There is more to an office than just the work that goes on there – design, layout and furniture are important for creating a good work atmosphere.

The choice of office design, layout and furniture is important for any company. It is a way of expressing the firm’s style and also has a practical aspect, as a comfortable and well-organized office has a beneficial impact on how employees work and interact.

The development stage

Moscow has been experiencing a real boom in office construction over the last few years. According to Stiles & Riabokobylko, the office market in 2002 grew by 41 percent compared to 2001, and office space rented or purchased came to a total of 416,000 sq. meters.

This year, there are new office space projects on the market, such as Novinsky Bulvar, Paveletskaya Plaza, Tobtim Turkish Trading House and Arbat 8-10. These are all new-generation office buildings bringing futuristic new lines and designs to the old streets of central Moscow. They are also the trendsetters on the market and set the tone for office interior design. The interior of buildings like these should correspond to their modern exteriors, combining maximum comfort and functionality, artistic creativity, and the latest technology.

Only professionals can come up with the right kind of design. Gerald Sakuler of Bene Consulting Co. said that some developers offer design services as well in order to help sell their premises. "But the only professional approach is to hire an independent architect," he said. "Office-furniture companies usually offer a simple furnishing plan that can serve as a preliminary scheme, but this will never be of the same quality as the plan an architect can provide. It mostly depends on the specific requirements of the client and on how independent the developer and the company providing the furnishing plans are from each other in their work. Sometimes, there are close relations between the furniture company and the developer, and this makes it possible to come up with a good solution for a certain building, but not necessarily the best solution for a specific client."

The consulting stage

Tenants can get consulting services from both private architects and architectural firms. Two companies providing architectural consulting services for more than 10 years now are ABD Ltd. and Murrayo Laoiri Architects.

The architectural firm’s work is usually comprised of three stages. First comes planning the layout of the space, then coming up with a design project for it and finally drawing up the working documents. Architectural firms usually charge from $25-$55 per sq. meter for their services. Bigger companies will not only come up with the design, but can also manage the project, that is they will organize a timetable for the work, arrange contracts and supervise the work of subcontractors.

"When working with the company like this, all the office’s tenants or owners have to do is – either themselves or with their broker’s help – come up with well-put-together terms of reference and then agree to the project that emerges from the discussions with the architect, making changes and suggestions where necessary," said Denis Kuvshinnikov, a specialist at ABD.

Once the project has been approved, the architect develops a design project and provides the client with plans setting out just which finishing materials, furniture, screens, ceiling and floor coverings, lights, etc., will be used. This gives the client a clear picture of how the office will end up looking. At this stage, the client can either then suggest which furniture company he prefers, or can leave this choice up to the architect.

"Our company holds furniture tenders for our clients," said Kuvshinnikov. "We analyze the situation on the market during these tenders and choose the company best-placed to help us fulfill all the client’s wishes. But if the client suggests a specific company right from the outset, then we work with that company."

Choosing the furniture

The main trend in office design at the moment is the open-plan concept. This concept involves having a large space not divided by walls. A large number of employees can work in this space, and their working areas are separated from each other by mobile screens. This system is makes more effective use of space, as it dispenses with the need for walls and doors that only take up valuable square meters.

The other main trend comes from the fact that home and office are becoming increasingly intertwined and the barriers between home and office furniture are being broken down. Furniture today is increasingly multi-functional and can be used both at home and in the office.

Bene’s Sakuler said his company is the right choice for clients looking for a truly professional interior. "Our company is the direct representative of the producer and provides a full range of services, including planning and consulting on layout, production, delivery and installation."

Mid-range screens are offered by Russian producers using European models. "There are a lot of nuances here," said Bas Bolderman, a specialist at Stroimoda. "Some companies produce screens separately, while others prefer to order them from a third company. Some produce several different types of screen, while others concentrate on a particular type. Our company, for example, produces various screens at different prices, using different materials – aluminum and other metals – and different colors. The cheapest screens are ones produced in Russia that are not based on European technology, but only imitate certain European elements. They also have a market, above all people who, for whatever reason, cannot afford or don’t want to use expensive screens in their office."

Producers often help clients design office space using their screens, draw up commercial proposals and come up with money-saving solutions.

Furniture companies also offer drawing up design projects for clients. Vadim Kuznetsov, commercial director of furniture company Felix, said that some companies offer this as a for-pay service.

"But, if someone turns to us, we will prepare a design project for free, even if the client then decided not to purchase our furniture," he said. "Our projects take into account the client’s wishes concerning the furniture, the types of screens, number of tables, chairs and so on. We can always offer several different options depending on the office space and different color schemes depending on the color of the office’s walls."

The result

Aside from settling on a design project and choosing suppliers for furniture and screens, clients often need to call in engineering services to install electric wiring and work out the office’s energy requirements, install separate ventilation for the server room and so on.

Consulting companies draw up working documents that show down to the last millimeter exactly where everything will be and how it will function. These documents are then used by the people actually carrying out the work, and, once their job is over, the client will end up with an office exactly like what the architects promised.