All around the world you can see old, decaying pieces of commercial architecture. Many of these properties will have been thriving at one point or another. However, they are empty now because either the business did not survive or had to move to another property. In many cases the building did not last due to the fact that the design could not meet the changing needs of the business.

Evolution

What many people fail to consider here is that the needs of the business can change dramatically in a matter of years. It could be a huge change like product diversification or entering a new market. Or, it could be the development of new technology and needing to incorporate it into a building. It may even be something like a change in buyer behaviour.

What you can see in many places today is old commercial buildings from the 1960s and earlier. Few of them are able to cater for the needs of modern businesses because they were built at a time when the whole technological and economic landscape was different.

For example, you may find office buildings with low ceilings and lots of walls to split them into private spaces. This kind of design is not good for office work today. Instead, businesses tend to want open plans, very few barriers, and high ceilings.

Designing so spaces will last

Today if you are thinking about commercial architecture it is crucial to think about the future. Ideally you will want to create spaces that can evolve and change with you. Your design should allow this without requiring huge, costly structural changes.

One thing you definitely need to think about is co-working. Demand for flexible, co-working spaces is higher than ever before today. This is because it can suit all kinds of needs, offering space that is easier to reconfigure to suit private work, open collaboration, desk work, and more.

An interesting thing about these kinds of spaces is they can be smaller but still allow businesses to increase staff numbers. This is because a single space can suit many needs rather than having to have different areas for each individual job. An approach like this can ensure that the building has maximum use rather than some parts of it only being underutilised.

Ask us about flexible commercial architecture

At Coffey Architects we work very hard to ensure we can create the perfect architecture for our clients. This often includes designing commercial spaces that can suit the current and future needs of the end users. Whether it is cutting edge retail or office space, we can deliver for each client. These will be properties they won’t have to worry about outgrowing in just a few years.

So, if you want to create commercial architecture that will be able to evolve over time, speak to us. You can also learn more about us and our work by browsing our main website.