work better when they can look out and see trees and grass, while others might prefer to be enclosed without distraction. Knowing what kind of view you want out of your office window will be important in determining where the office is located, but also what kinds of windows and how many you want in the office itself.
Work Flow
Be sure to consider how you work and the needs for your workflow when you design your office. If you need a lot of space to spread out, then be sure to give yourself that space. On the other hand, if you only need a computer and a chair, then maybe you don’t need as much space for the office. If you need extra desk space or a table in order to work more efficiently, then plan for that need. You might even consider incorporating built-in desks for the office space in the design.
Vertical vs Horizontal
Part of workflow is knowing whether you need a lot of storage space or if you need more activity space. This might make the difference between building horizontally versus vertically. Horizontal table space and desk space might be necessary to unroll maps and plans, or to sort papers into piles, while vertical space can be used to store papers and other items. If you touch each paper once and then move on, consider vertical; but if you need to work with many kinds of documents at the same time, consider horizontal space.
Technology
Most office are built around a computer. But for a home office, you may want more equipment such as copy machines or large printers, depending on the kind of work you will be doing. Be sure to take these things into account not only for space and layout considerations, but also for the electrical wiring or home networking. If some piece of equipment requires a 220 outlet, be sure to plan for that in your design. But also plan where all the equipment will go.
Light
Light is very important for productivity: the wrong kind of light can give you a headache, while not enough light can make it hard to work. So plan for your lighting needs, with both good windows to let in natural light when available and fixtures that illuminate the workspace as needed.
More and more people are working from home, so if you need to incorporate a home office into the design of your new home, be sure to take all your needs into account for the design. If you have any questions about a new custom home design, be sure to contact Harden Custom Homes either at our Model Home at 2818 Tropicana Pkwy W., Cape Coral, FL 33993, or by calling (239) 603-6083 to talk with an experienced custom home contractor.