26.03.2022 Buildings

Three steps to add quality office space quickly

Quality modular office

A speedy and successful office expansion project starts with three key steps, explains Richard Crawford, founder and MD of PF Modular.

Approx. 5 minute read

When your success means you need more space for more people, the question is how can you add the right space as quickly as possible, achieving a quality working environment and minimising disruption to your current staff and day-to-day business?

Modular construction is an obvious fit. It’s more cost-effective than a traditional build (and there’s more certainty of cost, too); the majority of your building is constructed and fitted-out offsite; ‘factory’ production means quality control is arguably far better; it arrives with all the services ready to connect; there’s minimal disruption and far less time on site – it even comes ready-decorated to your spec!

Plus there are the added benefits of being able to relocate it if you need to or sell it if your needs change.

When speed is your driver, quality your watchword, and budget your boss, these three steps will help you deliver on all counts:

1 – Define your requirements

These are the factors which define the amount of space and the extent of the facilities your new offices need to provide. For instance: how many people will be working in your new space?

Because that dictates the space you need: typically, we allow 11 cubic metres or 4.6 square metres per person. Will you need meeting space for employees; and other spaces to meet external clients and visitors?

What about extra privacy for functions such as HR? Are you going to provide separate staff and visitor toilets, or combine the facilities? Will there be a staff kitchen area? And is this an opportunity to improve your accessibility? Legacy buildings often pose access issues; your new offices can help resolve them.

Because our buildings are modular, we can configure your internal spaces to suit your people and your business needs; fitting partition walls to create the offices, meeting rooms and other facilities you require, with acoustic insulation to minimise noise and ensure privacy.

We can do this whether your building is completely new, or a pre-owned purchase which offers you a quicker, more cost-effective and more environmentally-friendly solution.

 

*We can provide layout drawings (like this we created for a client) to help you visualise and maximise your new office space

2 – Source ex-stock

Buying an existing building and having it refurbished to your specification is always quicker than starting from scratch. The key is finding the right building to work with, and the more stock your supplier has access to, the more options you have.

For us, it’s all about having the ability to deliver what you need, rather than a compromise dictated by stock availability. That’s why we keep a good range of pre-owned buildings in stock. And if we don’t have anything suitable, we use our contacts to source the right building from the market: it may not even be listed for sale yet.

At any one time, our stock options can range from single units or small offices, maybe with kitchen and toilet, right through to complete two-storey office complexes. They can be bought as seen, or refitted internally and refinished externally to your specification. This leads me on to…

3 – Set your standards

You may be surprised how early in the project we ask whether you’d like plastered and painted walls or vinyl covering. We’re not being frivolous.

This sort of detail helps us understand “where you’re coming from”. And understanding what your aims are from the outset helps define the scope of our work, the timescales to completion and the level of cost for you.

The fundamentals are always in place – foundations, structure and envelope; doors and windows; thermal and acoustic insulation; electrics, plumbing, heating and air conditioning – everything we supply complies with Building Regulations and all other relevant regulatory requirements.

For the finish – the look and feel of your new offices – we can deliver anything from smart and functional to something with more of a ‘wow’ factor.

 

 

High-end, functional office building for Tarmac CRH; from our pre-owned stock; refurbished and delivered ready for immediate occupation within 8 weeks.

Externally, we can add eye-catching claddings, full-height glazing, roof lights, statement entrance canopies; even complete your hard and soft landscaping

Today’s modular buildings can transform your business premises and presence!

Internally, you can have fully glazed partitions, painted walls, feature lighting, strengthened floors (great for storage, libraries and filing rooms), your own choice of wall and floor finish… it will be everything a modern office space should be.

Contemporary office and staff spaces for returning clients, LOOs for DOs

“PF Modular have been fantastic in their approach to helping us design and build our new offices. We wanted to do something completely different which was a gamble but they were flexible, and supportive and the on-site team were conscientious, hardworking and lovely to deal with. We can’t recommend them enough and we are so happy with the end result of our collaboration.” – LOOs for DOs

Summary – Quality Office Space, Quickly

The days of cold, draughty and inferior modular buildings are long gone. Our modular offices may be classed as semi-permanent, but they are built to an exacting permanent standard, meeting all the same regulations as a traditional build, with the added advantage of ‘factory’ quality control rather than on-site workarounds. There are other advantages too.

Speed. This depends on so many factors. Planning consent can add time; building size, complexity and your specifications for finish are all factors too. Our fastest ever was just six weeks from the date of order, and the onsite construction phase can be completed in a matter of days.

Cost. Final costs are dependent on the actual size of your building, plus internal layout and external finishing, however as a guide we suggest £800-£900 per square metre for a pre-owned building (compared to £1,910-£2,130 for a traditionally built, non-air conditioned, one to two-storey office block ).

Future-proofing. It’s easy to extend or reconfigure your modular building in the future; and unlike a traditional build, you can pick it up and move it to another location, or sell it on and send it away when your needs change.

Let’s face it: when you have a business to run, the last thing you need is builders making a mess, creating noise and getting in the way for months on end. Much better to let us build what you need at our facility, transport it to site, install and commission it with the minimum of fuss and disruption… all you’ll need to do is move in.

Read more about:
1 – Modular Offices
2 – Our pre-owned stock
3 – Typical Modular Office cost

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