FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Raised flooring is often a forgotten surface, yet it plays an important role in the design and functionality of modern workplaces. Patrick Ames, Director at nationwide office interior design and fit-out business, Claremont explains why
Flooring is often overlooked and undervalued, yet it’s a crucial element of office interior design, supporting flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability while forming the foundation of every workspace.
Far more than the sum of its parts, flooring is highly valuable in creating offices people want to use and visit. When used creatively and thoughtfully, it can support various goals. Different styles can help with wayfinding and zoning different spaces, colour and pattern can bring brand stories to life and support accessibility, and material choice can reflect organisational values such as sustainability and inclusivity. Fundamentally, flooring underpins how offices operate and evolve.
Raised flooring is one particular style that’s become ubiquitous in many new commercial and industrial buildings and is now a favourite of modern office design.
Raised flooring, sometimes called access or suspended flooring, is an elevated floor system installed over a structural floor. The void underneath is typically used to house electrical wiring, data cables, and HVAC systems.
Many landlords favour raised floors because they reduce M&E and fit-out costs. However, they also deliver several significant benefits for occupiers. Here, we examine the six major occupier benefits of raised floors and explain how this flooring method supports the design and construction of adaptable offices that can easily flex as future needs change.
FLEXIBILITY
Flexibility is one of the most significant gains of raised flooring and a real win for organisations in a hybrid era. The last five years have seen such a marked shift in how people work that flexibility has become key, and it’s a primary requirement in all of the interior design and fit-out briefs we receive, whether we’re supporting landlords with Cat A fit-out works or delivering destination offices for occupiers themselves. Knowing it’s possible to move office furniture, relocate partition walls, or overhaul entire floor plates in line with business needs without disrupting all-important electrical infrastructure is hugely positive.
MANAGING TECHNOLOGY
As technology’s application in the workplace continues to broaden, the range of cabling and infrastructure required does too. Concealing data, power distribution, security, AV, and IoT cabling under floors makes it much easier and quicker to carry out servicing and repairs, update and expand systems, and expand a space without changing its fabric.
The modular nature of raised flooring makes it easy to access the void beneath, significantly reducing downtime and maintenance costs (a repair might take a few hours instead of a few days) and simplifying repairs and upgrades too.
