Houston Commercial Construction: Right-Sizing Your Building

architect working on design for Houston commercial construction

When designing your Houston commercial construction project, it’s important to consider how much space you really need.

Houston commercial construction is the ideal opportunity for creating a space that is uniquely optimized for your organization. Businesses can get exactly the space they need without worrying about the constraints of leasing commercial real estate. As you consider construction options, remember that getting the space right is essential for your employees and operations. Right-sizing your new building can make a huge difference for your business.

What is Right-Sizing? Why Is It Important for Houston Commercial Construction?

Right sizing office space is essentially optimizing the amount of space for your company. This is essential for Houston commercial construction because it affects the design and layout of your future building. The size of your new building affects not only the dimensions of the drawing, but also the cost of the project, the layouts available to you post-construction, and many other factors. 

Right-sizing for your construction project aims to get the exact amount of space you need. Oversized buildings are an issue for many organizations. Some prefer to err on the side of caution and end up significantly overestimating the space they need. The problem with this is that it drives costs up, both up-front Houston commercial construction costs as well as ongoing operations costs. 

However, there are also issues with undersizing. While an undersized office may seem like it will save money, it can actually cost you big time in the long run. Undersized commercial spaces can seriously hinder productivity and employee morale. Imagine all the time it takes to try to side-step others just to get to the copy machine, or how hard it would be for your employees to do their job when desk neighbors are constantly bumping elbows from a lack of space. Therefore, it’s important to work with your Houston design build team to create a space on the Goldilocks principle: Not too big and not too small. 

Considering Square Footage During Your Houston Design Build Project

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how many square feet you need per employee. Every industry and every company is different, so no standard size can really exist. Square footage per employee can range anywhere from 80 to 500 square feet divided between individual workspaces and common areas.

When determining square footage per employee for your new construction building, there are several things to consider. One of the first things to look at is how your current space is working. Are there large areas that go widely unused? Are people constantly bumping into each other? Think critically about your current space and consider whether to bump up or scale down square footage. 

Your employees are another great resource for right-sizing your new commercial building. Never underestimate the value of simply asking your employees about space requirements. Even if they don’t give you an exact square footage measurement, having information on whether they think the current space is too cramped or too open is incredibly helpful. Also, consider asking their preferred work style, whether more collaborative areas (which require less space) or more private workspaces (which require more space). From there, you and your construction team can get a good idea not only of the amount of space you need, but also the basic floor plans or layouts that might work best for your business. 

Turnkey Construction Specialists at GRA – Gulf Coast Construction

Looking for commercial or industrial construction pros? Our team at GRA – Gulf Coast Construction is here for you. We offer years of experience providing turnkey services for clients in a wide range of industries. No project is too big or too small for our experts. Whether you’re interested in Houston metal building construction, tilt wall construction, or more traditional construction methods, we offer quality services for your project. Call us today  at (713) 934-7797 for a free consultation with our seasoned construction specialists. 

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