If you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade your office or facility with moveable walls, congratulations, you’re on your way to higher productivity, substantial energy savings, increased flexibility and long term cost effectiveness. Moveable wall systems are an essential component of any contemporary business plan, as important to the competitiveness and ultimate success of your company as your computer network or the terms of your lease. But while many companies desire the competitive advantage only moveable office walls provide many owners and managers are uncertain about what to look for when purchasing them for their business.
The Lowdown on Moveable Walls
Everyone wants the advantages moveable wall systems can provide but before you buy a moveable wall system for your company you need to know how they can help you and what to consider.
How They Can Help You:
- Flexibility – Easy to repurpose and reconfigure modular walls let you change organizational gears without skipping a beat.
- No disruptions – Where drywall construction is measured in weeks it will only take you hours to create an equivalent office using modular walls.
- Enhanced company image – Today’s modular wall systems provide your business with a leading edge public image that will impress customers and help recruit top talent.
- Adaptability – Many modular wall systems can be directly integrated into modular furniture as well. They’re also future proof and tech friendly.
- Environmental responsibility – Modular walls from I-M-T are made almost completely from recycled materials and can be recycled themselves at the end of their long life.
- Tax savings – Modular walls are considered furniture and depreciated much quicker than drywall.
What to Consider:
- Privacy vs openness – Moveable walls can provide you with both but which modular wall components you choose should be based on a careful analysis of your needs. Some parts of your space will need to be open to encourage a collaborative environment while certain executive offices and other essential areas will need to retain a degree of privacy. Figure out ahead of time how much you need of both.
- Full or partial height walls – If you want to retain the open nature of a particular area yet wish to offer the people working there a modicum of privacy partial height walls may be the best solution. If, on the other hand you want a space where people can brainstorm without disrupting other people’s ability to concentrate you’ll want full size walls; either opaque or with blinds that can be drawn if needed.
- Sound mitigation – Just as you’ll want some spaces to be private or have the option to become private through the use of full length wall sections and blinds you’ll also want to make sure some areas are effectively soundproofed. Sound mitigation is an important consideration when devising open plan spaces and something that needs to be thought through before any moveable walls are purchased.
- Tech or no-tech – Some modular walls are essentially inert partitions delineating space. Others however will form the backdrop for workbenches or desks and will therefore need to accommodate whatever technology the adjacent spaces will be outfitted with, including voice and data cables as well as power outlets.
Every company’s needs are different so the best way to ensure you purchase the moveable wall components you need is to spend some time with an architect or experienced office planner and hash things out. Once the assessment is complete it will be time to call I-M-T and discuss a wall system that will dovetail with those needs. Or, if you like, we can do the assessment for you and save you the hassle of trying to find someone familiar with the intricacies of moveable walls.