As outlined by the action plan that I created for the group it was my job to research into hypothetical studio spaces our business could work from. Choosing the space is an important part of the project as its monthly cost, location and facilities all have relevance to and dictate the success of the business.
At the time of discussing our base location, all communication was completed via internet based sources as we were on the Easter break with members of the group spanning the length of the country. After the preliminary group discussions we decided to base ourselves in Barcalona due to its vibrant creative culture, amount of design related business, lovely weather and general culture.
STUDIO SPACE 1
Locating a suitable studio space in Barcelona was a challenge as finding an office that was both relatively cheap, in a good location and suited aesthetically was almost impossible. A good four hours was spent researching into possible locations before I found a suitable office.
Property Link - Link
MONTHY RENT - € 1,700 monthly.
- £ 1,390.49 monthly.
BUILDING & OFFICE FEATURES;
- classical commercial building
- Building has a lift.
- Reception services.
- Two spacious rooms.
- Meeting room.
- Toilet facilities.
- High ceilings.
- Air conditioning.
- Central location
- Architecturally, the building is very engaging and full of character. As a creative agency it is important to have an appealing building to work in rather than a commercial new build.
- There is quite a lot of space within the office allowing us to create a suitable working environment.
- A nice feature of the office is the exposed brick walls.
- Another view shows the current desk space.
- Additional space that dosen't seem to have any immediate function.
- This room could be used for additional desk space to create a spacious work environment.
- The room could also be utilised as a print room equipped with screen print beds and equipment as well as a environmentally friendly risograph printer.
- The meeting room is big and comes fully equipped with a huge tabel perfect for meetings with clients and presentations.
- Additionally, another nice feature of the room is the large opening french doors, they let in plenty of light can can be opened to reveal a small balcony.
LOCATION CHANGE - BRIGHTON
After discussing the decision to be based in Barcelona in more detail the group decided to revise our choice of location. The decision was mainly made due to the higher cost of living in Barcelona as well as the additional fees it would take us to set our business. As we have decided to utilise a small business loan from Natwest we are working with a limited budget and need to make sensible choices with regards to money spent.
Personally, I believe the change of location will not affect the business that much as modern society is driven by technology, technology that allows to to communicate instantly with people anywhere in the world.
As a group we decided to change our base location from Barcelona to Brighton, England. The decision to move to Brighton was outlined due to the vibrant culture that exists within the city, not only is there a busy creative scene but the city has a youthful view on society relevant to our views as an ethically driven company.
MONTHY RENT - £ 250.
Monthly rent for the Brighton based office is astronomically cheaper than the initial office chosen in Barcelona.
Property link - Link
BUILDING FEATURES;
- 600 sq ft of space.
- 24 hour access.
- Broadband internet.
- Town centre location.
- Conference facilities.
- Period building.
- Administrative support.
- Car parking.
- Close to main train lines.
- Meeting rooms.
- A frontal image of the building captures its attractive Gothic style architectural features that are far from the new commercial style office our company aims to stay away from.
- The standardised furniture that comes with the office reminds me of the cheap items available from commercial furniture shops.
- To create a professional office environment this furniture would need replacing, the current desks and chairs could be sold to raise money this.
- The height of the roof helps to give the room a spacious feeling although the actual office itself is relatively small.
- Additionally, the large windows let in plenty of natural light and help to create an inviting work space.
- Large board room and table for presentations and client discussions.
- The building in which the offices are in located has been restored and is full of character, this is very relevant to our company who are ethically focused and believe heavily in recycling and the reuse of materials.
- Administrative support.
- The map shown above shows the location of the office space.
- After reviewing the features of the map I noticed that the office is located in central Brighton and sits between two train stations - very relevant to visiting clients travelling by train.
- The central location will also mean that we can take clients out to a range of bars and restaurants when discussing projects.
- Additionally, we are also located near to a variety of different green spaces such as parks and fields, this is useful because we are an environmentally friendly company and visiting such spaces with clients will make for a welcome change to a city environment.
GROUP RESPONSE TO PROPOSED LOCATION;
After choosing the Brighton based office I presented my findings to the group when we met up after the easter break. All members were very content with the office, its location and monthly price and so the building was chosen as the base location for our company.
Additionally, after finalising the offices location I created the image below to show how we have started thinking about how the room would be decorated and arranged.
I also found an image displaying the kind of office aesthetic we want to achieve. Including this in the presentation will to give context to the points previously discussing our ideas regarding the offices presentation.
