What are the 5 Phases of Office Design?

The process of creating a brand new office design can often seem quite daunting, particularly for those who’ve never done this before or have very little hands on experience. To make it more manageable, the process can be broken down into 5 separate phases – vision, definement, search and find, design and implementation. We have outlined each of these phases in more detail below to show you that the process doesn’t have to be as daunting as you think.

1.   Vision Phase
In this first phase, you will develop and gain clarity for the vision of your future office space, expansion or other change that you wish to make. In most cases, this will actually occur about 18 months before the new space is opened and can take around 6 months to complete. This is also when you should set a target date to open, as well as determine the milestones that you need to achieve in order to meet this opening date.

2.   Definement Phase
In this second phase, you will define the parameters and goals for the office design. Your business plan is established or revised, your financial planning is taken care of, you’ll come up with ideas for your marketing campaign, and the company name and logo is developed (if required). Other areas that require your consideration include how much space you require and concepts for the aesthetic image of your brand.

3.   Search & Find Phase
In this third phase, you’ll begin looking for a new office space (if required) and determining how you’re going to fund the project. You might want to think about employing the services of a real estate agent if you don’t have the time to search yourself. Once you’ve found a space, you need to determine how it’s going to be used, whether it needs any modifications and how much these will cost to complete.

4.   Design Phase
In this fourth phase, you will begin preparing for the opening of your new office design. This is where all design and permit work will be completed – including layout, finishes, colour, furniture and lighting. If you need to hire new staff, this is the best time to do it. It’s also the best time to start implementing your marketing campaign. In most cases, this will take between 6 and 4 months to complete.

5.   Implementation Phase
In this fifth and final phase, construction itself will occur, as will all of the tasks required for your opening to go ahead as planned. This could include training your staff, arranging for the delivery of furniture and equipment, receiving your Certificate of Occupancy, and making sure that all of the systems are working. Generally, it will take between 2 and 16 weeks to complete this phase.

We hope that the information provided above has given you a better understanding of how an office design is created. Whether this is your first time undertaking such a process or whether you’ve done it dozens of times before, it can always help to have a little extra information. The final piece of advice that we wanted to leave you with is to hire a professional – they will have a number of years of experience that they can draw on, so use it!

How to Banish Mold from Your Bathroom

Every house in modern world suffers from this pestilence. Very hard problem to tackle, mold is easy to spot in most of the cases. Microscopic fungi colonies are usually black, dark green or yellowish pigmented. They can survive in most harsh conditions, such as Siberian forests, so it is no wonder that they simply thrive in our bathrooms.

Deny conditions

Mold needs certain conditions, in order to thrive. First one is water, so this is why bathrooms are such convenient ground. Next one is heavy, damp air, which can be caused by shower steam. To avoid these terms, it is of utmost importance to keep your bathroom dry. If you have window(s) installed, keeping them open overnight is a good thing to do, for all of the extra steam will be winded out.

Closer look

It is also important to react as soon as you notice black spots. This makes your job easier, for naturally there will be smaller area to clean. Also, good rule of thumb is to do prevention cleaning, so even the spores (from which mold grows) are eliminated as well.

Knowing where to look

Mold is not growing just on surface. It can be held within the walls, as well as under built-in bath tub, if you have one. Tough and hard-to reach spots are rarely used, so that is where you should look first. Also, if your floor does not have quality groundwork, it is possible for you to find unwanted visitors underneath the tiles.

Check your installations

Overall, pipes and similar installations are in tight connections with these pests. If it happens that you spot wet stain on the same spot all the times, it means that you have leaking pipe. Calling the expert is of utmost importance, especially because the longer pipe leaks, the bigger structural damage it can cause.

Paint

Special kind of paint can be used for non-tiled walls in bathroom, in order to prevent mold from even forming. These are easy to apply, and whole wall can be painted with them, or just affected areas. It is completely up to you.

Chemistry

Chemical solutions that can be applied to stop mildew are available at almost every store and market. On the other hand, if you are less keen on spending money on such things, mixing 10% of bleach and 90% of water might be as well effective. Chlorine from bleach will prevent forming new mold.

Places where you cannot look

No matter how hard you look, sometimes it is impossible to check. Most importantly,tend to blocked drains as they are a good place for mold to grow. Since these places are often unreachable, it would be wiser to hire a professional, so they will do all the work for you.

When all things from above are taken into consideration, it is not impossible to get rid of mold in a bathroom, although it can be quite persistent. Good prevention and thorough cleaning will do the trick. 

 

Related source:Facts about mold and dampness 

 

Ways to Make the Most of a Small Space

You do not need to be a design expert in order to make a small room look organized, pleasant, and cozy. Urbanized environments are getting bigger, and more and more overcrowded, so if it happens that you have no other but to cram your life into small space. Organizing a small space can be a challenge, but is not impossible. There are various ways to make the most of your small living space, to “open it up”, make it seem bigger and unique. Multiple function furniture, easy-movable objects, and storage that can be assembled and disassembled quickly will help you improve your space’s convenience and design. Right here and now, we are sharing some great tricks that might work more than fine for you.

Know The Fundamentals
Let us shatter the stereotypes and see what the fundamentals of small space are. First of all, no need to avoid large furniture. People tend to avoid it because of the belief that it will dominate the room, but a large sectional can may look better that small chairs and sofa. Find out what needs to be stored, and buy organizing supplies after that. Think vertically to draw the eye up, make sure that the light sources are not cut off, and go creative with the mirrors that are to bounce the light around.

Color Schemes
It can be achieved by using monochromatic color schemes, so your eyes can move around the room easily without interruption by other colors. By using light colors (white with accents, citrus tones, sea shades, and pretty pastels), you can make any room look bigger. Brightly colored walls are more reflective, while dark colors absorb light. Adjust the color of the furniture by using a monochromatic color scheme with different shades and textures of a single color. Paint your walls so they are the same color as your flooring. The edge where they meet will be less noticeable.
Read this also : How to choose the best colors for bedroom.

Less Clutter
You will certainly feel cramped in a room overcrowded with all kinds of stuff. Place one large painting or a framed photograph, instead of multiple smaller ones. Create an area in your room that will draw attention. That will be your focal point. The number of other accessories should be kept to a minimum. Unify the room with a plain and simple rug that will match its atmosphere. When you get all things tidily arranged, the space will feel more open and orderly.

Lighting & Mirrors
If there is a chance of maximizing the input of natural light into the room, than you should certainly focus on doing that. It is crucial for opening up a space. Large windows with sheer window coverings can connect your interior with the outdoors in a way you cannot imagine. Glass removes visual barriers, so remove the classic wooden doors, and mount internal bi fold doors instead, and allow the light to stream freely through the house. Get creative and add skylights, solar tubes, or other types of interesting lighting, if you do not have access to much natural light. Mirrors reflect light, making the room seem bigger. Both small individual and floor-to-ceiling mirrors are great choices, but before putting a mirror think what parts of the room you want to have reflected.

Multi-Functional Furniture
Create the illusion of spaciousness by pulling larger furniture pieces away from the wall. Draw the eye upward by putting your bookshelves near the ceiling. This is a magnificent way to add storage, but also to save some precious floor space. Get yourself some multi-functional furniture – beds that can be pulled up into a wall, coffee tables used as chests, and transforming sofas – are very practical and you can hide them, or tuck them away when they are not needed. Go compact and convertible, save yourself some space and add more cool designs.

Introduction to Geothermo Heating and Cooling Systems

image:wiki.uiowa.edu

Geothermal cooling and heating systems provide a lot of uses such as space conditioning, heating, cooling and also humidity control. They may also work to provide water heating by either supplementing or replacing the conventional water heaters present in the market. The geothermal heating and cooling systems work by moving heat not like the furnace, which operates by converting the chemical energy into heat energy. There are three subsystems or parts in every geothermal heating and cooling system. They include a geothermal heat pump that is used to move the heat between the building and the fluid in the earth connection, an earth connection that works to transfer the heat between the fluid and the earth and a distribution part used for delivering heating or cooling to the building. There is different equipment that works to enable the working of the geothermal heating and cooling systems and they include the following:

Geothermal Heat Pump

The geothermal heat pump comes packaged in a single cabinet. This includes the compressor, the loop to refrigerate the heat exchanger and the controls. The systems used to distribute the heat also contain the air handler, refrigerant to air heat exchanger and condensate removal system for the air conditioning.

Water Heating

Many systems fitted in a residential site are installed today fully equipped with desuperheaters, which are used to provide hot water to homes when the system is providing heat or air conditioning. This desuperheater is a small auxiliary heat exchanger located in the compressor outlet. Its function is to transfer the excess heat from the compressed gas to a water line that circulates water to the hot water tank of the house. It is designed to provide less hot water during the winter and virtually none during the spring and fall when the system is not operating. The heat pump is the most efficient means of water heating than any other method. Therefore, the manufacturers have begun to offer even more service offering systems e.g. ‘triple function’ or ‘full condensing’ that are made to use a different and separate heat exchanger to meet all of the household hot water needs. All this is brought about by the healthy competition in the market.

The Closed and Open Loops

There are two main types of loops and they include the close loop and the open loop. The open loops are considered the simplest as they have been used so much over the years. The loops have proved effective with use because of their simplicity. However, nowadays the closed loop system is becoming the most common. When it is properly installed it has various advantages such as it is cost effective and an efficient, reliable method to use. The system of the closed loop is environmentally friendly because the water in the loop prevents contamination to the external environment. In installation, the horizontal closed loop installations are generally the most cost effective even though the vertical closed loop system is preferred in many situations. The geothermal heating and cooling systems can be connected to the ground or earth in many different ways, which have been all thoroughly proven in the field. However, if you need high performance then you are advised to utilize the help of experienced professionals who have the necessary skills and understanding. With their expertise you will know what method suits you best as they will help you decide the best system to install in your home.

Written by APM Construction Services, a construction and home maintenance company that is the best choice for heating and cooling Columbia, MO has to offer.

How Cushions, Plants and Sitting Area Can Beautify Your Balcony?

Outdoor places have special value in our house. They are windy, they have a nice view (mostly) and they serve as a perfect place to unwind after a long day at work with a steamy cup of coffee and an old book. It is already our favorite place in the house but how can we enhance its appeal by decorating it in a way we like. While decorating a balcony, we don’t have to consider anybody else’s design taste. It is simply our place and we can decorate it as we like it. We have collected few ideas on how you can decorate your balcony in a simple and appealing manner;

Setup a sitting place

Of course, you like to sit and spend some time alone in your balcony so let’s arrange a cozy sitting place for yourself. You can bring a chair or a sofa or a swing or floor cushions. The idea is to have a nice place to sit whenever you spend time in your balcony. Although, all the above-mentioned options are valid, but there are some better than others. For instance, chairs can be a bit uncomfortable as they don’t have much space for your legs. A small sofa is of no use but, if it is huge and soft then definitely you should keep it in your balcony. As for the swing, the constant movement can be a bit irritating, rather place a rocking chair in your desired position. Floor sitting with cushions is ideal, but it can limit your access to free and fresh wind. So choose wisely. Most importantly, your furniture or cushion should be of darker tones as light colors can’t survive in the open area due to dust. Also, the quality should be good otherwise the material will fade because of direct exposure to the sun.

A plant is a must

Balconies and plants make a perfect couple. It is considered a natural rule to always place some plants in outdoors of your place. However, we can debate on the number of plants. Well, not much since it directly depends on the size of your balcony. If you have a huge balcony, almost same size as your bedroom, then you can go for proper plant pots on one corner. If your balcony is one-fourth of your bedroom then a couple of plants will do. It is a scientific fact that proximity to nature has a positive impact on human beings. Just looking at green color soothes our eyes. So the point is; place some pot plants in your balcony. However, things don’t end at placing plants only. You have to ensure that they are taken care of as well otherwise you can’t benefit from them.

Here come the Cushions:

Cushions are a must in your balcony. They are necessary if you are going for floor sitting but in case you have a sofa or a rocking chair, we suggest you to keep this as well. These are improve your time spent in balcony by:
• Being your back or support when you just want to sit back and take deep breaths.
• Being your soft table when you are lost in your favorite book.
• Being your pillow when you decide to stare at the moon and stars at night.
And the list can go on and on.

Regardless to say, this should be extra soft and huggable. There should be no compromise on quality as it will ruin your personal time. Another great thing about keeping these in your balcony is that you can keep personalized ones. You may buy a cushion representing your favorite show like Orange is the New Black, Sherlock or Game of Thrones or whatever you like. That was our list of simple ideas for your balcony. In case, you haven’t noticed, none of the items mentioned here cost a lot. So decorating your balcony with cushions and plants is budget friendly too.